Kawadoko 长凳 by Shih An Ko is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award 铜奖 in 家具设计 Competition Category.

铜家具· 2021

Kawadoko 长凳

by Shih An Ko

Client: Chieh Nan Ko Architects

A' Design Award 铜奖 Winner in 家具 Category

10,844

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #121535

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Kawadoko 长凳

Kawadoko是一款旨在带来夏日清凉的木质长凳。其名称源自日本夏季架设于河流之上的平台——人们在潺潺流水旁乘凉消暑。长凳采用白橡木制作,运用榫卯接合与木工车削工艺,遵循传统木构建筑的结构逻辑。座面木条之间留有细长间隙,使空气得以穿流而过,带来清凉的坐感。座面宽度高于常规尺寸,使用者可盘腿而坐,亦可躺卧休憩。木条圆润的边缘在搬动长凳时可充当把手。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 铜奖

Kawadoko 长凳是 A' Design Award 铜奖得主，这是授予以创造力、独创性和敏锐见长的杰出设计的极具声望的认可。铜奖得主是技艺娴熟、创意惊人的作品，印证了其设计师丰富的经验、想象力与机智。预计Kawadoko 长凳将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的物品，兼具显著的专业性与创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铜奖的设计融入艺术、科学、设计和技术领域的最佳实践，并因注重细节而出类拔萃。Kawadoko 长凳出色地满足需求，触动渴望，迷住情感，并吸引好奇心。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Inspired by the memories of kawadoko, this bench is specially designed for escaping from the summer heat. The long gaps between the seat create a cool and well-ventilated sitting experience, and the rods that make up the seat are cut into flat surfaces to ensure comfort, while the edges remain circular, similar to the shape of bamboo, and serve as handles when moving the chair.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 430mm x Depth 1520mm x Height 460mm
Tags: bench, summer, nature, furniture
Production Technology: Production: tenon and mortise techniques, woodturning
Material: white oak
Design Challenge: The biggest challenge is the making of the 1.5 meters-long wooden rods, which requires customized jigs to stabilize during the making process. And the burnt marks on the curved surface, after several attempts,have been successfully erased using certain techniques.
Research: The project has explored the wooden structure of traditional Japanese architecture, and transformed it into the constructive concept of the design. Another research is about the relevance between furniture and human body scale,and how our body reacts in different circumstances, as these are the factors that refined the prototype in the process.
Inspiration: Kawadoko, which mean river floors, are patios built over the river by restaurants in Kibune during the summer. While kawadoko are temporary, they are quite sturdy-built with wood and bamboo.
In Kibune, people are only a few feet above the river as they can enjoy the sound of water, the breeze, and the mist.
Thinking Kawadoko as a pleasant escape from the summer heat, the design aims to evoke memories of kawadoko, bringing a sense of coolness into daily life.
Project Duration: The project started in August, 2020 and finished in January, 2021, Taiwan.
Operation Flow: The scale and dimension of this project has been carefully arranged to achieve a friendly user experience. The width of the bench is wider than the average, so that user can easily sit cross-legged or even lie down to rest. The height of the shelf is in exact position where the hands are naturally dropping,which means anything on the shelf are within reach.the round rods serve as handles when moving the bench. In addition, a foldable cushion can be used during winter to ensure comfort.