Profile
Team |
Chuck Hoberman
Founder and President
chuck@hoberman.com
Nowhere do the disciplines of art, architecture and engineering fuse as seamlessly as in the work of inventor Chuck Hoberman, internationally known for his “transformable structures.” Through his products, patents and structures, Hoberman demonstrates how objects can be foldable, retractable or shape-shifting. Such capabilities lead to functional benefits: portability, instantaneous opening, and intelligent responsiveness to the built environment.
Hoberman is the founder of Hoberman Associates, a multidisciplinary practice with clients ranging across sectors including consumer products, deployable shelters and space structures. The firm is collaborating with architects such as Foster + Partners, Kohn Pedersen Fox, SHoP, Nikken Sekkei and others. For these projects, Hoberman is developing retractable facades, responsive shading and ventilation, operable roofs and canopies. Examples of his commissioned work include the Hoberman Arch in Salt Lake City, Utah, installed as the centerpiece for the Winter Olympic Games (2002). Other noteworthy commissions include a retractable dome for the Worlds Fair in Hanover, Germany (2000), the Expanding Hypar (1997) at the California Museum of Science and Industry, and the Expanding Sphere (1992) at the Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, and the Expanding Geodesic Dome (1997) at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
Hoberman’s work has been exhibited several times at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2008 his commissioned installation, “Emergent Surface,” was part of the exhibit, “Design and the Elastic Mind.” He holds a bachelor’s degree in sculpture from Cooper Union and a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University. He won the Chrysler Award for Innovation and Design in 1997.
Matthew Davis
VP Engineering
matthew@hoberman.com
Matthew Davis has been with Hoberman since 2000. His work has won numerous awards and spans the fields of product design, sculpture, and architecture.
Matthew received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University where he specialized in product development. He then went on to work as a supervisor and engineer for the Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Company for three years before working at Hoberman.
He began his work at Hoberman on the larger sculptural installations, where he was the lead engineer for Hoberman's highest profile project to date; a 72 foot retractable arch for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Medal Ceremonies. In 2006, he designed a 42 foot expanding double helix for the Discovery World Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Most recently, he was the project lead for 'Emergent Surface' – a reconfigurable wall that was part the 2008 Museum of Modern Art show, Design and the Elastic Mind.
In addition to the large sculptural projects, Matthew has played a significant role in the development of the Hoberman toy brand. Some of his award winning designs have included; the Sonic FX Musical Sphere, the Brain Twist Transforming Puzzle, the Switch-Kick color changing ball. He shares a number of patents and patent's pending with Chuck Hoberman for these designs.
As Hoberman Associates continues to grow and bring our advancements in transformation to new fields, Matthew has been integral in the growth of our product development capabilities. He co-invented and designed the RDS tent system for Johnson Outdoors in 2006. The RDS is currently the fastest deployable tent on the market that meets all of the Marine's stringent field requirements. It's structural durability and ease of use has set a new standard in the field.
In his spare time Matthew enjoys competing in endurance races, having completed several marathons and half-Ironman triathlons. In 2000 he completed the world's longest annual open water swimming race, The Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, a delightful 28.5 mile swim around the entire island of Manhattan.
Ziggy Drozdowski
Director of Technology
ziggy@hoberman.com
Ziggy Drozdowski received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from The Cooper Union, with concentrations in electrical engineering and acoustics. Upon graduation, he studied at the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) of New York University before deciding to pursue his professional career.
Ziggy joined Hoberman Associates as a core team member in 2004. His background has helped usher in a different approach to Transformable Design services in architecture and product development using advanced technologies. He has been integral in developing the company's utilization of 3D design tools and computational methods for visualization, simulation, and optimization. Ziggy also serves as lead designer of control automation systems for all Hoberman projects. He has designed systems for a multitude of models, sculptures, and architectural element arrays, including Hoberman's most recent installation at the Museum of Modern Art titled "Emergent Surface."
With a general interest in systems, topologies, interaction, and animation/automation, Ziggy engages in an intelligent interdisciplinary approach that brings Hoberman designs to life.
Craig Holland
Director of Business Development
craig@hoberman.com
Craig Holland, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, has spent his entire career helping emerging businesses achieve success. After earning a Commonwealth Scholar distinction for his studies in Economic Theory, Craig worked for Digi-Block, Inc., a Boston-based start-up that manufactured and distributed innovative teaching materials for elementary and middle-school students. As a manager of Digi-Block's consulting division, Craig was responsible for recruiting, training, setting protocol, and managing operations for its 30 consultants nationwide.
After leaving Digi-Block in 2003, Craig founded The Archive, a café, and media center in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The facility quickly became a successful staple of the neighborhood and is today a community landmark.
Craig joined Hoberman Associates in 2006 to manage growth in its product design division. His responsibilities include operational and financial management, recruitment of new talent, and all external outreach and communication. Craig helps structure successful client relationships by ensuring proper allocation of internal resources, communicating client concerns within Hoberman, and applying a business perspective to the design process that balances market viability with aesthetic considerations.