DESIGNER & ECHO FOUNDER
SAM BOOTH
Scottish designer Sam Booth brings energy, ingenuity and over 30 years of design experience to Echo, including award winning interiors, architectural designs, furniture and product designs. His work features in international publications, collections and exhibitions from Glasgow School of Art to MOMA New York. Sam’s long held ambition to develop beautiful, sustainable, small buildings has been realised in his collection of work for Echo, winning design and innovation awards for his 'architecturally fascinating' design concept and 'joyful' buildings.
FURNITURE
Sam’s love of all things modular has seen a variety of dynamic furniture projects. His design practice has evolved over the years, embracing the challenge of designing and building small scale architectural projects, all made possible by decades of hands on experience prototyping and producing his designs across a range of disciplines and scales.
The innovative ‘Oritetsu’ folding metal furniture, designed in 1993 was short listed for 100% Design's Best New Product, and has been purchased by MOMA, New York
Exhibitions such as ‘Small and Special’, and ‘Nomad’- a collection of elements for Glasgow 1999’s ‘Homes for the Future’, each designed for a small space, essential in making a house a home, and easy to transport. The collection included a collapsible steel frame and Tyvec paper chair, an expanding roll top table, a plug in electric wool rug, and a set of specially commissioned essential fragrances curated that would each create an essence of home.
A Collapsible papaer chair with steel frame , designed by Sam Booth as part of Nomad - a collection of essential pieces to create a home
A Collapsible papaer chair with steel frame , designed by Sam Booth as part of Nomad - a collection of essential pieces to create a home
Sam's work was selected to represent UK Design around the world by DTI, British Council and Glasgow City Council, at venues including the ICFF New York; Museum of Applied Art, Cologne and Glasgow School of Art. These early projects can be seen as forerunners to Echo and its philosophy. Other award winning designs followed with the same approach for the design and manufacture of site specific interior elements:
INTERIORS
Rogue Restaurant, Edinburgh - Theme Magazine Best Restaurant UK National Award winner
The restaurants curved walls are draped in sheer fabric , with a suspended oval ceiling accentuating the curved plan of the dining room set within a rectilinear space.
The award winning design for Rogue was created by by Sam Booth for Edinburgh Restauranteur David Ramsden
Discreet timber lined entrance to Rogue's Bar Designed by Sam Booth
The restaurants curved walls are draped in sheer fabric , with a suspended oval ceiling accentuating the curved plan of the dining room set within a rectilinear space.
The Lighthouse - Scotland’s Centre for Architecture & Design's interior & graphic design in collaboration with Spanish designer Javier Mariscal.
The Hallion Private Club, Edinburgh; Rogue restaurant in Edinburgh, winner of Theme Magazine Best Interior UK National Award
The Lighthouse's neon sign is designed by Sam Booth in collaboration with Javier Mariscal
The interior fixtures and finishes for Glasgow's Lighthouse were designed by Sam Booth in collaboration with Javier Mariscal
The Lighthouse's exhibiton systaem and other fixtures were designed by Sam Booth
The Lighthouse's neon sign is designed by Sam Booth in collaboration with Javier Mariscal
Cottage Conversion designed by Sam Booth and Drew Plunkett
Conversion of Galloway steading by Scottish designer Sam Booth of Echo.
Cottage Conversion designed by Sam Booth and Drew Plunkett
ARCHITECTURAL
Along side his commercial interior designs, Sam's architectural designs saw the conversion of traditional coach houses, cottages and farm steadings to make beautiful, light filled interiors whilst retaining their character and integrity.
EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENT
Sam has hosted students from GSA at Echo's workshop , and was engaged with 'Upland' as a Modern Maker working with a group of young people from Dumfries & Galloway on a design and build project.
Castle Douglas Primary school - product of a design workshop with Sam Booth and local poet Liz Niven
Sam has been involved in education at all levels, working as tutor in both the Interior and Product Design departments of Glasgow School of Art and Edinburgh College of Art, and as a flying academic with ECA, working with design students at Donghua University's Shanghai College of Fashion and Design. He was involved in Senses of Places, the Design for Schools initiative, and devising CPD workshops for primary and secondary teachers at the Lighthouse – Scotland’s Centre for Architecture and Design.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
‘1000 Chairs’: Highlights of British Design
'Furniture for Interior Design :a practical guide for designers.',
Sam Booth & Drew Plunkett
'XS:Small Houses Big Time',
Lisa Baker, Braun Publishing 2015
‘A-Z Sketchbook of School Build and Design’.
illustrations by SamBooth and Andrew Siddall, published by School Works
From Consultation to Design
Design for Learning: 21st Century Schools, Published by The Lighthouse 2004
150 Best Cottages & Cabins
Francesc Zamora Mola , HarperDes , 2016
Tiny Living Spaces - Innovative Design Solutions
Lisa Barker, Braun Publishing AG , 2023
Includes Sam Booth's Oritetsu foldign chair
Publication of Sam Booth Pyramid Bothy design for Echo
Ilustration by Sam Booth
Includes Sam Booth's Oritetsu foldign chair
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
1994 ‘Assembly’ Glasgow School of Art Retrospective of the work of Savage and Booth
1995 ‘Designers Habitats’ Collins gallery Glasgow Furniture and Models from Hotel conversion Aberdeen. Accompanying catalogue from Collins Gallery.
1995 ‘Producing the Goods’ Glasgow School of Art and 1999 Gallery. Accompanying cd rom from G.S.A
1997 ‘Highlights, Design from Great Britain’ 14 Jan-13 April. Museum of Applied Art, Cologne
Alongside Ron Arad, Tom Dixon, Nigel Coates James Dyson and Jasper Morrison
Accompanying book “ Highlights of British Design”
Published by wordsearch Communications Ltd. ISBN 3 8030 3088 9
1997 ‘Bright Shiny and New’ British Design in Metal. May- July San Francisco Airport.
1997-98 ‘UK Style’ DTI Funded touring exhibition forming the centre piece of design expo.
Soul, Korea-Christchurch, Wellington- New Zealand, Hong Kong, Gulf States
1997 ICFF Jacob Javits Centre New York, Chair purchased for MOMA, New York.
1997-98 ‘ Fancy Goods’ British Council, Narodini - Prague
1999 ‘Homes for the Future’ Glasgow. Accompanying book ‘The Glasgow Collection’ ISBN 1-
2002 ‘Drawing Triangle” Beijing. Peoples Republic of China
2008 Senses of Place. The Lighthouse Centre for Architecture, Design and the City
Accompanying book Senses of Place: Building Excellence ISBN Number 978-1- 905061-14-3