CASE STUDY 01: ON MASS || Furniture Design Capturing 130-Years of History
How do you capture and continue the legacy of a historic nature landmark? Turn it into a work of art.
This armchair, table, and lamp -- a collaboration between designers Odami and woodworkers One Wood -- are the results of a lengthy process carried out over 8 months.
Deep in the woods on a relative’s property, a soaring 130-year-old red oak tree was ready to come down; just over a decade prior, one of its major limbs rotted through and fell, leaving it awkwardly imbalanced and under great stress.
The sturdy legs of the bench makes use of the historic red oak and reminds the user of the design’s origin.
The felling process was one of careful planning and preparation, not only to ensure everyone’s safety, but to preserve as much of the main trunk as possible. In many ways, this could only be done by first learning to know the tree and its surroundings with care and respect.
Each piece is constructed entirely out of thick slabs of solid wood milled exclusively from this tree. As the wood dried and was worked into new forms, it stretched, warped, and cracked. These pieces don’t simply make use of its material, but attempt to harness this vitality, and embody the stability and weight of its lost presence.
The thick slabs of wood indicates embodies the strength of the red oak tree.
A close up of the material reveals the coarse texture, and tough, strong characteristics of Red Oak wood.
As simple compositions of heavy masses, each piece is an expression of this strength and power. Solid rectilinear volumes give way to gentle curves and softened edges, creating deep shadows and comfortable forms. With timeless simplicity, each piece is a humble celebration of material richness and craft, and a study of the coziness of mass.
The simple design highlights the strength and power of the red oak tree from which the lamp is made.