Mushroom Laulau Itu by Hyunjae Noh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Apamemea in Mamanu Meafale Competition Category.

ApamemeaMeafale· 2025

Mushroom Laulau Itu

by Hyunjae Noh

Client: Hyunjae Noh

A' Design Award Apamemea Winner in Meafale Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #166794

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Mushroom Laulau Itu

O le poloketi Pulou o se fa'amoemoe fa'asao si'osi'omaga e toe fa'aogaina ai fasi laau totoe mai le gaosiga o mea gaosi fale e fai a'i se laulau laiti ua mamanuina ma le tulaga ese. Nai lo le lafoai o fasi totoe ia, ua fa'ama'i ma le fa'aeteete e fai ai papa lautele ma fa'atu'ufa'atasia e fai a'i se mamanu tolu-itu o pito laau. O le luga o le laulau o lo'o fa'aalia ai se mamanu tipi-fa'asa'o tausami e fa'aoga ai ituaiga laau se tolu e ese'ese, a'o ona vae pi'o maalie e pei o se lau o le pulou. I le maualuga e 380mm, e galue ai le Pulou o se laulau kofe po'o se laulau tafatafa moega, e tu'uina atu ai se tau fou i laau ua lafoaiina ae fa'aitiitia ai le otaota.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Apamemea

O le A' Design Award Apamemea na manumalo ai Mushroom Laulau Itu, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu ese e iloga i le fatufatuaʻi, le atamai ma le poto. O ē manumalo i le Apamemea o mea e iai le tomai atoa ma fatufatuaʻi mataʻina e faamaonia ai le poto masani tele, le mafaufau ma le atamai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Mushroom Laulau Itu e avea ma mea e vivii tele, ua pelepelea, e iloga i le tomai faapolofesa ma mea fou. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Apamemea e tuufaatasia ai faiga sili i le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi ma e sili ona lelei i le mataituina o mea itiiti. Mushroom Laulau Itu e faamalieina matagofie manaʻoga, pa i manaʻo, faalataina lagona ma faaosofia le fia iloa.

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.