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AHEC and BENCHMARK COLLABORATE FOR ‘THE WISH LIST – WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED IS…’ EXHIBITION DURING LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL.
A stellar list of architects and designers brought together by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and Benchmark Furniture collaborate to create a compelling installation, The Wish List, which will be exhibited at the V&A during the 2014 London Design Festival (13-21 September).
Terence Conran, co-founder of Benchmark, instigated the project when he wrote to his friends and asked, “What have you always wanted in your home, but never been able to find?”
His friends are, of course, some of the most illustrious names in architecture and design. Paul Smith, Norman Foster, Amanda Levete, John Pawson, Alison Brooks, Zaha Hadid, Alex de Rijke, Richard and Ab Rogers, and Allen Jones have all indicated what product they long for. Under the mentorship of these ‘greats’, up-andcoming names are now designing the desired items for The Wish List. Such an open brief guarantees an extraordinary spread of design and the challenge is to produce each project in a single material – American hardwood, in celebration of the versatility of timber and the enormous variety that can be achieved with one material.
Further, the diversity of products demonstrates Benchmark’s depth in understanding of
wood and skilled craftsmanship. All of the items will be crafted in American hardwood during ‘making week’ at Benchmark’s Berkshire workshops at the beginning of July.
“Benchmark is the powerhouse of craft, where many of the world’s greatest designers come to push the boundaries of what is possible to do in wood,” says Sean Sutcliffe, cofounder of Benchmark. “The diversity of the pieces in ‘The Wish List’, and making them in one intense week, will test all involved. It will be a terrific platform for learning, enriched by the interaction of so much design and making talent. In our workshop of over 50 skilled craftsmen, we’re confident that we shall see ten fabulous results.”
For David Venables, European Director of AHEC, this project is very much about the
versatility of American hardwood, and the ability to experiment with designs, both big and
small. “I can’t think of any other material that could be used to create such an eclectic mix
of products and render each one beautiful and unique,” he says.
Sebastian Cox will design a workspace for Terence Conran, Norie Matsumoto is creating
the perfect pencil sharpener for Norman Foster whilst Win Assakul is designing an
extendable fruit or cheese bowl for Amanda Levete. The sisters that form Studio Areti are
designing three items for John Pawson, a triangle shelf, slanted door and a hook.
Felix de Pass is designing kitchen stools for Alison Brooks whilst Gareth Neal tackles
tableware for Zaha Hadid. Fashion icon Paul Smith has asked Nathalie de Leval for a
garden shed, whilst Barnby & Day are hard at work on a dining table for Alex de Rijke.
Richard Rogers with Ab Rogers have requested a ladder from Xenia Moseley and Lola
Lely is designing a chaise longue for Allen Jones.
During the manufacturing process, the teams will record all material inputs and energy
consumption allowing them to assess the environmental impact for each object, using data
from AHEC’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) research for 19 American hardwood species.
Life Cycle Assessment is a scientific tool that helps industry to establish environmental
frameworks that have real meaning and assess true sustainability. The result will present
www.wishlistldf.info the cradle-to-grave impact of creating each product across six categories. The most opical impact category is global warming potential (GWP), or carbon footprint.
Sean Sutcliffe comments, “Working with AHEC on ‘Out of the Woods’ in 2012, Benchmark
produced the world’s first wooden furniture with full Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). Now we
seek to build on that learning and develop tools that will enable designs to be rationalised
on the basis of LCA data feedback. It is an exciting moment to be working within this fastdeveloping
science.”
Material used for this project has been donated by timber and panel products distributor James Latham.
ABOUT BENCHMARK
Benchmark is a leading company of craftspeople and designers, founded 30 years ago by Terence Conran
and Sean Sutcliffe. Based in West Berkshire on a converted farm, the team is now 50 strong in over 40,000
sq ft of workshops for timber milling, carpentry, veneering, spraying, specialist metalworking and upholstery, as well as design studio and showroom. Benchmark works extensively with hotels, restaurants, public buildings, offices and private residences.
www.benchmarkfurniture.com
ABOUT LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
The London Design Festival is a key constituent of London’s Autumn creative season, alongside London
Fashion Week, Frieze Art Fair and the London Film Festival. Established in 2003 its role is to celebrate and
promote London as the world’s design capital and gateway to the to the international design community and
it has now established a reputation as one of the largest and most exciting design events in the world. This
year the Festival will run from 13-21 September and over 300 events and installations will be on offer across
the capital, from an exciting programme at the V&A to a major installation within Trafalgar Square plus over
250 partners who will participate in the week-long Festival.
www.londondesignfestival.com
For further press information about The Wish List project, please contact:
Friends & Co
Christine Samuelian / Belinda Fisher
E-mail: christine@friendsandco.co.uk – Tel +44 07957 203 037
E-mail: belinda@friendsandco.co.uk - Tel +44 07808 721 308
For queries about Benchmark Furniture, please contact:
Jess Tully. E-mail stock@jesstully.com / 07973 630 421
ABOUT AHEC
For over 20 years the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has been at the forefront of wood promotion in Europe, successfully building a distinctive and creative brand for U.S. hardwoods. AHEC’s
support for creative design projects such as The Wish List for London Design Festival, demonstrates the
performance potential of these sustainable materials and provides valuable inspiration.
For more information contact Mrs Belinda Cobden-Ramsay or visit the web site:
AHEC: American Hardwood Export Council
23 Austin Friars / London EC2N 2QP / United Kingdom http://www.americanhardwood.org