Raw design
with living materials


 


Set designCru Atelier designs and builds custom setups for exhibitions, vitrines, and displays. Letting raw materials do the talking allows artworks and products to take center stage. It’s handmade, it’s full of life, giving creations a the sensitive showcase.

CollectionOur collection of sculptural furniture uses materiality as a creative start. Much like a geological core sample, each piece becomes a witness to the history and time carried within the matter. We leave plenty of room for chance, each object possesses its own soul.

BespokeAs architects and experts in bio- and geo-sourced materials like soil, plant fibers, and minerals, we bring this dual expertise to custom projects. Benches, counters, kitchen islands… we build these installations directly on-site, partnering with architects and brands looking for authentic creations.

ScenographyWe design and make exhibition scenographies envisioned as spatial narratives that resonate with the artists' universes. We work hand-in-hand together to imagine a unique staging, a custom-made living space that dialogues with the artworks.



TELLURA 
Collectible design
A L’OMBRE DES FALAISES
Set design for Sessùn
LA VAGUE
Bespoke for Bon matin
STRATES 
Bespoke for Skult café
CLEMENTINE 
Bespoke for Private Client
AMARREES
Scenography for Au Charbon
GLOW mini
Collectible design
MARBLED TABLE mini
Collectible design
MATTER OF SENSE
Scenography for Horeca Expo
KLIPPE
Collectible design
CLEMENTINE
Bespoke for Private client
BUTTES FLEURIES
Set design for Resyne
SABLE
Bespoke for Nathalie Deboel
A L’OMBRE DES FALAISES
Scenography for Sessùn 30th anniversary
GLOW 
Collectible design
ARBORESCENCE
Collectible design
CURTAIN
Collectible design
ARBORESCENCE mini
Collectible design
TERRA COTTA
Set design for Mazarine event
MATTERGY
Set design for Louise Devin
GROUND ENCOUNTER
Collectible design
ART BRUSSELS
Scenography for Be Craft
DORSALE
Collectible design
CORPS
Collectible design
LUCY
Collectible design
MARBLED TABLE
Collectible design
CERAMIC BRUSSELS
Set design for Coline Rosoux


 

ABOUT CRU






Cru is a design studio devoted to the creation of bespoke interior pieces and collectible objects, shaped through the use of organic and geo-sourced materials. Their work brings together craftsmanship, quality, creativity, sustainability, and a deep sensitivity to materials.

Founded in 2023 by Sarah El Yousefy (left) and Nina Ouchinsky (right), both graduates of the Faculty of Architecture at UCL-LOCI Brussels (2015), the studio is rooted in a shared sensibility for natural matter and a commitment to responsible design.

Over time, they have immersed themselves in a range of ecological techniques, including raw earth, lime and hemp, straw, and natural finishes. This dedication has led them to rediscover rare and ancestral savoir-faire, preserving gestures and knowledge that are gradually disappearing.

Drawn to the textures, nuances, and infinite possibilities of these materials, they approach design as a field of experimentation and expression. Cru atelier was born from the desire to unite their skills, their friendship, and their shared vision.



TEAM

Nina Ouchinsky
Nina is a multidisciplinary architect, designer and craftswoman. She worked as an architect at Pierre Blondel Architectes, co-founded a wood and metal workshop, and has experience as a scenographer and set designer. She also served as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Architecture of ULiège.
Sarah El Yousefy
Sarah is an architect, designer and craftwoman specializing in sustainable construction. 
She previously worked at ICI Architects and later as a materials expert consultant at CERAA. She also teaches eco-construction in the Master’s program in Social Ecology at HELB (Brussels).
Lilas Barnouin
Intern

& previouslyCarmen Pombar, Soané Bugnard, Aïona Garel, Sacha Druet, Lola De Mesmaeker, Lucie Fabry, Anaëlle Pouliquen


PRIZE

BKRK AWARD VEZEL 2026 
Finalist - “Living fibers”, a research material of acoustic and decorativ pannels made of hemp and jute.


