Weaving Wood Cófra by ZKW Studio is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award in Dearadh Troscáin Competition Category.
Cré-umhaTroscán· 2025
Weaving Wood Cófra
by ZKW Studio
Client: ZKW Studio
Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award Winner in Troscán Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #172721The Design
About Weaving Wood Cófra
Is cófra gallchnoí trapeiseach é Cófra Adhmaid Fite le trí phainéal taoibh déanta as teicstíl véinéir ghallchnoí fhite. Athraíonn dlús an fhíodóireachta ar fud an dromchla, ag cruthú grádán caolchúiseach in uigeacht. Comhcheanglaíonn an próiseas láimhe seo, nach féidir a bhaint amach trí mhodhanna meicniúla, righneas struchtúrach an adhmaid le solúbthacht na teicstíle. Nuair a nochtar don solas gréine é, caitheann an dromchla scáthanna cisealach, agus cuireann ailíniú ghráinne an adhmaid le rithim amhairc chomhsheasmhach.
The Recognition
About the Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award
Bhuaigh an dearadh Weaving Wood Cófra Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award, aitheantas an-ghradamach a bhronntar ar dhearaí sármhaithe a mbíonn cruthaitheacht, aireagacht agus géarchúis mar shaintréithe acu. Is déantúsáin ghlic agus chruthaitheacha go suntasach iad buaiteoirí Cré-umha a dhearbhaíonn taithí fhairsing, samhlaíocht agus acmhainneacht a ndearthóirí. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh an dearadh Weaving Wood Cófra ina rud a bhfuil an-mheas air, a n-ardaítear agus a ghráitear, atá thar a bheith gairmiúil agus nuálach. Ionchorpraíonn an dearadh seo a bhuaigh Duais Cré-umha A' Design Award na cleachtais is fearr san ealaín, san eolaíocht, sa dearadh agus sa teicneolaíocht, agus tá sé sármhaith as a aird ar mhionsonraí. Sásaíonn an dearadh Weaving Wood Cófra riachtanais go hálainn, bainíonn sé le mianta, cuireann sé draíocht ar mhothúcháin agus tarraingíonn sé fiosracht.
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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