LILBURN,GA - Alan Harp has spent years honing his furniture-building expertise. But the time has not strictly been in the wood shop.

An industrial design professional, Harp has more than 20 years of design experience in product development at two research centers at Georgia Tech, along with 10 years of theatrical set design, and a lifelong desire to create things.

Above anything else, harp is a dedicated problem solver with a passion for woodworking. 

His furniture is crafted with solid hardwoods and it occasionally features elegant accents such as inlay designs or hand-carved details. He knows how to craft a quality, heirloom piece, but when it comes to design, it becomes clear where his mastery is.

On the campus of Georgia Tech at the Advanced Wood Products Laboratory, there is a full, solid maple kitchen designed by Harp. The entire room was designed to meet all guidelines of Universal Design and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specific ADA-compliant features of the kitchen include a recessed knee well at the sink, raised toe kicks, and large loop handles on the cabinet doors.

Harp also designs commission work with his clients’ needs in mind.

He recently designed a convertible crib for a couple expecting their first child. Both parents have cerebral palsy, making it difficult for them to operate a traditional crib. The crib was designed low to the ground for wheelchair access, and it also features wide, swinging doors on the front. It is also designed to grow with the child, transforming into a day bed or twin bed as needed.

More photos of Alan Harp's convertible crib can be found in the Woodworking Network Project Gallery, along with many other projects from the highly skilled readers of Woodworking Network. If you are a woodworker and you would like to feature your work, please submit projects via the Project Gallery submission portal.