WOOD & PLANT BASED MATERIALS

All the way from Maastricht comes this collection of seats named FW2010, a set designed by Valentin Löllmann. This set is diverse in size and set-up, made in a working process characterized by using mortise-and-tendon joints to hazel branches to an oak top. Lovely wood for lovely sitting places! A mix of sawdust and glue is used to round off the connections between the pieces, resulting is an organic shape where no sharp edges remain.Each of the pieces is burned and treated with wax, after which the top is sanded, polished, and treated with oil. Each of the hazel branches, chosen for their strength and straightness, introduces a “natural dynamic” into the structure’s final shape, each of them distinct in their aesthetic, each of them hand made and numbered.

I chose this particular image because the object itself and the surface characteristics that it possess seems to defy the 'inherent' qualities that you naturally think of that belong to wood. While you are able to fashion smooth surfaces, curves, and fine and sharp edges, this seems to possess a dynamic quality and energy that makes it feel like it is not static, and is possibly about to unfold itself. Due to the combination of sharp folded edges, convex, and concave curves, it appears to be 'fluid‘ This object has been designed and crafted by Ricky Swallow, and Australian born artist from English Lime Wood.It it titled 'Fig.1' and was made from English Lime Wood in 2008, 24x20x14cm

'This wooden music dock created by Straight Line Designs is made from salvaged timber with holes drilled into the log to make space for the speakers and the electronics.' I found this image very compelling because the object pictured combines two contrasting elements. The natural and the artificial , the organic and the technological, the rough and the smooth. In every possible way they are to completely different natures put together and made to fit. For me it is interesting as an element in space because it creates a balance.Ialso find interesting how by viewing this object TODAY we look at the wood as the odd part of the whole where as if we could see this object many centuries or even years ago the odd part would be the technological 'brain' sitting in the middle. Isn't this a shocking realization how much technology is in our lives and how less the reality of nature is? I like this piece because it reminds us of what is lost and what can be saved!

There have been a lot of talks about genetic engineering recently, especially in the food industry. But the lumber and paper industry is not exception. Here's a report, not necessarily accurate.http://chrislang.org/2004/12/20/genetically-modified-trees-the-ultimate-threat-to-forests/

Hi guys I thought it could be a good idea to post some of the material I used for my presentation.I found some good documentation online:

A wikipedia entry on Urea-formaldehydehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urea-formaldehyde

EPA entry on Formaldehyde.http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html#Levels%20in%20Homes

A blog post of a guy who contacted IKEA about the glue they use.http://cheaplikeme.wordpress.com/2008/12/19/ikea-shelves-packaged-with-minimal-waste-no-word-on-adhesives/

Wikipedia entry about preservativeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_preservatives#Chemical_preservatives

Restaurant BanQ in Boston. Designed by Office dA, in Boston’s former Penny Savings Bank.I chose this image because I'm very interested in plywood and it's endless possibilities. Its properties allow it to create shapes and elements like this.In this particular example, the layers and curves resemble tree canopies and create dynamism and movement in the space.

This picture shows a detail of the interior of Renzo Piano's Auditorium in Rome. Lot of emphasis was surely dedicated to the acoustic solutions. The structure is composed by three separated music hall whose shapes were inspired by musical instruments and that work as a sort of huge sound-boxes. The interiors are entirely made in american black cherry, typically used for musical instruments. The main hall, design to host more than 2700 people, has the ceiling covered with 26 wood shells (1,900 square feet each)"Those panels are 10 centimetres thick because 10 centimetres corresponds more or less to a weight of 50 kilograms per squaremetre. Instead of absorbing low frequencies, the panels send them back into space. This non-absorption, this not stealing the low frequencies from space but rather returning them means that the sound coming out is far warmer. So you start to work on the sound but you abandon the world of acoustics. It is a little like a pinball that goes back and forth between the sphere of science and that of the emotions, of personal evaluation." Renzo Piano

This stool was designed by a Dutch graduate student , Carolien Laro. She designed a collection of stools from wood. She created this particular stool that has a " flexible seat" by cutting slits into their solid woods. Each seat has 480 CNC-milled cuts. This is a very interesting investigation and experiment with wood because it challenges the material itself and plays with its rigidity and flexibility. It's amazing how a series of cuts into wood can change its original characteristics

I chose this picture because I am a firm believer in the reclamation and reuse of woods. A landscape architect in Tennessee started to build this tree house after the barn on his property collapsed. He then began to collect discarded wood throughout his hometown to build this beauty. It stands 10 stories tall and is over 10,000 square feet. The only money he spent was on nails the structure relies on an 80-foot-tall oak tree.

This are wooden puzzles designed by a Polish designer - Marek Krol.What I like about this piece is its simplicity and educational aspect. It is not only esthetically attractive but it also allows for kids to get closer to the nature and experience the nature first-hand even while being inside, while playing.

Ann Sacks is a company that is known for implementing new and innovative ways to use tile, stone, and plumbing within a space. Many of their products are often used in residential spaces and they often merge traditional and newer design aesthetics. I was immediately drawn to their wood tile product line, indah (meaning beautiful in Indonesian). I love how they use antique reclaimed teak wood and carve into in order to create a unique design element. This wood tile, could be used in a large portion or as a simple accent to a design element. There are also a variety of other design options for the teak tile. It would be interesting to see how a textile designer could use this wood medium as a canvas for generating new design ideas.

Source for Ann Sacks info & image: http://www.annsacks.com/onlinecatalog/program.jsp?cat=268004&coll=268504&prg=2328504

I chose this image as part of my ongoing fascination with aged and patina-ed material. This weathered plank has a complex pattern of grain enhanced with age. What once was planer is now deeply and gracefully textured. Its bleached of its original color and a rich palate has developed; the wood almost looks as though it's rusted. The passage of time is revealed by the flaking and the history of usage can be deciphered in the ancient nails and staples. I find it interesting to study a material not only when it's fresh from the manufacturer but also years later. A new material emerges, a palimpsest, beautiful and meaningful.

The picture posted is a ventilation and air renewal product developed by Philippe Rahm.It acts as a dual-flow system that cools or heats air entering a building by putting it in contact with air exiting the building. The method enables the retrieval of 80 % of heat calories normally lost during normal ventilation processes.

The central core is composed of a filter and wooden discs. The wood absorbs water naturally from the air, and helps regulate humidity. The wooden discs are made up of various local species of timber of oak, pine, chestnut, ash and beech.www.philipperahm.com

Vincent Lamouroux's work 'Sol' is showing the flexibility and durability very well. The installation is constructed from a specially cut wooden understructure overlaid with flexible plywood sheets.