Bronze Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design · 2026
Com Plates Wooden Tableware
- A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Koushin Die Mold
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 9,567
- Verification code ABBEE74797 · Verify this award
About Com Plates Wooden Tableware
Com Plates Wooden Tableware is created using a proprietary manufacturing process developed by a mold manufacturer, applying advanced metalworking expertise to wood. This technology overcomes the traditional drawbacks of wooden products, such as weight and bulk, redefining the possibilities of wooden tableware. Upcycled from discarded wood, each plate is precision carved to achieve remarkable thinness. Its refined form enables gap free stacking while offering a sculptural presence that supports creative table settings and functions as an art object.
Hiroshi Takahashi's Com Plates Wooden Tableware engages with enduring traditions of wood craftsmanship while manifesting contemporary sensibilities regarding material sustainability, functional beauty, and the elevation of everyday objects into aesthetic contemplation. Working within the rich heritage of turned wood objects that spans global craft traditions from Scandinavian treen to Japanese lacquerware foundations, this collection of circular dining plates demonstrates sophisticated technical command of woodworking processes including lathe turning, surface finishing, and potentially reactive staining techniques that transform raw timber into refined utilitarian sculpture. The compositional presentation through dramatic vertical stacking creates a visual taxonomy of wood species, grain patterns, and surface treatments, suggesting both a celebration of natural material diversity and a systematic exploration of finishing possibilities available to the contemporary wood artist. The chromatic journey from deep ebonized blacks through warm middle tones to pale blonde finishes may reference the natural aging and oxidation processes that occur in wood over time, or perhaps alludes to the philosophical concept of material transformation through human craft intervention, wherein raw forest material becomes refined cultural object through patient skilled labor. The variation in grain figuring visible across individual plates, ranging from subtle linear striations to dramatic flame patterns and spalting effects, speaks to the designer's apparent appreciation for wood as a living material that carries within its cellular structure the narrative of growth, season, environment, and biological process. The formal achievement of the collection resides partly in its successful balance between unity and variety: each plate shares fundamental circular geometry and shallow bowl profile, establishing coherent family resemblance, while individual pieces assert distinct material identity through grain character, color, and surface treatment, preventing monotonous repetition and instead creating visual richness through controlled variation. The technical sophistication evident in the consistent wall thickness, smooth interior curves, and refined edges across diverse wood species suggests mastery of turning technique and understanding of how different hardwoods respond to cutting tools, sanding progression, and finish application. The decision to present these functional objects through sculptural stacking rather than conventional individual display elevates their status from mere utilitarian vessels to subjects worthy of sustained aesthetic attention, inviting viewers to consider the intersection of use and beauty, necessity and art, daily ritual and ceremonial significance that tableware occupies within domestic life. The work participates in broader contemporary craft discourse regarding material consciousness, sustainable design practice, and the value of handmade objects in an era of industrial mass production, though these themes emerge through visual evidence rather than didactic statement. What questions might this collection raise about the relationship between material origin and final form, between forest ecology and dining table, between the time required for a tree to grow and the time invested in transforming wood into refined functional objects that will accompany human nourishment and social gathering across years or generations?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Com Plates Wooden Tableware confronts the fundamental challenges of woodworking, achieving ultra-thin walls, ensuring dimensional stability, and maintaining high machining precision. Drawing on expertise developed in mold manufacturing, the project redefines what is technically possible with wood. Although woodworking and metalworking may appear fundamentally opposed, both disciplines ultimately share the same objective: identifying the most appropriate process for the material at hand. By setting aside conventional assumptions, the design arrives at a refined and precise form that expands the expressive and technical potential of wooden tableware.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Size is Height 170mm x Width 250mm x Length 34mm. Weight varies depending on the type of wood, but each plate weighs between 29 grams and 39 grams. This product are designed to be stacked, and even when stacked 21 high, the thickness is only 104mm.
