Press Release
A' Design Award in Furniture Design Goes to Matweave Outdoor Bench by Jia Cing, Qian Han and Shang Zhe
Jia Cing, Qian Han and Shang Zhe recognized for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 19, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Matweave Outdoor Bench by Jia Cing, Qian Han and Shang Zhe, designed for Tainan University of Technology/Product Design Deparment, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the A' Design Award Means
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Matweave Outdoor Bench
Matweave is an outdoor bench made from hand-woven microcrystalline wood. The bench has a fluid, curved form created by heating the material and shaping it in a mold under high pressure. The woven surface gives natural support and a comfortable seat. Microcrystalline wood is water resistant and corrosion resistant, so the bench can remain outdoors in harsh weather. The layered surface interacts with light and adds visual and tactile interest. The bench is light in weight, needs no assembly, and is cleaned with a damp cloth.
About Jia Cing, Qian Han and Shang Zhe
Prof. ChungSheng Chen, a self-proclaimed "design missionary," possesses extensive experience in both design practice and education. He frequently expresses his perspectives on society through his work, blending an optimistic outlook, keen observation, and a deep emotional connection to life. His cross-disciplinary approach integrates various processing techniques and material applications, embodying a fundamental design philosophy.
Award Record
This recognition makes Jia Cing, Qian Han and Shang Zhe a winner of 31 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2016 - 2017 and the 2024 - 2025 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Furniture Design Award
The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Typical entries include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. The awarded furniture designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/furniture
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/172523
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/172523
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!172523
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/179403
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Matweave Outdoor Bench
- Function
- Outdoor Bench
- Category
- Furniture Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home
- Colors
- Dim Gray, Gray, Dark Slate Gray, Dark Gray and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Tainan University of Technology/Product Design Deparment
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Jia Cing, Qian Han and Shang Zhe
- Country
- Taiwan (China)
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #172523
Credits
- Team
- Chungsheng Chen, Jiacing Tu, Qianhan Chen, Shangzhe Cai, Hsinyu Li and Tainan University of Technology/Product Design Department
- Image Credits
- Image/Photo: Jiacing Tu, Qianhan Chen, Shangzhe Cai, Hsinyu Li
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Matweave Bench features hand-woven microcrystalline wood with a unique texture and fluid form. Heated and shaped for a soft, natural curve, it challenges the perception of rigid wood. Designed for outdoor durability, it is waterproof, corrosion-resistant, and withstands harsh weather. Its layered material interacts with light, offering a sensory blend of nature and technology, enhancing both visual and tactile experiences.
- Inspiration
- We hope to use the new material of microcrystalline wood to explore how to combine natural texture with hand-woven to design an outdoor seat with both functionality and aesthetics. Through weaving and thermoplastic techniques, the wood presents a natural flowing form, and at the same time has practical characteristics such as weather resistance and comfort. I hope that "MatWeave Bench " is not only a seat, but also can become an outdoor space, integrated with the environment, full of vitality,
- Research
- This research takes microcrystalline wood as the main material, explores the possibility of its application in outdoor furniture, and creates an outdoor seat Matweave bench with a sense of natural flow through weaving and thermoplastic molding techniques. During the research process, experiments were carried out on the flexibility, weather resistance and plasticity of microcrystalline wood to verify the feasibility of its suitability for outdoor environments.
- Challenge
- Due to the need for hot pressing and forming, the material must be quickly put into the mold and exert sufficient pressure after heating to ensure the forming effect. High-quality molds can improve the fineness of pressing and make the finished product look better. However, due to budget constraints, the overall aesthetics may be affected.
- Realization and Technology
- When producing this work, we make full use of the unique characteristics of microcrystalline wood to make it plastic by heating, so that it can be adjusted in shape. Then, we combine the mold and high-pressure process to make the material mold a stable and design-like structure after pressure and finally present the ideal shape and texture. This production method not only shows the plasticity and ductility of microcrystalline wood but also ensures the stability and beauty of the finished product.
- Operation and Interaction
- It is actually very simple to use Matweave Bench. The chair itself is lightweight and can be carried directly to the outdoor space you want to place, such as courtyards, balconies or parks. After placing it, the chair can be used directly without additional assembly or adjustment. The braided design of the chair surface provides natural support and a comfortable sitting feeling. After sitting down, you can easily relax your body along the streamlined outline of the chair. In terms of cleaning, you only need to simply wipe the dust or dirt on the surface with a wet cloth. It is also very convenient to maintain at ordinary times. No special maintenance is required.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project was started in July 2024, completed on March 2025, first debut in Tainan Mitsukoshi Department store in March 2025.
- Specifications
- Width 185mm x Depth 60mm x Height 45mm
- Keywords
- Microcrystalline wood, weaving, bending, seat design, outdoor, product design, material application
