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JOHN BROWN is the editor of theslowhome.com and the founder of the Slow Home Movement. He is a registered architect, real estate broker and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary.
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Sustainability Through Material Choice
Stoolen
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Stoolen Light
Beam Table
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Mission:
Uhuru is a small design + build furniture company dedicated to
sustainability and creating timeless designs. Uhuru builds each piece by
hand, in their Red Hook Brooklyn studio. We strongly agree with the shaker
assertion that “beauty rests on utility” We strive to make furniture and
products that are beautiful in their simplicity with an acute awareness of
materials, and craft. Most of the things we make use materials that have
been reclaimed, recycled, repurposed, reused or otherwise rejected from
their original function.
About us:
Uhuru (Pronounced: oo-hoo-roo) was founded in 2004, by Bill Hilgendorf and
Jason Horvath.
For us sustainability is about choosing materials with the least amount of
environmental impact, whether it is what they are made of, how they are
produced or where they come from, and using them in a way where little to no
waste is created. We try to focus on using local materials as much as we
can. One of the materials we are using most right now is reclaimed Heart
Pine. This first growth wood, which is virtually extinct due to over
harvesting a century ago, is extracted out of buildings being taken down in
NYC. Not only does it have a beautiful grain and a rich color but it really
is one of the most local materials available to furniture builders in New
York City.
Our wood shop, metal shop, and design offices are located in an old foundry
in Red Hook where we fabricate everything we make. Occasionally on big
projects we will team up with other Brooklyn companies, but we keep it
local. We strive to reduce our environmental impact in both our business and
personal lives.
We are constantly researching and learning about new materials and
construction methods in order to make the best products while creating the
smallest impact possible.
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We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
provides design focused information that homeowners can use to improve the quality of how and where they live. It takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. The sprawl of cookie cutter housing that surrounds us is like fast food - standardized, homogenous, and wasteful. It contributes to a too fast life that is bad for us, our cities, and the environment. In the same way that slow food raises awareness of the food we eat and how these choices affect our lives, Slow Home empowers you to take more control of your home and improve the quality of how you live while reducing your environmental impact and futureproofing the long term investment value of your home.
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