Mushroom Mensula by Hyunjae Noh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum in Designatio Supellectilis Competition Category.
AesSupellex· 2025
Mushroom Mensula
by Hyunjae Noh
Client: Hyunjae Noh
Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum Winner in Supellex Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #166794The Design
About Mushroom Mensula
Inceptum Fungus est propositum naturae amicum quod ramenta lignea ex fabricatione supellectilis in mensulam singulariter conformatam convertit. Loco ramentorum abiiciendorum, ea diligenter in tabulas latas formantur et disponuntur ut formam fibrarum transversarum trium dimensionum efficiant. Tabula superior conformationem transversalem oculis captantem tribus ligni generibus ostendit, dum pedes leniter curvati stipitem fungi imitantur. Altitudine CCCLXXX millimetrorum, Fungus deservit ut mensa poculorum vel mensa ad lectum, novum valorem ligno abiecto tribuens et quisquilias minuens.
The Recognition
About the Praemium A' Design Award Aeneum
Mushroom Mensula victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aeneum, honoris multum aestimati formis egregiis, creandi ingenio, sollertia et acumine insignibus dati. Victores Aenei opera perita et mire creandi sunt, quae experientiam, imaginationem et solertiam auctorum suorum confirmant. Exspectatur Mushroom Mensula rem multum aestimatam, admiratam et carissimam, notabiliter professionalem et novam fore. Haec forma Aeneo victa optimas consuetudines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae amplectitur et in cura minutiarum excellit. Mushroom Mensula necessitates egregie explet, cupiditates tangit, sensus capit et curiositatem allicit.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- During the furniture crafting process, a substantial amount of wood scraps is generated, often appearing in irregular shapes and small sizes, eventually being discarded. Mushroom is a small coffee table crafted by utilizing these wood scraps, presenting a unique mushroom shaped design. The tabletop is created by recycling three different types of wood scraps, forming an intriguing end-grain pattern.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 380mm x 380mm x 400mm
- Tags
- wood, craft, coffee, table, eco friendly, sustainable
- Production Technology
- To efficiently utilize wood scraps, the end grain technique was used to create wooden panels. This approach not only allowed the creation of larger panels from smaller pieces but also showcased the unique patterns characteristic of end grain wood. The panel was then shaped into a circular tabletop and finished with oil to ensure durability and longevity. The table legs were crafted by laminating multiple layers of wood together and refining only the edges using a lathe, minimizing waste. This method significantly reduced the amount of discarded material during furniture production.
- Design Challenge
- To create the end grain pattern, the small wood scraps had to be shaped into consistent forms. While the wood pieces were too small to safely use a table saw, I was able to make a template using a laser cutter. By combining the template with the wood scraps, I was able to shape all the pieces into the same form.
- Research
- The Mushroom project is an initiative to recycle wood scraps generated during furniture manufacturing, rather than discarding them. The scraps are carefully shaped to create wide panels, and then arranged to form a three dimensional end grain pattern. Through this project, discarded wood scraps are given new value, and the amount of waste wood is minimized, making it an environmentally friendly solution.
- Inspiration
- While taking a furniture-making course at OCAD University, I learned that the production process often generates a significant amount of wood scraps, most of which end up being discarded. These wood pieces were of high quality but were overlooked due to their small size. At OCAD University, these scraps were collected in one place for students to use freely. Seeing this, I was inspired to gather various wood pieces to make furniture.
- Project Duration
- This project was initiated in November 2022 and completed in December 2022 at OCAD University in Toronto.
- Operation Flow
- Mushroom is a small table with a height of 380mm. It can be used as a coffee table or a bedside table and is characterized by its use of discarded wood to create a beautiful patterned wood panel, which is then used in its construction.
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