Pohihi Ọrụ Isi: Tebul Ọnụ Ụzọ by JOHI Furniture & Design

Pohihi Ọrụ Isi: Tebul Ọnụ Ụzọ by JOHI Furniture & Design is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe in Nhazi Ngwá Ụlọ Competition Category.

IgweNgwá Ụlọ· 2020

Pohihi Ọrụ Isi: Tebul Ọnụ Ụzọ

by JOHI Furniture & Design

Client: JOHI Furniture & Design

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe Winner in Ngwá Ụlọ Category

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Colors

The Design

About Pohihi Ọrụ Isi: Tebul Ọnụ Ụzọ

Ederede Akwụkwọ: Pohihi bụ tebul ọnụ ụzọ e chere iji chekwaa ihe n'ime ụlọ ọgbara ọhụrụ. E ji osisi bichi (beech) e destaịnị mee ahụ ya, ebe ihu ndị drawa anọ ahụ e ji osisi monkeypod mee ya. E ji osisi bichi kpụọ drawa ndị ahụ kpamkpam, ha na-akpụgharịkwa n'elu okporo osisi. E ji eriri Danish nke e jirila aka kpaa kee ọnụ ụzọ igbe ahụ na ohere dị ala. Ọnụ ụzọ e kepụtara ahụ na-arụ ọrụ dị ka ihe mma na aka njide n'otu oge, n'ihi na o nweghị aka njide ọzọ etinyere ya. Ihe mgnetic na-eme ka ọnụ ụzọ ahụ mechie, ebe ime ya nwekwara ohere. Ụzọ e si kee eriri ahụ na-egosipụta omenala ndị Arab na ndị Hawaii.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Igwe

Pohihi Ọrụ Isi: Tebul Ọnụ Ụzọ meriri A' Design Award nke Igwe, nnabata dị ugwu e nyere design ndị dị mma nke na-emezu ihe ndị a chọrọ n'ọrụ na ụlọ ọrụ nke a na-atụ anya n'ihe e kere eke ndị e mere nke ọma. Ndị meriri na Igwe na-egosi nka buru ibu, ọkachamara dị elu, nghọta ọkachamara na ikike imepụta nke ndị kere ha. A na-atụ anya na Pohihi Ọrụ Isi: Tebul Ọnụ Ụzọ ga-abụ ihe e kere eke a na-asọpụrụ nke ukwuu, a na-eto na a hụrụ n'anya nke bụ ihe bara uru ma dị ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Igwe na-ejikọta ụzọ kacha mma nke ụlọ ọrụ ma nwee àgwà teknụzụ kwesịrị ekwesị jikọtara na ihe ọmụma na talent. A na-asọpụrụ Pohihi Ọrụ Isi: Tebul Ọnụ Ụzọ maka nlezianya ya ma e mere ya ka ọ nye mmeziwanye ndụ nke na-enyere aka ime ka ụwa bụrụ ebe ka mma.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Monkeypod drawer fronts & handwoven laced danish cord stand out as highlights of this piece, framed with a stained beech body. The drawers are completed with solid beech, sliding naturally on wooden tracks. The danish cord cabinet door gives this piece a unique, clean, organic touch. Open the cabinet door to find a spacious interior with shelf. With an easy push the magnetic fittings will secure it closed. Mirroring the woven door, a low shelf allows a gorgeous touch, functional and decorative.
Dimensions & Packaging: W 394mm x L 1156mm x H 1067mm
Tags: furniture, home, joinery, weaving, residential, interior, storage, modern, living
Production Technology: Materials-wise, we needed to design around Hawaii's fluctuating climate, throughout the year moving from from humid to dry, hot to cold. For this reason, we chose to make the frame in dimensionally stable hardwood plywood and use traditional wood joinery that accounts for wood movement.

You'll find more about our approach to weaving and reason for weaving with laced danish cord in the Research section.
Design Challenge: One of the most challenging aspects of designing a piece with multicultural intent is leaving flexibility for future clients or customers to impart their own style and interpretation on it. There's also much more to share from a cultural and locale perspective than what is stereotypical. There is more to island style than white washing wood; more to Hawaiian design than kapa motifs. There is more to Arab art than calligraphy and geometric pattern. Our goal was to design a contemporary piece that represented a common ground of our cultures and felt true to ourselves.
Research: We challenged ourselves to design around commonalities in Arab and Hawaiian cultural practices. We looked to our personal experiences from youth to adulthood as well as cultural readings and contemporary practice in both areas. Rather than focusing on visual pattern, we were drawn to the process of weaving.

In the Arab world, Sadu (السدو) is the tradition of geometric embroidery for furnishings, rugs and saddles. This practice is historically carried out by the women of Bedouin communities, and it offers a chance to gather and share news and stories. As the world changes, this tradition is being left behind and is now considered a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Tradition in need of safeguarding.

The same may be said of needing to safeguard knowledge here in Hawai'i of making and using cordage. Within Polynesian voyaging, fishing, and land cultivation culture, there was always great need to create strong durable kaula (cord/rope) from available natural resources. The plants often used include olona, pulu niu (coconut husk fiber) & hau (sea hibiscus). After gathering and crafting certain sizes and lengths of cordage, it could be used for canoe lashings, carrying handles or net bags, slings, sandals, a sewing material, and more.

In reviewing weaving materials, we settled on weaving with laced Danish cord, a paper base product that began gaining popularity for use in furniture after WWII. Most cords feature a 3-ply construction, where paper is twisted together to produce a very strong laced cord. While it can be a little tricky to work with at times, knotting up on itself and untwisting, the cord is a perfect material choice for stressed applications and longevity in furniture.

Experimenting with different weaving styles, we ultimately found the design needed variation between a less complex weave and one with more density to create a stronger visual dynamic.
Inspiration: Designed to tuck away bits and bobs while jointly displaying household favorites. We strove to highlight weaving, as it is an important technique used in my family's cultures, Arab and Hawaiian. As modern homes tend to get cluttered quickly, it was important to create a clean aesthetic that could l provide ample storage. Together, the wood and laced danish cord are intended to bring a warm modern feel to the home.
Project Duration: Location: Haliimaile, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Year: 2019
Operation Flow: The handwoven Danish cord of the cabinet door acts both as artistic visual interest and a type of handle, as no distinct handle is in the design. The drawer handles are similarly low profile to let the clean lines of the overall design shine.
Patents: Copyrights belong JOHI LLC, 2019
Team Members: Holly Badr-El-Din
Image Credits: Image #1 - #5: Photographer Raja Badr-El-Din, Pohihi Entry Console, 2019