Agati Furniture was founded in 1981, when Joe Agati Sr. made an impact in library spaces by bringing comfort and style to wood library furniture…
Serving the Public through Libraries for over 40 years
In the 1980’s, the Arts & Crafts style was popular in public libraries. Joe’s first goal was to make an Arts & Crafts chair comfortable. He did this by adding lumbar support, which was previously lacking in traditional wood chair design. He elaborated with more Arts & Crafts products, and started bringing more contemporary design into his furniture.
His interest in human behavior led him to research how people interact or don’t interact, how they sit, and where they sit. Bringing an awareness of biophilic principles of prospect and refuge, Joe developed new ideas of furniture. Word-of-mouth praise from librarians, architects and designers brought Agati furniture into other public spaces.
With his love for beautiful objects (he also garnered recognition with his large-scale, public sculpture), Joe always maintained a clean design aesthetic with his forms. His furniture designs were recognized in the Interior Design field with awards such as:
· Contract Magazine’s IBD Award for Furniture Design
· Daphne Awards for Furniture Design
· Chicago Historical Society’s permanent furniture collection
Becoming a Resource and Educator
At the time, wireless was just in its infancy. With Joe’s engineering degree in material science, he had an intimate knowledge of fiber optics, so he could help librarians with more than just furniture design and layout. He began presenting at conferences about what to expect in the future of libraries in terms of electric wiring and data implications. Joe’s presentations and educational seminars were recognized by various awards, such as:
- American Library Association (ALA), Library Administration and Management Association’s (LLAMA) Library Leadership Award.
Thus began a long history of researching, educating and designing for the public needs…
A Growing Business and Family
Joe S. Agati began working during the summers at Agati. At a young age, he knew that he wanted to lead the family business one day. With a degree in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois, he started his career at Radio Flyer, where he discovered his passion for observing human behavior and finding ways to create innovative products from those observations. In 2012, he joined the Agati team, helping develop new products. In the last 12 years, he launched products including the PODs, Nooks and Power Bar. He also builds the company culture and manages the overall origination.
Joe S. expands on the Agati tradition of education, offering seminars and courses. Check out his podcasts, where Joe S. hosts conversations with designers, architects, and difference-makers to bring inspiration to your work.
What We Do
We DESIGN FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR THROUGH INNOVATIVE FURNITURE SOLUTIONS
Today we serve the public through airports, libraries, schools, government buildings, and healthcare.
Check out all the public spaces we serve →
We’re passionate about being the
MOST INNOVATIVE PUBLIC SPACE FURNITURE COMPANY.
As a team, we enjoy what we do, and we believe in having fun while advancing:
1. Aesthetic design
2. Innovative products
3. DURABLE Engineering
We research human behavior in public spaces to explore new ways that furniture can improve people’s experiences. Our dedication to solving problems is threefold.
1. We care about how people feel in a space. We strive to make a difference by increasing feelings of safety, productivity and utilization in public use furniture.
2. We care about our customers. We value accountability and we stand behind our work. We regularly seek feedback and incorporate it into our ever-evolving designs.
3. We believe you don’t have to sacrifice design for durability. We combine aesthetics, tested engineering, and the highest quality materials to build furniture that withstands the test of time.
Our Purpose
We care about how furniture can improve people’s lives.
Furthermore, we care about our employees, customers, venders, and the environment.
Wellness and Inclusion
As a human-centered design company, we care about our employees, and promote a healthy, inclusive and collaborative workplace. Encouraging and respecting diverse ideas is fundamental to the creative process, and how the best ideas are formed. As educators, and a family-owned business, we believe in sharing our knowledge and nurturing the next generation. Every member of the AGATI team is valuable. And of course, we want to have fun doing what we love to do!
“We’ve worked with AGATI for several years. Thousands of passengers travel through our airport every day and the AGATI airport lounge seating has by far exceeded our expectations. Their customer service and quick response time is exceptional.”
Torre S. Burke Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Does AGATI offer Accessible Furniture?
We have found that every space has a unique story and range of needs, which is why all of our products are customizable. As a public space furniture design company, we value inclusivity and we adapt our standard designs for a range of customers. Our ADA PowerBar is a popular standard product to accommodate wheelchair users. The POD Carrel is a new standard offering for wheelchair users. We have also adapted our Hampton Nook for wheelchair users. Our original POD is quickly becoming a popular solution for neurodivergent-friendly classrooms. We value opportunities to design new solutions to support more people. If you’re wondering about how you can make your furniture more accessible for your population, contact our solution design team today!
Are AGATI products Sustainable?
We’ve always worked to maintain principles of sustainability through material selection and design. Part replacement, along with ease of assembly and disassembly, are always foremost in our design, in order to reduce waste. We seek ways to incorporate renewable and recyclable materials in our products. Ultimately, our commitment to durability ensures our products have long life spans and support humans for years to come. Read our Environmental Statement here.
Where is AGATI located?
Because we are located in the middle of the USA, we easily collaborate with our USA clients -from the quoting team’s requests from clients, to our in-house design team, to manufacturing, delivery and installation – we are proud of the fact that we have kept everything domestic. Since we manufacture everything in the US, we’ve had the unique ability to fully customize products to clients’ needs. Sometimes, this close working relationship even leads to entirely new products.
Agati Furniture
451 N. Claremont, Chicago IL 60601 USA
312.829.1977
