The Enduring Creativity Of Design Studio Fort Standard

Fort Standard isn’t your average contemporary design studio: the Brooklyn-based firm it has developed a special design language that marries timeless aesthetics with modern production processes.

From aluminum homeware collections to stacked-leather and wooden chairs, the design team at Fort Standard continue to play with materials, experimenting with form and function as they do so. Co-founder and designer Gregory Buntain explains that their work aims to explore “the interplay of natural materials and modern production…to create …their work aims to explore “the interplay of natural materials and modern production.”distinctive designs.” Its experimentation with form is evident in its collaboration with 3D printing company Othr. The two firms explored the limits of 3D printing and metal, releasing a limited edition icosahedron sided black steel bottle opener.

One of the studio’s most revered collections ‘Qualities of Material’, which premiered at 2016’s New York Collective Design Fair, includes a coffee table, cabinet and seating selection. ‘Qualities of Material’ — named after its exploration of wood, stone and leather, — embodies the brand’s aesthetic: experimental yet simple. While soft colors and simple shapes make up the collection, the manipulation of material and patterns, such as the hard maple wood slats fused together in handsome prisms to form table tops, make it a standout endeavor.