Returning to 3daysofdesign with an exhibition titled ‘Wood for the Trees’, the American Hardwood Export Council partnered with Benchmark and Mitre & Mondays to reaffirm the case for responsible forestry. ICON caught up with AHEC’s European Director David Venables to find out more
Photography by Petr Krejčí, Wood for the Trees was an immersive installation at this years 3daysofdesign helping to raise awareness around the challenges facing the American hardwood industry
Words by Roddy Clarke
Over the years, I’ve met many industry leaders striving to make a difference. But few match the unwavering passion, dedication, and resolve of David Venables, European Director of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). Having known David for many years, I’ve watched his commitment to protecting our forests intensify. Every time I hear him speak, the urgency in his voice is impossible to ignore. And for good reason. Our global forests remain under relentless threat, and the window to protect them is rapidly closing.
At this year’s 3daysofdesign, AHEC returned with an immersive installation designed to educate, inspire and raise awareness of the challenges facing the American hardwood industry. Titled Wood for the Trees, the exhibition brought together the craftsmanship of British furniture maker Benchmark and the creative vision of London-based studio Mitre & Mondays to create a conceptual forest that transported visitors on a spatial journey into the world of hardwood forestry.
Photography by Petr Krejčí, Benchmark, Mitre and Mondays and AHEC combined their expertise to create a narrative-led, sensorial design experience
As visitors moved through the abstract woodland, they encountered the many stages of forestry, from standing tree to finished product. Sight, sound, scent and touch combined to create a richly sensorial experience, offering a powerful reminder of the importance of long-term stewardship of the natural world. At a time when forests in many parts of the world continue to face deforestation and degradation, AHEC is working hard to tell a different story. The hardwood forests of the Eastern United States have expanded to more than 40 million acres over the last century and continue to grow at twice the rate at which they are harvested. Working closely with sawmills, landowners and local communities, the organisation champions the responsible management of these forests while promoting the extraordinary diversity of hardwood species they contain.
Photography by Petr Krejčí, The objects were created within Benchmark’s workshops using the hardwood species available through AHEC’s partners
Presented as part of the Material Matters collective showcase, Wood for the Trees explored the inseparable relationship between forests and the communities whose livelihoods depend on them. As the number of active sawmills across the United States continues to decline, AHEC is working to expand international demand for American hardwoods, not only to help sustain rural economies but also to encourage architects and designers to embrace a wider range of responsibly sourced timber species.
At the heart of the installation sculptural ‘fallen logs’ invited visitors to sit, reflect and discuss these challenges together, while suspended graphics overhead evoked the forest canopy, enveloping the space in an atmospheric reminder of the ecosystem beyond the timber itself. The concept originated in London following the premiere of AHEC’s feature documentary, Forested Future. Inspired by its message, the team at Mitre & Mondays sought to translate its central themes into a physical experience.
Photography by Petr Krejčí, The installation echoed the forest setting, with hanging graphics evoking the forest canopy and ‘fallen logs’ inviting guests to discuss the topics at hand
‘We loved the film but knew only a limited audience had so far had the chance to see it,’ says Finn Thomson, one of the studio’s three founders. ‘We didn’t want to simply bring the film screening to Copenhagen and so thought about other ways that we could take its core messages and disseminate them in a physical way, so that people could get tangible proximity to the beauty of low-grade timber as well as a sense of the people who work in that industry.’
Rather than centring the exhibition around newly designed furniture, a familiar approach at many design fairs, the team chose to make the forest itself the protagonist. Like Forested Future, directed by Petr Krejčí, the installation shifted the conversation beyond finished products, repositioning forests as living systems that underpin manufacturing, architecture and design. In doing so, it reinforced AHEC’s ongoing mission to promote a more informed, responsible and sustainable approach to working with American hardwoods. ‘As designers, it was a real education and privilege to dig into the impact that using a broader range of timber can have,’ continues Thomson. ‘Our studio is very committed to engaging with a more complex view of the world by way of its material systems and flows and working with AHEC has enabled and expanded that imperative.’
Photography by Petr Krejčí, The project is another example of AHEC’s open and collaborative approach, helping to drive their mission towards a brighter future for the forest sector serving both the natural and societal ecosystems behind them
Now the third consecutive year exhibiting at 3daysofdesign, AHEC believes the conversation still isn’t reaching enough of the industry. Venables argues a more direct approach is needed. ‘We’ve got to be a little more provocative,’ he says. ‘I think every architect, engineer and designer should have one module in their training dedicated to forestry, regardless of whether they use wood or not. The balance of materials within product design and architecture must change.’ Positioning timber as a viable alternative to more carbon-intensive materials such as steel or plastic, Venables believes education is fundamental to that shift.
‘If you don’t empower creative people to understand trees, forests and how they’re managed, they won’t choose the right material for the right application. They won’t use it in the right way, and they won’t understand the consequences of their decisions.’ He goes even further, suggesting that forestry should be taught in schools. It is a proposition that reflects a broader reality, that our relationship with natural resources needs to evolve. Embedding a deeper understanding of forests in education, and ultimately into design practice, could help reshape the industry for generations to come. As Venables concludes, ‘Wood is nature’s gift to the material world.’ The challenge now is ensuring we use that gift wisely.
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