Hi, I'm Andre
Andre was born in San Francisco to a family of dedicated skiers, cooks, and entrepreneurs. After competing in Freestyle Moguls through high school, he learned to build skis and found his way into the Engineering School at CU Boulder, in Colorado. There, learning to project manage meant he could open up his schedule to go backcountry skiing and feed his passion for the mountains.
After moving to Utah and enjoying some fun years at a ski shop, Andre realized the need to create something bigger to maintain the lifestyle and growth he dreamed of.
The question he set out to answer was this: what is at the cross section of his skills, knowledge, and passions?
One childhood dream was a VW van. Designing and building LEGO castles and vehicles was his primary play. He was always good at Tetris. And getting outside to ski, hike, and bike has always been a leading factor in decisions like where to go to college and how to structure jobs.
After a summer test run living in a 1995 Ford Econoline while raft guiding in Banks, Idaho, taking the leap to building a Sprinter Van was all too appealing.
The details
LANDAU LIVING
LANDAU LIVING is my mobile van customization unit. I tow my wood shop with me as I chase the seasons — skiing, kayaking, kite boarding and biking!
I generally migrate between Salt Lake City, UT and Hood River, OR. Being mobile opens up opportunities to reach different people and markets, and gives my employees a bridge to connect a career with adventure. At this early stage in life (I am 28), I am searching for a place and community to lay roots, while living in the present moment of adventure along the way.
Skiing in particular has been at the center of my life. The shared connection and community that it has connected me to gives me friends around the world
After two years of income, a good track record opens the door to bigger loans, which will enable HOME BASE.
HOME BASE
HOME BASE will be a multifamily building. It provides a secure place to live while covering its own expenses each month. It also covers basic life costs like food, health insurance and ski gear.
With HOME BASE established, I am out of the rat race of working hours to pay rent.
I envision shop space to build vans, yard space for my van life friends, and a cozy outdoor kitchen for family dinners.
PARADIGM PLASTICS
The next step is to step into a bigger dream . How far can we go? What problems can we solve?
My dream is to attack the plastic problem we have in our world today. From issues recycling to overproduction, there are many angles to explore. What is most intriguing to me right now is the idea of new technology, maybe in the form of fungus or bugs, that can break down the polymers that form our plastics. Can we do this on an industrial scale, and return all these materials to the earth? More to come...