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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.
 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. Terms and Conditions: 50% Due at project start. Balance due before delivery. Shipping and delivery not included in quote unless specified. F.O.B. Brooklyn, NY. Lead time 8-12 weeks. Installation not included. Installation will be billed at $50 per hour per person and added to final invoice. |
Bill Hilgendorf grew up in Boston, MA. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a bachelors degree inIndustrial Design he moved to Brooklyn and worked in a cabinet shop until 2004, when he started Uhuru Design with Jason Horvath. His passion for workingwith found objects started at a young age, when he would dismantle anything from abandoned bicycles to broken electronics. Always inspired by the items discarded on the streets of New York, Bill repurposes unwanted materials and found objects and makes them into hip, functional furniture. 
Jason Horvath was born and raised in Louisville, KY and currently lives in Brooklyn Heights. He grew up mountain biking, skating, surfing, and competitive rock climbing at a national and international level. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in industrial and graphic design, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in the Art and Design world. Jason worked as an interior deisgner for Stedila Design in NYC for four years as he built Uhuru with Bill Hilgendorf. 
Maria Cristina Rueda (Techis) was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia and moved to New York City in 2000. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Integrated Design from Parsons School of Design and currently works there as Assistant Chair of the Integrated Design Curriculum in the Department of Core Studies. Inspired in The Rosewood Project, her multi-disciplinary design cooperative thesis proposal, Rueda works as a project manager and product developer for the UHURU Design Group. www.techisrueda.com 
Manny Flaherty was born and raised in New York City. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he developed a love for woodworking though furniture design. After graduating from RISD with a degree in Industrial Design, he moved back to NYC. Over the years Manny has moved around developing his woodworking skills in a variety of different traditional methods. He lived in Port Townsed, Washington for a year where he attended the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building, and spent time in Morovis, Puerto Rico building Cuatros and Tiples; which are Puerto Rican style guitars. Manny now resides in Brooklyn, and has been working in the Uhuru Design workshop since 2005. 
David Gaynor, a native New Yorker, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004 with a BFA in furniture design. He stayed in Providence for two years after his graduation where he split his time between working at the Brown University Elm Tree project, and making custom furniture for clients. David moved back to NYC in June 2006 to join Uhuru Design. David grew up in the industry thanks to his parents who were the owners and operators of Jeffco furniture. |
 
In case you missed us last weekend at BKLYN designs come check out our new line at ICFF this weekend at Booth 1576. 
Uhuru Design: Brooklyn Success Story: Brooklyn Chamber Anual Report 2008 
Please come and check out a brand new line of furniture from uhuru made from reclaimed bourbon barrels. Hours are friday:10-8 saturday: 10-7 and sunday: 11-6. 
Uhuru is now represented by Denizen Design Gallery in LA. Please join us to kick it off with an opening party on saturday may 3. 
Thursday, October 4, 6:00 -7:30 PMThe Reclaimers Join four young designers who use reclaimed wood in their furniture, combining an ethos of sustainability with a contemporary aesthetic. Designers Bill Hilgendorf of Uhuru, Samuel Moyer from Los Angeles, Brandan Phillips of SCM Furnishings, and Brooklyn's Palo Samko will present their designs and the concepts guiding their work, followed by a Q and A session with Josh Dorfman, author of The Lazy Environmentalist and founder/owner of Vivavi, an eco-friendly furniture and home design center in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Event is free with museum admission. 
Uhuru is participating in this brand new showroom featuring sustainable products. Please join us in opening it up on September 19th. greenroomrsvp@verdantmag.com 
Uhuru will be unofficially joining the BWAC carroll gardens/red hook open studio tour. Come check out the shop and great deals on floor models. For more info head over to BWAC's site. 
Check out three new pieces from UHURU at this ICFF satellite exhibition |
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