Today we’d like to introduce you to Pandush Gaqi.
Pandush, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Albania, a small country shaped by decades of economic and social challenges. When my family immigrated to the United States in 1999, I entered Roseville High School speaking very little English. It was an isolating experience at first, but it also became a turning point. It was where I discovered technology, design, robotics, and the creative world of making. Auto design fascinated me because cars were the social language of high school boys, and the first major event I attended in America was an auto show. I was captivated.
I enrolled in community college during the recession and the collapse of the auto industry, taking classes that fed my curiosity. Through those experiences, I realized what truly drew me in. I loved the process of making, solving problems, experimenting, and bringing ideas to life.
I went on to study architecture at Lawrence Technological University, where I fully immersed myself in studio culture. I spent long nights working with classmates, sharing ideas, and making models. It was there that I truly felt at home. After graduating, I worked as a fabricator and resident designer at MakeLab, founded by Jim Stevens, who had been a professor of mine and later became a colleague and close friend. That work, building and designing interior installations, planted the early seeds of what I do today.
I continued my education at the University of Michigan, earning a Master of Architecture while working in the FabLab. Technology and construction became central to my identity as a designer. After graduate school, I joined INFORM Studio in Northville, Michigan. Although I was inexperienced, I was trusted to collaborate directly with the partners. Over six years, I became a licensed architect and led projects both locally and nationally. Some of my proudest contributions include Grace Bible Church in Ann Arbor, and two major public projects in Providence, Rhode Island: the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge and the Roger Williams Park Gateway Center.
In 2019, I founded Cult Design Studio PLLC. I started small, building a CNC machine and gradually converting my basement into a workshop. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I made the leap and left my job as an architect to become a full-time fabricator and maker.
Today, Cult Design Studio is a multidisciplinary design and fabrication practice that specializes in furniture. I continue to integrate my architectural background into every project. From our shop in Rochester Hills, Michigan, I push the boundaries of craft, technology, and production, while contributing to the manufacturing heritage that defines the region.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road was not always smooth. My mother lost her battle with cancer in 2003, and my father passed away in 2013. Both were remarkable, intelligent, and loving people who sacrificed a great deal for us by choosing to start a new life here. They were engineers, one in chemistry and the other in construction, and they were ambitious and endlessly supportive of me and my older sister. I credit much of who we are today to the foundation they gave us.
Working as a designer has been challenging, and at times the sacrifices felt heavier than what others around me seemed to face. Over the years, I have come to believe that life is difficult for many people in my community, and I hope to create opportunities for those who are navigating their own economic and social hardships.
If you want to make a difference and have a positive impact on the world around you, while also earning a living, you often need to work long hours and take risks that affect your family, your health, and the people who depend on you. That reality has shaped much of my journey. I could not have done any of this without the support of my family, especially my wife, Blerta Gaqi , who has been the driving force behind my success and the life we have built together.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Since founding my company, I have built more than 350 pieces of furniture. I am personally involved in every step of the process, including design, manufacturing, and delivery. Although I specialize in commercial and residential furniture, I have also contributed to interior design projects and artwork installations. My work is grounded in quality, durability, and cultural motifs that draw from both popular and historical influences. The company name references culture as a driving element. A recurring characteristic of my practice is the nontraditional approach I take to creating pieces that are both elegant and sturdy. Sustainability also guides my decisions. The construction industry produces about 40 percent of global waste and accounts for nearly one third of all landfill deposits worldwide. Local sourcing is not always possible, which makes reducing waste to as little as 3 percent of total material use essential for protecting the environment while improving the spaces we inhabit.
Being an architect, who also builds and makes products, sets me apart from many fabricators and makers. Knowledge across multiple industries has become a valuable asset, especially in creating connections and building a strong professional network. Any success I have is the result of hard work, the contributions of those who came before me, and the excellence of my peers today that push me to get better. Multidisciplinary studios are often centers of innovation because they have the freedom to explore ideas that traditional practices may not be able to pursue. Our lives are complex, our cultural backgrounds vary, and our individual experiences create opportunities for meaningful collaboration. I am proud of the people I have worked with and the relationships that have shaped my journey.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something people are often surprised to learn is how wide my interests are outside of design. I have always imagined having multiple careers, so I’m constantly exploring new subjects, from science to history to economics. That curiosity shapes my work, but it also keeps me growing in ways that have nothing to do with furniture or architecture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cultdesignstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cult_dxn
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pandushgaqi
Image Credits
Steve Kroodsma – Photo Kroo
