Jonathan Crinion

British-born designer Jonathan Crinion became interested in environmental stewardship while living in Canada in the 1970s. He completed an undergraduate thesis on solar energy at the Ontario College of Art and Design, in the Department of Product and Systems Design. Crinion went on to study architecture and industrial design at Carleton University and the University of Toronto and earned his PhD in Human Geography from Exeter University, UK. In 1986, he founded Crinion Associates, which became an international research, planning, and design consulting firm. There he engaged in projects ranging from vertical axis wind turbines to office solutions for Knoll.

Crinion first collaborated with Knoll as a consultant during the development of the Reff System. He then created other Knoll collections, including Plateau Screens and Plateau Benching. Crinion’s work was honored with dozens of awards, including the 1999 FX Design Awards UK and the 2000 Toronto Arts Award for Design and Architecture. In 2004 he received gold, silver, and bronze awards at the IIDEX International Show for his designs and innovations in the work environment.

In everything he designed, Crinion took a “less is more” approach, achieved through disciplined innovation and material reduction. His resolved forms reflect how he was able to combine multiple functions into one simple part, thus satisfying the environmental consciousness that was central to his life and work.