- Tags
- tableware, wooden, very thin, ultra lightweight, compact storage, compact stacking
- Production Technology
- Many wood products were handmade or primarily processed using two dimensional machining. While 3D machining has been introduced in recent years, simply machining the material with a machine risks damage during processing unless it has a certain thickness. However, by embedding the material into a mold for machining, processing is possible not only at a thinness of 1.5mm but even at 1mm. Furthermore, surfaces precision machined through programming can be stacked with minimal gaps. This enables the creation of wooden tableware specialized for stacking, opening up a new market for wooden products.
- Design Challenge
- Using wood carving to shape blocks into extremely thin sections, rather than assembling thin boards, proved extremely difficult. Expansion and contraction vary with temperature and humidity, causing warping and cracking after processing. While some tree species are more suitable than others, finding them among scrap wood is challenging. The solution lies in creating numerous prototypes to explore the optimal processing method.
- Project Duration
- A prototype model was created in December 2023.
It was submitted to the Dfa Design for Asia Awards 2024 in June 2024.
It was submitted to the Wood Design Award 2024 in July 2024.
It received a Bronze Award at the Dfa Design for Asia Awards 2024 in September 2024.
Received the Wood Design Award 2024 in October 2024.
This project was submitted to the Hkda Global Design Awards 2025 in February 2025.
Received the Hkda Global Design Awards 2025 in March 2025.
Received the Global Top 10 Award at the Hkda Global Design Awards 2025 in April 2025.
Received the Silver Award at the New York Product Design Awards 2025 in October 2025.
Winner of the Takaoka Craft City 2025 Craft Competition in October 2025. - Operation Flow
- Com Plates utilizes waste and scrap materials. Items destined for disposal are transformed into value added products. This processing technology is not a secret; anyone can learn it. If the entire woodworking industry applies this processing technology to various products, it can reduce wood waste and contribute to preventing global warming.
- Research
- Com Plates Wooden Tableware explores how waste wood can be transformed into a high added value material through design and advanced processing. By positioning the objects not only as functional tableware but also as collectible, art like pieces, the project broadens public interest in upcycling and material reuse. While the conventional approach has been to enhance wood by resinizing its surface, this research reverses the logic, demonstrating that wood itself can serve as the base material for products typically associated with resin or plastic, achieving comparable thinness and precision. In doing so, the project proposes an alternative material narrative that elevates discarded wood into a refined, contemporary medium.
- Inspiration
- Com Plates Wooden Tableware rethinks the limitations traditionally associated with wooden products, beginning with weight. While reducing thickness might seem like an obvious solution, conventional woodworking techniques impose clear constraints. Drawing inspiration from precision metalworking, the design achieves an ultra thin profile of just 1.5 mm, without compromising structural integrity. Thinning wood typically introduces risks such as cracking or warping, yet a proprietary processing method overcomes these challenges through heightened manufacturing precision. This same refinement also allows the plates to stack compactly, combining lightness, durability, and practicality in a quietly innovative form.
- Image Credits
- The same person handles every step of the process, from product planning to design and manufacturing.
- Patents
- Technology should not be hidden. It advances and improves through open sharing.
It is desirable to compete with each other's technologies without being bound by patents.
