CONTACT

Address:       The Dyson Building, 20 Howie Street, London, SW11 4AS

Phone:          +44 207590 4522 

THE TEAM

Phil Schluter

Phi Schluter spent the first 9 years of his life in Kenya, whilst his father worked as an agricultural agronomist with the World Bank. Having moved back to the UK in 1982, he completed his education in the UK, leaving Oxford with a top first in Geography in 1994. He then joined his uncle in the family coffee company, based just outside Geneva in Switzerland. The coffee company, Schluter SA, was founded in 1858, and Phil is now the 6th generation to head up the company. They are specialised in African Gourmet coffee, and have as their vision ‘To transform lives in Africa through commerce in a mutually profitable way’. Phil moved to Liverpool to set a second European office where he is now based. Phil founded Buffalo and has an extensive network in Africa; from senior government ministers to local entrepreneurs. His understanding of the continent allows him to appreciate the subtle nuances in local need for off-grid solutions.

Daniel Becerra

Daniel has over ten years of experience working on design and architectural projects. He has previously run his own design consultancy and workshop in Mexico. He has undertaken work for a number of prestigious clients including: Rolex, BMW and the Mexican Government. Daniel has a first degree in Industrial Design from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and an MA and MSc in Innovation Design Engineering awarded by the Royal College of Art and Imperial College, London. Daniel was one of the founders and the design director of Artica Technologies, a company which created a multi award winning low energy cooling, ventilation and heat recovery system. Since the sale of this company in late 2010 he has been working in the development of the Buffalo Project taking an idea into an invested venture. 

Damon Millar

Damon is an industrial designer and electronic engineer, with 15 years experience designing electromechanical systems. His experience spans the full range from semiconductors, satellite systems and Formula 1 to emerging collaborative screen technologies and robots that dance with the National Ballet. Most recently, he has been the system architect for Ferrari's driver training simulators. Damon brings relevant first-hand experience to Buffalo, having lived off-grid for a year in the Guatemalan forest, and helped design UNESCO's emergency shelters in Peru.

Stefan Dzisiewski-Smith

Stefan graduated from Imperial College, London with a Masters degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering before completing a joint MA / MSc in Industrial Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art in 2009. He had worked in the electronics industry since 2003 and has won several awards. Whilst working for Spellman High Voltage Electronics Ltd., he developed a deep working knowledge of precision switched mode power supply engineering. His work here spanned four continents and involved solving numerous complex design challenges in hostile and sensitive environments. While working with interactive architecture collaborative Jason Bruges Studio, he also has experience working with demanding clients such as Aston Martin, Becks beer (part of the AB Inbev Group) and Westfield Shopping Centre developments.

Andrew Stordy

Andrew grew up living in a number of developing countries before settling in the UK for his BEng in Mechanical Engineering at Brunel University. He worked for five years in the automotive industry as an engineer resonsible for the design of diesel engine components before leaving to pursue his MA in Innovation Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College, London. His RCA group project, Malaria Must Go was a finalist in the INDEX awards and a Gold Award winner for the Industrial Designers Society of America. This was a mosquito killer design based on research into the Malaria problem in Tanzania. Andrew went on to found IKAWA, a company that aims to change the structure of the coffee supply chain for the benefit of growers though machines that allow the consumer to turn green coffee into a brewed beverage at the press of a button. The IKAWA company has been a finalist in the Global Social Venture competition in Berkleley, California.

Sian Smyth

Sian graduated from the Royal College of Art (RCA) and Imperial College with a degree in Industrial Design Engineering, with her first degree being in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from Queens University, Belfast. She has a wide variety of work experience including 4 years working in product development at Land Rover where she was responsible for the design analysis of vehicle components. She has also worked for UNESCO in India organising, designing and producing product prototypes with local craft people and for DesignLab at Central Saint Martins producing design work for several prestigious clients.