Panels & Furniture Asia May/June 2020

May / June 2020, Issue 3 | Panels & Furniture Asia DESIGN | 55
Interdependence Two (Image Credit - Hayden Phipps)
piece going to India was built in American white oak since it is
intended to remain indoors.
Known for its modern take on spindle furniture, the two
designers re-worked their signature style to celebrate the
sapling growing from the forest floor, seeking the light and
growing up towards the canopy.
Three grounded benches in American white oak curve into one
gravity-defying twisted form that seemingly disappears into
the air.
“AHEC’s participation at Index Mumbai and Delhi follows
an extremely successful showing of the Preservation Bench
at Downtown Design Dubai last year. We are confident that
visitors will appreciate the beauty of Houtlander’s design,
which incorporates American white oak and is a masterpiece in
timber design and craftsmanship. With a minimal environmental
footprint, which speaks to the inspiration behind it, we hope
this unique commission will inspire the next generation of
furniture designers and specifiers in India whilst demonstrating
the versatility and beauty of American hardwoods and the
ability to push the limits of the material,” said Roderick Wiles,
AHEC Regional Director.
According to Houtlander, no other material that furniture is made
out of can claim to be carbon negative. The bench therefore is
a visual representation of the furniture ‘coming out of the air’
and meant to suggest the form and function of a park tree with
a bench offering some shade. The bench is an expression of
the fact that the material being used comes out of the air - it
is carbon which has been absorbed out of the air by the living
forest and converted into timber.
WHITE OAK USED CAN BE REPLACED THROUGH
NATURAL REGENERATION IN LESS THAN 1 SECOND
AHEC has calculated that all the white oak used to make the
bench would be replaced through natural regeneration in the
U.S. hardwood forest in less than 1 second and, while in use,
the Preservation Bench will keep 733 kg of CO 2
equivalent out
of the atmosphere.
“Our collaboration with Houtlander has resulted in a fascinating
approach to working with an age-old material. This unique
exercise has not only thrown the spotlight on the beauty of
American white oak, but it has also helped in increasing the
understanding of the material for the designers involved with
this project. Celebrating the versatility of timber in design and
the enormous variety that can be achieved with one material,
the Preservation Bench demonstrates the performance potential
of sustainable American hardwoods. By showcasing the bench
at Index, we want to ignite new thinking and excite designers
about new ways to use wood, particularly underutilised, yet
widely-available American hardwoods,” concluded Wiles. P