Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company Muneji Toh Architects
Lead Designers Muneji Toh
Completion Date August 2023
Project Location Japan
Entry DescriptionWe created a lamp using fat wood, which is rich in resin. Fat wood is a precious material that can be extracted from pines, which is rich in resin that are over hundreds of years old. The resin, which has accumulated over many years, changes a red color when it catches light, unlike the resin of other trees. This unique color is the color of fat wood resin. Fat wood, which has been thinly processed by using special techniques, glows a bewitching red in the light. When the lights are off, the grain of the fat wood appears, and when the lights are on, the both of grain and resin appear at the same time, creating a unique and beautiful pattern. In addition, as the resin ages, it permeates the entire grain of the wood, and the surface changes to a beautiful amber color, lighting up with a deeper red. The aging that occur over time in fat wood allow you to enjoy the material for a long time. Fat Wood contains pinene, which has a calming effect like forest bathing and has antibacterial properties. We believe that the red glow of the fat wood Lamp will be an advanced design that will add elegance to a variety of spaces.
Sustainability ApproachThe resin of pine, which has long been disliked because it is high in resin and difficult to use and maintain, has been transformed into a beautiful material through various processing techniques and changed it to an advanced design. Fat wood is high in resin, and when the resin rises to the surface it becomes dirty with dust, so a special coating is used to prevent the resin from rising to the surface while preserving the beauty and grain of the wood, and to ensure functionality. The lampshades are made by woodworkers who use a special process to change them into a thin dome shape. These techniques allow the lamp to capture the light and glow a bewitching red. By transforming previously unused wood into beautiful materials, we recycle the fat wood of our forest resource.
