Michael Russek Design

In an interview with Michael Russek, co-founder of the Bali Design Center, talking about sustainability and creative solutions. The Bali Design Center is a one-stop-shop dream factory to bring ideas to life.

YOUR CREATIVE ONE-STOP-SHOP SOLUTION

Who are you and why are you here in Bali?

My name is Michael Russek, my background is in art, design and fabrication.

I received my Master’s degree in sculpture in 2001 from the Maryland Institute College of Art and have been heavily focused on creating art and objects with computer-controlled machines such as laser cutters, CNC machines and 3D printers for the last 20 years.

I moved to Bali over 4 years ago for many reasons, the biggest being that I was over the greed, wastefulness and meaningless projects I had come to encounter while living in Los Angles. Having traveled here many times in the past, my soul felt at home here and I saw a potential to do something much more meaningful with my skills.

What kind of company is Bali Design Center, and who are your clients?

The Bali Design Center is a one-stop-shop dream factory to bring ideas to life.
From concept to completion, The Bali Design Center does everything from furniture, interiors, products, branding and event stages to artwork. Hosting an arsenal of high-tech tools and years of experience the company prides itself on our innovated clever solutions.

Our clients range from venue owners, inventors, artists, jewelry makers, interior designers, architects, promoters etc…  its a pretty endless list.

Most of clients walk through the door knowing only what they know, Bali Design shows them potentials they never dreamed of. We always try and encourage our clients to work with either sustainable or recyclable materials, if they can’t…then we do our best at being as efficient and optimal with our usage of materials through conscious design work.

We hear about sustainability and long-term planning everywhere.

What does sustainability mean to you?

I strive to create products and items that help people on multiple levels.

For example, we are currently working on a furniture collection for children using recycled plastic sheets made from local trash picked up off of Bali beaches and rivers. Right now in Bali there are several companies offering locals rice or healthcare plans for trash. That trash then gets shredded and turned into sheets by a local company.

Just by using that material I’m getting trash off the ground, I’m helping to feed someone as well as spending my money on a local company for the end product.

It’s also a zero-waste material, any scraps from the cutting of the plastic sheets are collected and sent back to the local factory to be re-melted into new sheets. To me that’s sustainability.

It’s a closed loop system with multiple benefits….not to mention we are making a product for children with a great narrative. I feel lucky to be on an island with companies such as Potatohead and Ecollabo8 which are hiring and teaching locals how to make recycled plastic sheeting from the trash.

What does the Bali Design intend to do to assist sustainable development in the
next two years?

Our future goals at the moment are to expand to a bigger building with the intention of creating not only a much larger company, but a facility that is home to a vocational school for locals only, training them on 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC machining.

The expansion will also serve as a creative hub, as we believe strongly in merging technology with tradition. Having space where traditional wood working and other artisan skills are coupled with the use of computer controlled machines has been a dream of ours since we started.

Another way we plan to assist is by educating people on how to create with recycled plastic and teaching them how to discover more optimal solutions for their projects. Sometimes it’s as simple as showing people how to design something so all the material gets used and nothing is left over….no scraps, no waste.

I call it conscious fabrication.

In terms of the economy, tourism, and sustainability, where do you see Bali
in the near future?

I see Bali headed towards a much better place. I know it’s been rough and still is, but I think the real innovators have awoken on this island, I’m seeing more conscious companies than ever before, I’m meeting amazing people that are
pursuing epic projects that all seem geared towards helping this magical island.

I see more locals and expats working together for commons goals. In general, I’m optimistic, Bali is small but it’s a large soap box globally speaking and people pay attention to it.

If we can make our innovative ideas work here, I think other places may get inspired by us.

Check out his Instagram:

@mikerussek