Fuseproject’s Yves Behar: Making Tomorrow Today

Fuseproject, led by Swiss born industrial designer Yves Behar, combines Swiss aesthetics with California tech to develop products for Fortune 500 companies and startups. The firm is based at the intersection of 16th and Carolina streets in an artfully graffitied renovated industrial building. In 2013, the Fuseproject team carved their names and pressed their products into wet cement in front of the structure before they moved in later that year.

 “Potrero Hill is great for us,” said Behar. “It’s great to have sort of a mixture of cultural input… It’s a good local spot that connects us to Silicon Valley and the airport.”

Fuseproject houses an art gallery, Cult, that’s open to the public, run by gallerist Aimee Friberg. 

“This is our way to contribute to the culture of Potrero Hill,” said Behar.  “There are a ton of great resources for creatives here. There’s a couple of model shops [for] people who build prototypes, in our neighborhood. We like to go to California Design. … And also, there’s a lot of furniture kind of stores and resources which is great… We use some photographers in Potrero Hill that have nice studios. Peter Belanger is a go to… I love this neighborhood. We always try and support the neighborhood.” 

Fuseproject hosts its holiday parties in Potrero Hill. Behar often lunches at local restaurants, including Mochica, Umi, and Parker Potrero, and likes to shop at Arch Art Supplies.  

Behar recently designed the OpenSeed Iris Pod, an egg-shaped immersive meditation hub for the workplace. The shell is softly lit, made from wood and felt to dampen sound. A tablet enables users to choose a meditation or music to guide breath, synchronized with lighting. It’s equipped with a gently vibrating seat and floor, and aromatherapy. 

Another Behar creation is the TELO truck; the smallest electric truck on the market, at one inch shorter than the new Mini Cooper. The project was financed by Marc Benioff of Salesforce and Tesla cofounder Marc Tarpenning. Mayor Daniel Lurie test drove it around Potrero Hill last year.

The Rye Stool, a bent wood chair, designed by Behar for the 105-year-old company Zanat, was featured in The New York Times. Behar also devised Doma, an intelligent home platform that powers doors and windows with an embedded security system that relies on face recognition and features air quality sensors. 

“Doma represents a shift from device-centric thinking to environment-centric thinking,” said Behar on an Instagram post. “It’s not a product you install; it’s a living system you inhabit.” 

Behar’s clients include Prada, General Electric, Samsung, and Herman Miller, which vends the popular office chair, the Sayl, designed by Behar. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has his work in its permanent collection. 

Behar lives in Pacific Heights with his wife, Sabrina Buell, who is an art dealer, and their four children, Sky, Sylver, Soleyl, and Saylor. Buell is the daughter of native San Franciscans and philanthropists Susie Tompkins and Mark Buell. Tompkins co-founded Esprit, a popular clothing brand in the 1980’s and 1990’s which had its headquarters and clothing outlet in Dogpatch. The Behars have a second home in Bolinas overlooking the Pacific.