David Oakey Designs has Pioneered the Growth of Carpet Tiles for 45 Years

David Oakey Designs has pioneered the growth of carpet tiles for 45 years, shifting industry norms and standards; the past 25 years guided by sustainable design principles. Oakey’s primary philosophy is that above all it has to be good looking, otherwise all the sustainable benefits have little meaning.

Oakey was an early adopter of biomimicry, an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. Oakey has worked together with Janine Benyus since 1998 and he currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Biomimicry Institute.

Since 1994, Oakey has been the exclusive product designer for Interface and Flor. When Interface founder Ray Anderson declared his company would be sustainable and closed loop by 2020, Oakey and his team quickly identified that sustainable design required efficient use of materials, smart products and eliminating waste during the process.

In conjunction with biomimicry, biophilia is at the deep- rooted core of David Oakey Designs’ design process. Pond Studios, Oakey’s early bio-inspired office and truly biophilic architectural space, is the soul of David Oakey Designs. It won an AIA award in 1997, while in 2000, Business Week named David Oakey Designs one of the top offices to work for in the US, for bringing nature indoors.

Over the years, Oakey and his philosophies have been featured in a number of mainstream and design publications and he has given inspirational presentations to companies including Nike, Walmart, Boeing, and British Petroleum.

Project Information

Architect: David Oakey