Colors of Com Plates Wooden Tableware
Grand Interview about Com Plates Wooden Tableware
The machining technology used for Com Plates wasn’t developed specifically for their production; rather, it was a method I developed ten years ago when I was making original iPhone cases out of aluminum alloy.I never wanted to own the same things as everyone else, so I decided to create my own unique iPhone case.I occasionally used an aluminum alloy called ultra high strength duralumin during mold manufacturing it boasts the highest strength among all aluminum alloys.Since it offers excellent machinability and produces a very clean finish, it didn’t take me long to choose it as the material.At the time, solid carved metal iPhone cases were already on the market, but they were all thick and bulky, which detracted from the stylish design of the iPhone itself.To create a case that would compromise the iPhone’s design as little as possible, it was necessary to make it as thin as possible.However, even though it’s metal, machining a thick sheet into a case with a minimum thickness of 1 mm using conventional machines would cause it to warp during the process.At the time, I was making molds for plastic injection molding.Injection molds create products by injecting molten plastic at high pressure into the gap between the male and female mold halves.That’s where the idea came from. First, I machined the inner shape of the workpiece to match the female mold.I then created a male mold that fit into that space, placed the workpiece with the machined female mold over it, and set it up in the machine. By machining the outer surface of the product in this state, the support on the reverse side prevents deformation, allowing me to machine it thinner without warping.Using this method, I was able to achieve a thickness of up to 1 mm.Based on this practical experience, I wondered if the same method could be applied to wood,So I attempted to commercialize a scaled down version of the award winning design.It is a small plate, smaller than the award winning Com Plates, with a depth of about 7 mm.Depending on the type of wood, we were able to process not only hardwoods but also certain types of softwoods without any warping.Next, we created a prototype that was not flat like a plate but had more practical uses, such as a deep salad bowl.Just like the flat plates, the result was Com Plates with minimal warping.
Generally, when crafting wooden products, wood is selected based on the characteristics required for the product, such as having a uniform grain pattern.Wood that is discarded or used as scrap is often material that does not meet these selection criteria and has little practical value.Com Plates has no specific criteria for material selection.Any piece of wood measuring 230 mm × 180 mm and 40 mm thick can be used.Furthermore, these pieces are incredibly thin and lightweight unlike anything typically found in wood products.To address storage issues, they are specially designed to be stackable.This was achieved by applying metalworking techniques to woodworking.Even if you aren’t involved in both industries like I am, it’s important to actively exchange ideas with other fields and build technical partnerships.And by adding high value to waste, it is transformed from mere trash into a valuable resource.
Since I don’t work for a large corporation, I have to handle everything myself as much as possible.Sometimes I’m a designer, sometimes an engineer, sometimes a CNC programmer, and sometimes a mechanical technician.Because there’s no division of labor like in a large corporation, I don’t have to deal with conflicting opinions, coordinate with other departments, or oversee multiple divisions.Even when issues arise that require improvement, I can address them immediately.Since I handle everything from problem identification to problem solving on my own, the biggest advantage is that I can take action without any hesitation.
The reason I’m sharing Com Plates’ manufacturing technology is simply that technological improvement and innovation have their limits in a closed environment.I believe that healthy competition is essential for technological advancement, and that progress comes from a constant flow of new ideas and proposals.To achieve this, we must not lock this technology away behind the barriers of patents, but rather make it freely available for anyone to see and learn from.Furthermore, since I’m not part of a large corporation but work as an independent craftsman, I prioritize technological improvement over profit.My ideas are not final products.It’s perfectly fine to apply them in new ways to create entirely new products, and because the wood can be processed to such a thin thickness, I believe it’s possible to convert items that were previously made of resin into wooden ones.With current technology, it is possible to increase the strength of wood through compaction or to harden it by applying penetrating coatings.I believe that this strengthened wood could be used not only for everyday items but also to create wooden versions of industrial parts that do not require high strength.I believe this concept will have a significant impact not only on the woodworking industry but also on other industries.
I am not a wood expert, nor have I conducted any scientific experiments, so I may be wrong, but I believe the cause of cracking, warping, and swelling lies in the thickness of the wood itself.For example, a 100mm thick piece of wood and a 1mm thick piece have different moisture contents between their surface and interior.In the case of 100mm thick wood, the difference between the surface and the interior is significant, and I believe this difference is the main cause of warping and cracking.The thinner the wood, the smaller this difference in moisture content becomes. Furthermore, products like Com Plates, which are primarily composed of curved lines, have the advantage that warping is less noticeable compared to products composed of straight lines.Also, while conifers like cedar have a soft, fibrous texture and some may not be suitable for processing depending on where they were harvested, hardwoods have a dense, hard cellular structure, making them easier to process and resulting in a better finish.
