Consentable MT Dining Table

MT is designed so that each member of the user's family can store and retrieve work tools, including digital devices, in six drawers at any time, allowing each one to spend their time for multiple purpose on this table.

Our challenge is to improve the family gathering experience at the dining table. Therefore, we designed this table as a hangout for the family by incorporating the concept of Washitsu, Japanese traditional multi-purpose room. At the same time, we adopted the traditional Japanese technique without steel nails and realized a sturdy and reliable structure that can withstand the long usage time of the family.

We have already received several orders and plan to sell the product on a made-to-order basis for a while.

Traditional Japanese rooms,Washitsu embody a unique lifestyle and way of thinking that is characteristic of the Japanese people. For example, Washitsu do not have a fixed role and are typically used in different ways depending on the situation. Placing a “goshen” (a small table with four legs used as a tray for dishes) in a Washitsu turns it into a dining area, placing a ‘futon’ (a set of a mattress and a blanket used for sleeping) turns it into a bedroom, and arranging “zabuton” (cushions for sitting) turns it into a living room. Washitsu have almost no fixed functions, but precisely because of this, they can be used in any way. Additionally, Washitsu have a “closet” (a storage room) that typically stores futons and zabuton, but when needed, these items can be spread out in the room to fulfill its intended function.In Consentable MT, this concept is applied to the dining table. In other words, it is not limited to the single function of a dining table but can serve various purposes such as writing, PC work, charging smart-phones or family gatherings. By retrieving items like lunch mats, paper, pens, or a notebook PC from the drawers as needed, it can fulfill diverse roles. This allows family members to spend various types of time at this multi-purpose table as needed. Beyond mealtimes, it can serve as a study desk for children or a workstation for the father's PC tasks, fostering casual conversations and becoming a hub for family interaction.

As many people who use PCs or smartphones at home may have noticed, the digitalization of daily life has led to a tangled mess of cables around power outlets, often covered in dust and difficult to clean. This is inevitable, as we rely on cables for smartphones, laptops, external hard drives, digital cameras, CD players, and more. However, no fundamental solution to this cable clutter problem seemed available. Therefore, I decided to function the dining table as a cable hub and organize the cables. By connecting a single power strip cable from the power outlet, passing it through the cable grooves on the legs of it, and housing the power strip's outlets in the drawer under the tabletop, I made the dining table function as a power station for various digital devices.In terms of design, I prioritized the ability to store and retrieve each digital device while the wiring was connected, while also aiming for a refined appearance where the wiring was barely visible from the outside.

“Youbi” is a woodworking studio based in Okayama Prefecture, my hometown. Located in Nishi-awakura Village, a region renowned for its hinoki cypress production, the studio employs skilled young craftsmen who create furniture by hand, producing a wide range of high-quality wooden furniture. I have been captivated by the freshness of the wood and the forest-like aroma that emanate from the furniture crafted by “Youbi.”At the IFFT Tokyo 2015 exhibition, when I first met Mr. Oshima, the representative of “Youbi,” I asked him to take on the Consentable MT project, and he kindly agreed, which was the starting point for this project.Later, I visited the woodworking studio in Nishikura and was guided through the nearby forest. I learned that even after being cut, wood continues to breathe and absorb moisture, making it, in a sense, a living entity. I also learned that using hard metal nails on delicate wood could potentially reduce the long-term quality and performance of the wood. Through this experience, I came to understand that traditional Japanese techniques are the accumulation of profound wisdom from our ancestors, based on the premise of long-term use of wood and characterized by extreme rationality. In other words, it was not just about exceptional technical skill, but also the accumulated wisdom of handling wood, the primary material for Japanese houses, furniture, and tableware for hundreds of years, that constitutes traditional techniques, and this is the technology that “Youbi” values.