According to the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), “social distancing” – a captivating oxymoron coined to reference the space we need to leave between each other – has begun to dominate the way we live and the decisions we make.
While incredibly important in the fight against the spread of Covid-19, it also curbs our freedom of choice and forces us to behave in an unnatural way. People are social by nature and regulations that inhibit normal social behaviour do not come naturally.
In response to this, three prominent Emirati designers – Aljoud Lootah, Khalid Shafar, Hamad Khoory and their teams – were invited by AHEC to each design and develop a hardwood bench for outdoor use in a public space.
The concept
The bench needed to be designed in such a way that people who sit on it are forced to separate by the current social distancing minimum of 2 metres. This would negate the need for warning signs and allow for people to sit in a relaxed way without having to think about whether they are too close to the next person.
However, the design of the bench would also allow for conversion to accommodate more people, closer together, as and when the time comes for social distancing regulations to be relaxed. This ensures that the benches retain a legacy as functional public seating in the future. ‘Please Sit Here’ draws inspiration from the AHEC’s many high-profile and ambitious collaborations to date, in the UAE, Europe, Australia and South Africa. These projects have included multiple design teams, imaginative briefs, innovative designs and the very best of wood craftsmanship, to celebrate the beauty, performance and sustainability of American hardwoods.
Bu hikaye Wood News dergisinin November - December 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Wood News dergisinin November - December 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
‘At 15, we're apt for the future'
Started in 2006 with a team of just 10 people, Biesse India today includes more than 700 employees at its world-class manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru. It manufactures more than 1,800 woodworking machines annually and also exports different configurations to customers across 60 countries. Dhananjay Sardeshpande caught up with Mr Sayeed Ahmed, CEO of Biesse India, to find out what the last 15 years have meant to him in terms of being recognized as a professional company that is driven by knowledge, expertise, focus on customer service and its sustainable approach to business.
What are ‘hard' and ‘soft' woods?
‘Technical Matters’ is the first in a number of technical articles that are designed to inform the reader about different aspects and properties of timber as a material, before discussing different processing methods such as kilning and finishing, and describing North American hardwoods in more detail along the way. Read on to find out how wood is formed, the fundamental differences between hardwoods and softwoods, and their different growing regions around the world.
Thai furniture mall benefits from Homag's solutions
Index Living Mall, Thailand’s leading furniture and furnishings retailer offer a variety of furnishings, ranging from decorative items to furniture and complete fittings. Its customers include both retail trade and project business.
There's nothing quite like a “Matt” finish!
The Industrial Revolution in 1760 transformed economies, which had been based on agriculture and handicrafts, into economies based on large-scale industry, mechanised manufacturing, and the factory system.
This year, it's Interzum @home!
The world’s most important platform for the furniture production and interior design industry will once again open to participants from May 4-7, 2021, but this time in a digital avatar: Interzum @home.
Slaying myths about timber use
An architectural engineer, Mr Pablo van der Lugt took the audience on a journey through the centuries and into the future, showcasing the potential of timber construction and rectifying prevailing myths.
PASSION PERSONIFIED
When you start out with the motto, ‘Design Without Compromise’, it sets a very high bar for residential properties. Bengaluru-based Total Environment Building Systems, founded in 1996, is living up to its own exacting standards. The design, construction and real estate developer has so far delivered more than 46 lakh square feet of residential projects – both apartments and villas – to more than 2,000 satisfied buyers in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. In 2020, Total Environment launched a residential project in Texas (USA).
India Toy Fair a ‘booster dose'
The global market size (revenue) for toys is estimated to reach US$ 131 billion in 2025 with a CAGR of 4% (2020-2025).
Canadian Wood shows how to walk the talk
Event Review
A game-changer for upholstery
Mr Mariusz Strózak, upholstery expert, started his career in the furniture industry in 1998. Since 2004 he has been working with adhesives for the foam industry, the last years as an adhesives expert. He knows what is important for adhesives in upholstered furniture and why the demands on bonding are especially high in this industry.