SESSÙN CRAFT PRIZE 2025  1st Laureate  - “A l’ombres des falaises, la brise de la mer”, a scenography inspired by vernacular architecture made of hemp plaster




PRESS

AMC n°336 - Nov 2025
DESIGN p. 98-101 «Huit artisanes àl’établi» par Laure Carsalade

SESSUN - Aug 2025
Sessùn Craft Prize 2025 : Rencontres avec Cru atelier

SOSOIR - 08 March 2025
DESIGN p. 24-27 “Collectif au féminin” par Agnès Zamboni

IDEAT (be) - 16 Nov 2024
DESIGN IDEE - «Ecomatériaux : les 10 nouveautés qui vont tout changer» par Agnès Zamboni

EXPO
ECHOES OF EARTH @ WONDER FESTIVAL - Oct 2026
Collective exhibition for Creative festival in Kortrijk

MATERIAL THINKING @ GROW - Oct 2026
Solo exhibition, Research materials to realizations for Brussels Design Week

SESSÙN 30th ANNIVERSARY @ GALERIE JOSEPH - Sept 2026
Bookshop scenography for Paris Design Week

DE TERRE ET DE FER @ JUNOT - Sept 2026
Collective exhibition for Paris Design Week

DEPTH OF FIELD @ AUGUSTA -  May 2026
Collective exhibition of sustainable design at Augusta

COLLECTIBLE @ VANDERBORGHT -  March 2026
Collective exhibition of Collectible design with Augusta Gallery

MATTER OF SENSE @ HORECA EXPO - Nov 2025
Curation and scenography for a collective exhibition of sustainable design 

CURATED @ MIX HOTEL - Sept 2025
Collective exhibition of functional art curated by Lionel Jadot at Mix Brussels

SHIFFTING GROUND @ UR SQUARE - Sept 2025
Collective exhibition for Brussels Design September

I.A. @ ECC - Jan 2025
Collective exhibition of Art Intelligence at Espace Constantin Chariot

MATTERGY @ MAISON DES ARTS DE SCHAERBEEK - May 2025
Set up for the ceramics of Louise Devin

VITRINE DES CRÉATEURS @ BE CRAFT (Mons) - May 2025
Scenograhy for Be Craft exhibition

BE CRAFT @ ART BRUSSELS - April 2025
Scenograhy for Be Craft exhibition at Art Brussels 2025

(UN)WRAPPED @ BRUSSELS HOUSE MILAN - April 2025
Collective exhibition at Milan design week, supported by Hub Brussels and MAD Brussels

CERAMIC BRUSSELS @ Tour&Taxi - Jan 2025
Set up for the lounge space with atelier J&J 

ECLECTICA @ ECC - Jan 2025
Collective exhibition of eclectique art at Espace Constantin Chariot

WAIT HERE @ CLOUD SEVEN  - Nov 2024
Collective exhibition curated by Christina Gusano and Tommy Lhomme

FOR THE NOW @ MAISON DE LA POSTE - Nov 2024
Collective exhibition of Collectible design art by Flanders DC

CURATED @ MIX BRUSSELS - Oct 2024
 Collective exhibition of functional art curated by Lionel Jadot at Mix Brussels

AMARRÉES @ AU CHARBON - Sept 2024
Curation and scenography for collective exhibition of Au Charbon for Brussels Design September

RENEWAL @ RESET BRUSSELS -  Sept 2024
Collective exhibition of sustainable design curated by Duplex studio,

BELGIAN BEYOND BORDERS @ MILAN DESIGN WEEK  - April 2024
Collective exhibition at Milan design week 2024, supported by Hub Brussels and MAD Brussels

FRACAS @ CERAMIC BRUSSELS - Jan 2024
Set up for Coline Rosoux and Gallery Fracas

PARTNERS