Preserving the Natural Character of Curved Wood, Firewood, and Small-Diameter Lumber: Project for the First-Floor Common Areas of an Intercultural Student Residence
Overview
Ethical Design, Starting with the Forest
Hidakuma crafted furniture for the first-floor common areas of “Campus Village Osaka Kindai-mae,” an interactive student residence that opened on March 1. The property was developed by Tokyu Land Corporation, with Funaba Co., Ltd. overseeing the design of the first-floor common areas. The common areas incorporate “ethical design”—a design philosophy that aims to solve various social issues through sustainable, circular systems.
Hidakuma approached this project with two main themes. The first was for all project stakeholders to come together as one and begin the creative process in the forest. The materials used for the unique furniture were selected by representatives from Tokyu Land Corporation, Senba Co., Ltd., and Hidakuma during visits to forests in Hida and lumber yards where logs are gathered. At each location, the team re-examined their designs and plans while engaging in a dialogue with the wood. The manufacturing process progressed through the interactions between the project stakeholders and the forest and local community.
The other theme was to utilize technology to bring out the diverse charms of wood. Among the furniture pieces, the most eye-catching is a large table that uses the three-pronged section of a horse chestnut tree as its legs. Through design methods employing scanning technology and 3D data, the unique shape of the wood was faithfully reflected in the furniture.
Project Vivid materials and scenes, just as they are
| What we did | Manufacturing, Production Direction, Wood Coordination, Wood Procurement |
|---|---|
| Credits | 1, |
| Period | October 2021–February 2022 |
Viewpoint Perspective of Yuki Matsumoto of Tokyu Real Estate
Housing Business Unit, Kansai Housing Business Headquarters, Development Department, Rental Business Planning Group
For the past five years, I’ve been involved in condominium development—a form of “craftsmanship”—but this was the first time I’ve experienced “craftsmanship with a story” imbued with such warm human emotions as in this project. The furniture-making process began with learning about the forests of Hida; we connected with the sentiments of the people involved in the forest, and there were serendipitous encounters with pieces of wood that made us think, “This is it!” I believe this was a truly one-of-a-kind endeavor made possible only by this project and this team. This project also fulfilled my own desire to “create with a story!”
I hope that as these pieces of furniture find their way to their owners, the sentiments embedded in them will be passed down to future generations along with the furniture itself.
