‘Fukanzen’ desk

Furniture piece that is inspired by the Japanese term wabi-sabi

ABOUT

Fukanzen is a contemporary/ minimalistic  desk made from three different species of wood - plywood, Blackbutt, and American Ash. The idea to create this desk came as a result of a previous desk that had been slowly falling apart due to its cheaply made design and poor manufacturing process -  its original materials were made from sustainable source pressed wood also known as chipboard. The ironic thing is that the original desk was designed for the sole purpose of being sustainable but affordable, yet it has been torn into pieces, sitting, and awaiting be tossed in the rubbish. Within a span of year of purchasing the original desk, it began to fall apart – only being held together with a makeshift clamp. The only possible components of the desk that could be salvage were the beautiful powder-coated steel legs.

So with original design kept in mind, I was inspired to develop a desk in which can transition through time by being able to be re-purposed by its end of life by solely using threaded-inserts and no glue.  Allowing the desk to be able to be de-constructed if I decided to move away from home or be re-purpose with the wood that makes up this desk for another design in the future, if I decided no longer wanted this desk - avoiding the same fate as its counter parts.

The desk challenges the norms of a circular economy, by being developed with expensive materials – but made intending to be able to be repurposed or changed in form and appearance throughout its life cycle. So as the Japanese saying goes ‘wabi-sabi’ –  a furniture piece that is “ centred on the acceptance of transience and imperfection”  and appreciating its “ beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete in nature ”.