Studio
Our studio houses a fully operational fabrication shop. In-house capacities are primarily those of a metal shop with a suite of tools including:
- 3-axis CNC milling
- metal lathe
- 5’x10’ CNC plasma table
- diverse welding capacities from TIG to brazing
- 4’x8’ CNC router for wood and soft metals
- dedicated wood and finishing shop
We have established extensive relationships with quality vendors supplying a large range of materials: metal, wood, glass, leather and ceramic to name a few. Here at OAS, we take pleasure in the process and are experienced in managing projects from start to finish that extend beyond our scope. With this capacity, we maintain the title of art studio and are passionate to pursue many other processes and materials.
Working with an expanding network of craftsmen beyond our studio allows for limitless creation and realization of things beyond the capacity of any single shop. We enjoy our work best when we are able to share our combined capacities and talents to collaborate with creative people, be they restaurateurs, architects and designers, or individuals with a vision.
OAS is passionate about having a social and interactive element bound to our projects, where the final work produced is meant to be experienced and shared. We work closely with our clients to problem solve the specifications of their uniques needs, assuring the delivered product fits to their environment and satisfaction.
“The team at OAS is glued together as a family by overlapping interests and passions from diverse backgrounds spanning: engineering, metal fabrication, model making, and the arts.”
Luigi Oldani - Owner
Luigi tinkering with his dad's tools.
Photo of Luigi's father and motto that OAS still operates under today.
Born in Wyoming, my earliest childhood memories are those of tagging along to my father’s job site, where I played and tinkered with materials from the day’s construction work. It was there that I developed an appreciation for the work as being both fun and rewarding. The family moved to Oakland and my dad progressed from the construction trades to finishing crafts, eventually becoming a full-time artist. My late teens were divided between summers helping my father and winters pursuing a modest career as a “professional” snowboarder back in Wyoming.
At age 23 with the birth of my first daughter, Camille, I returned to Oakland to study mechanical engineering at CAL Berkeley, supported with junior college credits from Laney College’s excellent welding and trades programs. My goal was to accentuate my hands-on knowledge with a deep understanding of engineering theories and principles. Soon after graduating I took a job manufacturing as an engineer for the Tesla Motors battery team. After a few years building automation equipment at Tesla, I realized that my destiny lied elsewhere, so I started cultivating my dream of building and opening a coffee shop.
After my father’s sudden and early passing in 2009, I started my own small studio, equipped with my father’s legacy of tools, and began doing fabrication work. Some of my first projects were for Sightglass Coffee, which stoked my enthusiasm for specialty coffee, machines, design, and fabrication. The progression of these passions led to our very own espresso bar and second family business - the CRO Cafe.