Some of the most meaningful collaborations don't begin with a contract. They begin with a conversation.

The relationship between Bunkr and Research Design Agency started in 2022 through a mutual connection and a shared appreciation for music, design, and culture. What began as a conversation around a local event gradually evolved into an ongoing creative partnership, one built on trust, experimentation, and a mutual desire to create spaces that feel authentic to the communities they serve.

Today, that collaboration extends far beyond individual projects. Together, we've shaped an environment where furniture, art, music, and architecture exist as one cohesive experience.

The partnership began when two friends and I set out to organize a local event. Through a mutual connection at the Alto Hotel in Montclair, we were introduced to one of Bunkr's founders, who was DJing there at the time.

After an initial conversation, we invited him to our studio to discuss the idea in person. What started as a meeting about a single event quickly became something more. We immediately connected over a shared appreciation for electronic music, design, fashion, and the creative communities that exist around them.

Although the event was successful, the relationship continued long after the music stopped.

Months later, I invited the Bunkr team to my first solo exhibition at the Paterson Art Factory.

Alongside a self-published photo book, I designed and fabricated a collection of custom furniture including chairs, planters, and a table that became part of the exhibition itself. Rather than simply displaying the work, the furniture encouraged visitors to slow down, interact with the space, and experience the project as a whole.

Those pieces resonated with the Bunkr team.

During the exhibition, they shared that once they found a permanent home for their studio, they wanted Research Design Agency to help shape the space.

When Bunkr signed the lease for their new location on Halsey Street in Newark, that conversation became reality.

Rather than commissioning a single object, they invited us to help build an environment that reflected the culture surrounding the brand.

Together, we designed custom furniture, storage solutions, mirrors, shelving, speaker stands, tables, seating, lighting, and original artwork. Every piece was considered as part of a larger system, ensuring the space felt cohesive rather than assembled over time.

Bunkr exists at the intersection of music, fashion, industrial design, graffiti, and New York's creative culture. Those influences became the foundation of every design decision.

The materials remain honest and understated. The forms are clean but expressive. Every object balances utility with atmosphere, allowing the furniture to support the creative process without competing for attention.

Rather than filling the studio with furniture, the goal was to create an environment that encourages collaboration, creativity, and community.

The space continues to evolve.

As Bunkr grows, so does the environment surrounding it. New furniture, installations, artwork, and functional objects are continuously developed through an ongoing dialogue between both teams.

More than a client relationship, Bunkr has become a long-term creative partnership built on shared values, mutual trust, and a belief that thoughtful design can shape not only physical spaces, but the communities that gather within them.