When I first started making things, craftsmen used to design and build molds based on their own ideas.However, with advances in technology, mold making has shifted from relying on individual skill to a process where we simply receive data from companies and machine process it.With the opportunity to infuse individuality into the manufacturing process lost and products now created through data driven machining I found myself losing the joy and passion I once felt for making things.To be more true to myself and pursue the kind of craftsmanship I truly wanted to do, I left the mold manufacturing industry and began taking steps to reignite my passion for making things. It was around that time that a furniture manufacturer I knew asked me to repurpose the legs of a Japanese style low table.That was the catalyst that led me to start woodworking and marked my departure from metalworking for many years.The foundation of my craftsmanship is the pursuit of something completely original, not a copy of someone else’s work.To fully commit to this, I must come up with ideas and processing methods that others would never think of.I believe that by making this process a daily habit,I have cultivated the ability to think creatively and achieve what might seem impossible.
I love wooden tableware, but I’ve always found it frustrating that it’s so thick and heavy that it’s difficult to store.So, when I began developing Com Plates, I realized that by using molding technology, I could achieve a much thinner wall thickness.Generally, product wall thickness tends to be standardized at 1.5 mm, but that wouldn’t have allowed me to achieve the goal I had set for myself.To stack the plates seamlessly, without any gaps.To achieve this, by aligning the data for the inner and outer surfaces, it became theoretically possible to stack the plates without any gaps at all.Ultimately, the precision of the stacking depends on whether we can process the product while minimizing deformation.In any endeavor, problems that cannot be solved from a single perspective can sometimes be resolved by examining them from multiple angles.In product design, I believe it is essential to never compromise and to always pursue perfection with unwavering passion.
Com Plates’ processing technology was developed not with a focus on profit, but with the primary goal of adding high value to waste wood.No matter how groundbreaking this technology may be, it cannot gain widespread adoption without a strong brand.Winning this Bronze Award has put me in the international spotlight, and I hope it will allow me to connect with others who share this philosophy.I also hope that Com Plates’ processing technology will serve as a catalyst for the emergence of even more advanced technologies.I believe that such healthy competition among technologies will lead to progress not only in the woodworking industry but in all areas of manufacturing.
From the very beginning, I didn’t set out to make Com Plates into an artistic product.Rather, the final form of Com Plates emerged simply as a result of systematically addressing my own design priorities one by one.The first challenge was to make them as thin as possible while maintaining their shape.The second was to create wooden tableware designed to be stacked.The third was to ensure they could be arranged in various layouts.I continued to work on all these challenges until I was completely satisfied with the result.I designed them based on my own intuition, without taking instructions from anyone.They were not designed simply to be beautiful or stylish, but rather with practicality in mind.This is something I realized after Com Plates were completed and I actually held them in my hands.The distorted heart shape fits very comfortably in the palm when you hold it.It’s much lighter than you’d expect given its size, and rather than having the cold, inorganic feel of stainless steel or plastic, you can truly feel the texture and warmth of the wood.In this way, Com Plates isn’t a product I designed with a specific intention from the start.It’s the culmination of my work, created with a variety of thoughts and feelings poured into it.
While high machining precision for the raw material block may not be critical in general woodworking, Com Plates require precision across all six faces.Three mutually adjacent faces are particularly important; the point where they intersect serves as the reference point for NC milling operations.If the precision of this reference area is poor, the wall thickness nominally 1.5 mm can fluctuate to 1 mm or 2 mm, resulting in uneven thickness.Since uneven wall thickness can lead to deformation or cracking, maintaining precision is of the utmost importance.We have machined Com Plates using over ten different types of wood.With the exception of certain extremely soft conifers, they could all be processed under the same conditions.Equally important is avoiding the removal of large amounts of material in a single pass such as during roughing simply to shorten machining time.It is essential to minimize the stress placed on the wood.Therefore, the machining program must be designed to remove material gradually, even though this extends the overall processing time.