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Weaving Wood Cwpwrdd by ZKW Studio

Weaving Wood Cwpwrdd by ZKW Studio is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award in Dylunio Dodrefn Competition Category.


EfyddDodrefn· 2025

Weaving Wood Cwpwrdd

by ZKW Studio

Client: ZKW Studio

Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award Winner in Dodrefn Category

13,125

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #172721

Colors

The Design

About Weaving Wood Cwpwrdd

Mae Cwpwrdd Pren Gwehyddu yn gwpwrdd walnut trapesoidaidd sy'n cynnwys tri phanel ochr wedi'u hadeiladu o decstil fenir walnut wedi'i wau. Mae dwysedd y gwehyddu yn amrywio ar draws yr wyneb, gan gynhyrchu graddiant cynnil mewn gwead. Ni ellir cyflawni'r broses law hon trwy ddulliau mecanyddol, ac mae'n cyfuno anhyblygedd strwythurol pren â hyblygrwydd tecstil. Pan gaiff ei amlygu i olau haul, mae'r wyneb yn bwrw cysgodion haenog, ac mae aliniad graen y pren yn cyfrannu at rhythm gweledol cyson.

The Recognition

About the Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award

Mae Weaving Wood Cwpwrdd yn enillydd Gwobr Efydd A' Design Award, cydnabyddiaeth hynod fawreddog a roddir i ddyluniadau rhagorol sydd yn nodedig am greadigrwydd, dyfeisgarwch a chraffter. Mae enillwyr Efydd yn arteffactau medrus iawn a thrawiadol o greadigol sydd yn dilysu profiad helaeth, dychymyg a dyfeisgarwch eu dylunwyr. Disgwylir i Weaving Wood Cwpwrdd fod yn wrthrych uchel ei fri, a edmygir ac a anwylir, sydd yn nodedig o broffesiynol ac arloesol. Mae'r dyluniad buddugol hwn o Wobr Efydd A' Design Award yn ymgorffori arferion gorau mewn celf, gwyddoniaeth, dylunio a thechnoleg, ac yn rhagorol am ei sylw i fanylion. Mae Weaving Wood Cwpwrdd yn bodloni anghenion yn odidog, yn cyffwrdd â dyheadau, yn swyno teimladau ac yn apelio at chwilfrydedd.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
This piece of furniture employs a unique weaving technique that integrates walnut veneer into textile, transforming the originally fabric into a unique screen. When exposed to sunlight, the woven surface casts delicate and beautiful shadows. Weaving veneer into textile is a unique technique that machines are not capable of doing. Each wooden board undergoes a meticulous selection based on its grain and color, building a consistent sense of nature beauty.
Dimensions & Packaging
W * D * H : 508 * 304 * 1118 mm
Tags
Cabinet, Veneer Textile, Furniture, Material Innovation, Indoor Furniture
Production Technology
This cabinet is entirely handcrafted from walnut, including the textile panels on both sides, which are woven from a combination of cotton thread and walnut veneer. The technique of integrating wood veneer into textile weaving is a process that cannot be replicated by machines. Due to the hardness and thickness of the walnut veneer, the tension of the weave must be carefully and continuously adjusted—tight enough to securely hold the veneer strips in place, yet flexible enough to maintain structural integrity without causing displacement.
Design Challenge
The project posed creative and technical challenges, particularly in adapting thick wood veneer for weaving. Wood veneer lacks the tension typically required by a loom and thread fabric, making it necessary to carefully calculate the spacing between each column to maintain a good structure. Beyond the textile, the frame designed to hold the textile became another big technical challenge. Though the grooves are invisible from the outside, there are 28 hidden channels that secure the woven surface in place. Due to their seamless requirement and the thinness of each wooden board, cutting precise grooves along narrow edges proved fine-tuned craftsmanship, merging material research with construction precision.
Research
The project is rooted in a deep investigation of materials and making techniques, centering on a textile innovation that integrates thin walnut veneer into a woven structure using a loom. The process involved extensive experimentation, beginning with a series of prototypes that tested veneer thicknesses, thread weights, and weaving patterns. A key challenge was preserving the tension necessary for weaving while accommodating the rigidity of wood—an issue resolved through careful calibration of spacing, tension, and structural support.

Traditional weaving tools were adapted for this process, with each strip of veneer hand-cut and softened for flexibility before being woven alongside cotton thread. Machines proved incompatible with the delicacy and precision required, making the technique entirely dependent on manual craftsmanship. The final textile achieves both strength and fluidity, allowing the wood grain to appear continuous across a pliable surface.

In parallel with material research, the project draws on classical furniture forms—particularly the trapezoidal cabinet, a shape now rare in contemporary contexts. Reinterpreted through this new textile language, the form is both familiar and reimagined, merging historic references with a distinctly modern sensibility.
Inspiration
Inspired by the balanced spirit of nature, this cabinet reinterprets a classic trapezoidal form with three side panels composed of walnut veneer textile. The veneer is woven more densely near the frame, creating a visual and tactile gradient , not only in the viewing but also in the tactile experience. By blending rigid walnut with flexible textile, the piece explores harmony through material, offering a unique sensory experience that invites closer interaction and touch.
Project Duration
The project started in October 2023 and finished in March 2024 in United States, and was exhibited in ICFF WANTED in May 2024.
Operation Flow
The cabinet features a slender profile suited for storing small objects, making it well-suited to living spaces and compact interiors. Its low height allows it to sit neatly beside a television, serving as a functional storage piece. Designed to be freestanding, the cabinet reveals its tactile quality when illuminated. Sunlight filtering through the woven textile creates a soft interplay of light and shadow. The pale-toned fabric responds gently to natural light, introducing a sense of airy and a renewed lightness to the surrounding space.
Team Members
Textile Partner: Huining Liu

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