David Colwell Design
I started this series of chairs and tables over 30 years ago when it was obvious that we would need to take a radical look at the way we live, to take account of the finite nature of the planet.
Now climate change is very much for real, I feel that an alternative future is possible and potentially much more fun.
On the principal that an interesting answer is most likely to come from an interesting question, I designed this furniture with sustainability high on the agenda. Really good design makes the challenges of tomorrow feasible and exciting.
Achieving good design is about visualizing a viable tomorrow: choosing materials and production techniques that have the minimum adverse environmental impact.
Made in the UK from fast-grown ash, which is remarkably strongest when fast grown, this range offers practicality, exceptional comfort and modern design, whilst maintaining ecologically-sound production values.
Ethical and Environmental Policy
For an object to be truly sustainable it must be sound from the raw material, through production, to life long use. The most important aspects of a sustainable object is people’s wish to sustain it. It goes without saying that comfort and general user convenience are of paramount importance.
Materials
Wood stands head and shoulders above other structural materials, merely growing it has environmental benefits. Of the temperate hardwoods, Ash is one of the best in terms of strength and resilience. Remarkably, Ash is stronger when fast-grown. The Ash and the Douglas Fir absorb more atmospheric carbons than any other timber. Ash also has no sapwood, meaning there is less wastage in conversion. Ash grows particularly well in the UK, where it makes best use of climate and soil conditions, it is therefore plentiful. The best Ash is usually found in younger trees. Many of our trees are in fact forest thinnings, thus providing much needed mid-term income for foresters.
Production Techniques
Steam bending is a craft where fast work is better than slow, it is very efficient and enjoyable but not foolproof. It therefore makes the work of the craftsman both challenging and rewarding. Asking for excellence in production is essential, to ask for less is an insult.
Steam bending seasons the wood as it is bent, thus using a fraction of the energy required in conventional kiln drying. Like other formable materials, steam bent timber can reduce production costs, increase strength and liberate the imagination.
Structure
A chair has to support a dynamic load many times its own weight. Triangles and curves in the structure make it stronger, lighter and more comfortable. Designs that stay true to their purpose and avoid fashionable gimmicks have proved they can stand the test of time.
