about:
Several years ago our retail clients starting asking questions for which we had few answers. And they weren't terribly complicated - where does this material come from, how is it manufactured, are there any toxins present, can it be recycled or repurposed, is it composed of recycled content, and many more. Our clients were pressing us to make more informed decisions regarding each material specified on their behalf, especially those that potentially have lasting impact on their customers and planet. The real problem we faced was not being able to answer those questions, it was finding manufacturers willing to share this kind of information. Even today, many companies hide behind the claim that revealing such knowledge is equal to disclosing proprietary patent protected processes. It was obvious that we would have to dig deeper and work harder.
That effort led to more than five years of research, of building relationships with alternative manufacturers, of developing a wide and reliable network of suppliers, of developing some of our own materials, andeventually turning to unique alternative sources of raw building material (including our client’s dumpsters). But ideas are only interesting if applied to real world situations. The projects shown on this site are samples of where concepts have been tested, and are the results of many talented friends and team members who shared our interests and worked wtih us at the design firms ShookKelley, Schorleaf, and WD Partners. Where those companies provided a good testing ground, thread collaborative plans to stretch the limits of alternative material sourcing and its impact on sustainable design.
We encourage you to use this site as a resource for sustainable strategies, links, and ideas related to retail design. We encourage you to engage us in the broader dialogue necessary to bring about meaningful change.
thread collaborative was founded by Kevin Foster O’Donnell and R. Aleida Montejo.