The full text of this article appears in Issue 38 of Indesign Magazine, out now. Click here to find your nearest stockist, or here to subscribe.

Words: Jan Howlin
Portrait: Anthony Browell

Featured in publications such as ID and Wallpaper magazines, French Vogue and Elle Décor in Japan, Italy and Germany and included in Taschen’s Designing the 21st Century and The Bulletin’s ‘Smart 100: Australia’s Brightest and Best’, Schamburg+Alvisse are attracting increasing attention for their strikingly simple, ecologically-sustainable furniture.

In 1997, when the Sydney-based furniture design company was formally established after several years in gestation, it was not only the start of a rewarding collaboration for Marc Schamburg and Michael Alvisse personally, but a serendipitous event for design in Australia.’¨

The design scene was more than ready for their polished take on clear-cut form with refined proportions and it earned them early recognition. Twelve years on, Schamburg+Alvisse is a company of six with a national sales base, an international reputation and several dozen products in production. ’¨

They have championed the cause of environmentally responsible design through their explorations into recycled plastics and sustainable timber and are committed to manufacturing in Australia where feasible, again on environmental grounds. ’¨

To date the entire range has been made here. As a result, many Schamburg+Alvisse designs carry the Good Environmental Design Australia (GECA) label, and timber products have recently gained Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation, “which we think is by far the most rigorous and trustworthy eco-certification system in the world,” says Alvisse.’¨

A decade ago, Schamburg+Alvisse found many clients inclined to disregard eco-design issues, but with escalating awareness of climate change, recent years have seen a dramatic about-face. In relation to the sobering realisations brought home by the current global financial crisis, the heart-felt holistic philosophy that motivates Schamburg+Alvisse offers a contrast that is acutely pertinent…

schamburgalvisse.com.au

Read the rest of this article in Issue #38 of Indesign magazine – out now. Click here to find your nearest stockist, or here to subscribe.