Why AHEC commissioned the "timber wave" for this years London Design Festival
By: David Venables in Events
The LDF is an excellent high profile platform to promote challenging new design ideas . We were especially keen to work with Amanda Levete, who we regard as one of Europe's most talented and creative architects with a reputation for exploring the boundaries of many different materials but not until this point in time, wood. We at AHEC love a challenge! Which is a good job because when Amanda said yes and the V&A made the unprecedented offer of their front entrance, the initial thoughts of a creative piece of furniture turned rapidly into an arch concept that was infinitively more dramatic, creative and demanding. Oh and of course it was a little bit bigger than we expected! Amanda chose our most abundant and sustainable hardwood that is surprisingly under-utilised and showed its full potential in the most dramatic way possible; demonstrating its aesthetic appeal, structural potential and versatility in a way that it has never, to our knowledge, been used before. Delicate curved and specially treated components working on a huge structural scale thanks to the endeavour and expertise of Arup and Cowley Timberwork. What we have all learnt from this challenge will I believe provide really valuable inspiration, knowledge and confidence to designers, architects and engineers everywhere that wood and especially American hardwoods have so much more to offer and that the expertise is out there to turn great ideas into reality.