Japanese designer Yuma Kano has created an innovative timber material made from forest debris and wood waste that can be used to design furniture with fascinating surface patterns.
Named ForestBank, the new material is made from small trees, foliage, bark, seeds, soil, and other items considered worthless for construction or furniture. This wood waste is mixed with a reactive mineral base and water-based acrylic resin that uses no organic solvents or volatile organic compounds.
“ForestBank isn't simply lumber but a material design that looks to find the variety of value in entire forests,” says Kano.
These materials have patterns that vary depending on the angle and depth of the cut, as well as by the changing seasons and the condition of the forest at the time of harvest. For instance, the characteristic yellows and greens in ForestBank are the actual colouring of trees, while the green leaves used in the mix may change to orange and brown as the seasons change.
Earth from the forest floor can be used to add browns and blacks. Complex patterns can be produced using the cross-sections of roots and seeds ordinarily hidden in the earth. Also, different species of trees have different colouring, which will also be reflected in ForestBank.
“By looking at the ubiquitous nature of wood from a different angle and finding new value, a new material that condenses the whole forest has been found,” says Kano.
The designer says that ForestBank can be used to create furniture and interiors using regular woodworking tools and techniques. Kano’s innovation is not restricted to forest debris alone; ForestBank can also be made from waste left behind after pruning trees, or even scrap wood from woodworking studios to create original patterns that tell a unique story.
Photography: Shot by Kusk
