The future is handcrafted

What is the House of Manus idea all about?

The work of skilled hands is at the heart of everything House of Manus — the “house of the hand” — does. A Swiss-based family-owned initiative with global reach, House of Manus combines long-term investments in first-class artisan manufacturers with craft-focused consulting expertise and an international academy for aspiring master craftsmen and -women. This is how we aim to provide genuine future prospects in the field of high-end artisan manufacturing.

“The Future is handcrafted” — but what does that future look like?

We see craft — the act of working with skilled hands — as a fundamental and most deeply rooted human need. It is as old as humanity itself, yet remains strikingly contemporary rather than nostalgic. Unlike many other forms of work, craft is difficult to replace with machines or technology. Because it is inherently small-scale, a craft-based approach might even offer meaningful alternatives to some of the challenges our society currently faces. The idea of endless growth is not a very sustainable one as we see on many levels. The idea of endless growth has proven unsustainable on many levels. It may sound a little idealistic, but returning to more handmade production could at least serve as a valuable thought experiment: socially, economically, and ecologically, might it represent a more sustainable way of engaging with our world? Perhaps. What is certain is that craft holds undeniable cultural value — and we are convinced it can also thrive as a successful business model.

How is the act of craft a cultural asset?

In handcrafted objects, a rich cultural heritage comes alive. Yet they are more than echoes of the past. As the artist Tom Sachs once noted: the iPhone is an incredible achievement, but it bears no trace of the human hand. It is perfect, but it doesn’t tell a story. What draws us to handcrafted things are precisely the stories they carry — about their makers, their origins, the materials they are shaped from, the emotions they evoke, and the traditions they continue. At the heart of craft lies the belief that there is value in doing a job well for its own sake. In this sense, the process of making is just as important as the finished object. And that also enriches our interaction with it: it becomes an experience, something that fosters emotional durability. The hours someone has put into making it invite equal care in how we handle and preserve it. And thus it becomes part of your own personal culture.

How can craft shape the way we connect, especially in an increasingly AI-driven world?

Increasingly, informational tasks — and the jobs that go with them — may soon be replaced by AI. Yet as long as humans exist, there will always be a need for well-crafted objects: things made with genuine care, that are not just perfectly functional but tell stories. That’s what fascinates us. In a world where we tend to lose touch with how complex products are made, creating things by hand is a striking form of self-empowerment: the experience of making — or fixing — something yourself. This also naturally invites collaboration. No one can master every skill, and it’s remarkable to see how craft brings kindred spirits together. It fosters community — not only among artisans and makers, but also among connoisseurs who value the story and care behind each creation.