Martin Lesjak often felt wistful when he and his team at Innocad, the Graz, Austria-based architecture and design firm he founded with Peter Schwaiger in 1999, conceived of bespoke furniture and accessories for a single project. “It seemed a bit sad they would have only one use,” he says.
So, when he met his now wife Anastasija Lesjak, who had both expertise in the fashion industry and a medical degree, the timing was just right to establish a complementary, exploratory-driven studio dedicated to product design.
In 2013, the couple launched 13&9 at the annual NYCxDesign festival with an expansive, human-centered mission. “We wanted to take a holistic approach to creativity and design. What makes us—ourselves, our communities, our environments—feel well? We are interested in different disciplines and meeting artists, designers, and scientists,” says Anastasija, who serves as co-CEO and creative director. “We always start from zero and do our research. Sometimes it takes a couple of years to get from idea to product.”
A collaboration with Innocad, Mosh Bar & Dinner in Bucharest features backlit fractal patterns embedded in the ceiling, projecting light effects across the floor
Cross-pollinating knowledge and disparate perspectives fuel 13&9, a mindset best reflected in the ScienceDesignLab, 13&9’s partnership with Richard Taylor, who leads the University of Oregon’s physics department and runs Fractals Research. “We dug deeper to find out what the science is behind biophilia,” says Martin, 13&9’s co-CEO and design director. This discovery process led to fractals—repeating, intricate patterns that are essentially the building blocks of natural forms like hills, leaves, and sand.
To reduce stress and elicit tranquility and joy in indoor settings, the ScienceDesignLab embarks on neuro-aesthetic experiments through a back-and-forth dialogue of analysis and adaptation that translates fractal dimensions into thoughtful products. For example, 13&9 collaborated with Fractals Research on Wever & Ducré’s Shedda Fractal, a pendant showcasing perforation technology.
The duo also joined forces with Fractals Research on three carpet tile assemblages for Mohawk Group to promote wellbeing as well as the Renaturation range of wallpaper and murals for Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering. Depicting bark, moss, and flowing water, the “collection is not only decorative, but it also makes a healthful impact,” says Anastasija.
“We always try to find relevance. We don’t design for design’s sake. There needs to be added value,” says Martin. This philosophy of intention carries over to 13&9’s other work too, such as the hand-crimped BuzziPleat acoustic panel crafted with a textile spawned from upcycled plastic bottle waste for BuzziSpace, and Soundcatcher, a modular acoustic luminaire imagined for XAL Group that entices with angular, round, and octagonal shapes.
Tactility, sound, and movement are vital attributes of the Lesjaks’ multisensory designs. “Ninety percent of our time is spent indoors, so it’s important to have truly quality spaces and think about a sustainable future,” says Anastasija. “We don’t want to overproduce and have one collection after another but develop products with purpose and meaning.”
Another Innocad partnership, Fractal Chapel at Graz’s state hospital in Austria evokes tranquility with its interplay of patterns and light
This article originally appeared in HD’s August 2025 issue.
