“I chose a chair for the design because it is the piece of furniture that relates so closely to mankind – it has accompanied us in everyday life for hundreds of years. In the history of design, a chair was often a symbol of the thinking of the era, today it is a reflection of our influence on the planet. This particular chair is meant to convey the spirit of our times and promote a more contemporary and responsible way of thinking.

Using natural and widely available resources is essential in order to design sustainably. American red oak offers a huge variety of grain and hues, depending on the region it grows in - this became the starting point for my concept. Simple yet diverse boards of wood have become my inspiration. Rather than starting the project with a design in mind, my thinking instead focused on the material and how to process it in the least wasteful way, starting from the forest - its place of origin, to the finished product.

The timber elements in the form of simple boards create the shape of chair. I wanted the design to call for the minimum amount of energy and man-hours used. The Natural Born Chair is a simple, durable, comfortable and fully natural piece of furniture with a very low carbon footprint.” says Tomek Rygalik.