Oruha Lub Hauj Lwm Tseem Ceeb: Rooj Zaum by Yuya Nakazawa

Oruha Lub Hauj Lwm Tseem Ceeb: Rooj Zaum by Yuya Nakazawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Kub in Tsim Rooj Tog Competition Category.

KubRooj Tog· 2026

Oruha Lub Hauj Lwm Tseem Ceeb: Rooj Zaum

by Yuya Nakazawa

Client: Yedit

A' Design Award Kub Winner in Rooj Tog Category

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Colors

The Design

About Oruha Lub Hauj Lwm Tseem Ceeb: Rooj Zaum

Cov Ntawv Phau: Cov qauv tsim no nthuav tawm ib lub rooj zaum uas xav tias yog ib lub chaw zais cia rau pej xeem, muab kev nkaum tus kheej rau hauv cov chaw sib koom. Nws cov qauv tsim sib npaug ntawm txoj kev tshwm sim li tus duab puab nrog kev xis nyob uas siv tau, txhawb kev siv ntev thiab kev sib raug zoo. Cov nplooj kheev thiab cov khoom uas tau ntsuas zoo zoo tsim ib qho kev xav txog kev kaw cia tab sis tseem khaws cia qhib. Cov kev kho ntuj raug los txhawb kev ruaj khov, kev yooj yim los saib xyuas, thiab kev laus nrog kev zoo nkauj, tso cai rau daim ntawv los koom nrog hauv cov chaw nyob niaj hnub thaum tseem khaws cia txoj kev kub kuab uas kov tau.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kub

Oruha Lub Hauj Lwm Tseem Ceeb: Rooj Zaum yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Kub, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom heev uas muab rau cov qauv tsim qib ib, zoo kawg nkaus thiab tshwj xeeb. Cov neeg yeej Kub yog cov khoom tsim tshiab heev, pom deb heev thiab ci ntsa iab uas qhia txog kev txawj ntse, kev txawj thiab lub zog ntawm cov kws tsim qauv. Oruha Lub Hauj Lwm Tseem Ceeb: Rooj Zaum xav tias yuav yog ib qho kev tsim uas tau txais kev qhuas ntau, tsim kev nyiam tshiab thiab loj uas ua rau muaj nqi tsis tau muaj dua. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Kub no yog ib qho haujlwm zoo kawg nkaus thiab muaj kev hwm uas pab tau ntau thiab nthuav dav ciam teb ntawm kev kos duab, kev tshawb fawb, kev tsim qauv thiab thev naus laus zis. Oruha Lub Hauj Lwm Tseem Ceeb: Rooj Zaum ua rau muaj kev xav tau heev, txhawb kev mob siab, txhawb kev tsim tshiab thiab ua rau peb xav tsis thoob.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Oruha Chair proposes the idea of a private sanctuary within a public space.
While functioning as a sculptural object that shapes the surrounding environment, the chair transforms into an intimate personal zone when occupied.

The form could not have been achieved through linear or parametric design logic. Instead, it emerged through an iterative process of continuous adjustment between visual intensity and physical comfort. The armrests, which receive the most direct contact, maintain sharp visual edges while offering a gentle and secure tactile experience.

This balance allows the chair to exist simultaneously as spatial sculpture and functional furniture.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 740mm Depth 550mm Height 760mm Seated height 430mm
Tags: Chair, Furniture, Sculptural Design, Wood, Handmade, Emotional Design, Armchair, Spatial Object
Production Technology: Due to its complex organic geometry, Oruha Chair is extremely difficult to reproduce through industrial manufacturing or automated processes.
The chair was realized almost entirely by hand, using traditional Japanese planes and hand tools.

Rather than imposing a fixed form onto the material, the final shape emerged through direct dialogue with the wood, prioritizing tactile quality, structural integrity, and sculptural coherence. This process positions craftsmanship not as decoration, but as a design methodology.
Design Challenge: After extensive sketching and the creation of five clay models, translating the form into wood presented a fundamental challenge. There was no established woodworking methodology capable of directly realizing the intended geometry.

Through repeated trial and error, two full-scale prototypes were abandoned before completing this third iteration.
Because of the organic form, conventional symmetry, reference points, and measurement systems proved ineffective. Ultimately, the process required trusting sensory judgment and material feedback over numerical precision. This approach became inseparable from the final outcome.
Research: The designer’s background in video editing strongly influenced the conceptual framework of this project. Video editing is a practice of shaping emotional perception by controlling sequence, rhythm, and context.

Oruha Chair applies this editorial thinking to three-dimensional form.
Personal emotions and experiences were deconstructed and reassembled, not as narrative, but as physical tension, curvature, and spatial presence. The result is a chair that communicates emotionally through form rather than explanation.
Inspiration: Oruha Chair was inspired by the concept of waves, representing continuous transitions between tension and release.
Rather than designing a chair solely from ergonomic data or predefined typologies, this project approaches seating as an emotional and spatial experience shaped by contrast.

The form was developed as a response to the designer’s belief that emotions, like waves, can be edited, reorganized, and translated into physical presence. These transitions were carved directly into solid wood as flowing yet controlled organic curves.

Although the chair presents an edgy, sculptural appearance, sitting in it reveals a smooth, enveloping comfort. This intentional reversal between visual tension and bodily softness defines the core experience of Oruha Chair.
Project Duration: The project began in Kanagawa in January 2025 and ended in October 2025.
Operation Flow: Despite its expressive form, Oruha Chair provides stable and comfortable seating suitable for extended use.
Structural stability and load distribution were carefully examined through repeated physical testing, ensuring that the sculptural design does not compromise safety or usability.

Unlike many sculptural chairs that discourage everyday use, Oruha Chair is intended to be touched, sat on, and lived with.
Image Credits: Photography: Photographer Mitsuaki Takahashi, 2025
Video credit: Video editor Yuya Nakazawa, 2025
Sound: Soundtrack Composer Heitaro Ashibe, 2025