• FH 2024

Future Heirlooms 2024 vision and process

Future Heirlooms 2024 beckons visionaries from various disciplines, with a special emphasis on the South African interior design and architecture communities. Tasked with crafting objects for domestic use utilizing American red oak, designers delve into the ethos of Future Heirlooms, aiming to conceive pieces that transcend time, possessing a quality that renders them indispensable across generations and imbued with collectible allure.

The thematic essence of Future Heirlooms prompts designers to navigate realms of contemporary furniture, seeking to birth creations that exude a distinctive presence in the marketplace, emphasizing uniqueness over commercial viability, although the two may harmonize. Drawing inspiration from antiquated typologies, designers are encouraged to reimagine relics of the past, infusing them with contemporary relevance. Alternatively, they're invited to pioneer new typologies, envisioning objects poised to hold significance in an ever-evolving future. This challenge celebrates individuality, fostering expressions of eccentricity and beauty within the limited edition collectible piece.

Five chosen African designers embark on a journey to not only envision the future of sustainable design but also to delve into their own heritage, intertwining narratives with South Africa's rich design legacy. Handpicked for their prowess, these participants hail from diverse corners of African design, spanning architecture, interior design, design education, costume design, creative direction, art curation, and branding disciplines. Future Heirlooms 2024 extols the synergy between disciplines as a cornerstone of African design's vitality.

The project aims to:
● Kindle the relationship between product, interior design and architecture disciplines and visions in Africa.
● Immerse designers in deep material knowledge of sustainable American hardwoods.
● Enable designers to envision spaces that move beyond trend to embrace longevity, repurposing, and ecologically sound design and manufacturing practices.
● Embrace what we consider to be a salient African design value - sustainability and natural materials.