Profile
David's work came to prominence in 2001 when the Italian design house Cappellini bought the rights for Body Raft. The Coral light followed in 2004 for DTL, establishing a blueprint for kit-set products that minimised environmental footprint. The company is proud to hold Life Cycle Assessments (LCA’s) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
David's designs have featured in countless international publications including the most influential, as an instigator of the trend of 'raw sophistication' and as an exemplar of environmentally responsible design. In 2008 the French magazine Express listed him as one of the top 15 designers in the world, and in 2012 the Pompidou Centre in Paris purchased his 'Icarus' installation for its permanent collection.
Biography
David Trubridge graduated from Newcastle University in England in 1972 with a degree in Naval Architecture (Boat Design). Working as a forester part-time in rural Northumberland for a short period, he taught himself to make furniture. His carefully crafted designs were shown all over the UK. In 1981, Trubridge and his wife Linda set off to sail around the world with their two small sons. They sold all they had and bought ‘Hornpipe’, the yacht that was their home for the next ten years as they navigated their way throughout the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The family arrived in New Zealand in 1985. Deeply inspired by his impressions of the Pacific, Trubridge began to develop furniture which held close connotations with the sea.
Fortunes changed dramatically for Trubridge with his re-launch of Body Raft which was taken to the Milan Furniture Fair in 2001 and brought into production by Cappellini. This signaled the transformation of the business from a small-scale model to one that has a considerable presence on the international lighting and furniture market.
Studio
We work internationally on commission work, public art and licensed designs.
Our business is comprised of two distinct yet congruous areas: production which manufactures the stock lights & furniture, and the design studio. Driven by a strong environmentally conscious philosophy we work developing ideas and artistic design pieces for an international client base.
The projects we delivered are located all over the world for varied clients, both large corporations and small businesses. They can be as small as some custom designed and manufactured jewellery pieces or as large as full scale public artworks many metres in size. The DT Studio loves a challenge and is highly experienced in all facets of design, budget and project time frames.
Inspiration
Mother nature gives us life and energy. Living in cities we are loosing this nourishment and people are no longer satisfied filling this void with technology. We are driven to tell stories through our design. We want to reassert that connection with, and respect for, nature so that people care more; care for the earth that gives us life and the other people who share it with us. Nature is the supreme inspiration. We can never begin to approach the depth of its design sophistication but are better for it, if we try.
