Tanso

Designer: David Irwin

Materials: Charred oak and thermally modified beech

When making furniture for the changeable atmospheric conditions of the outdoors, the biodegradable and unstable nature of wood presents challenges. The Tanso bench and chair have been designed in a bid to overcome these challenges, through the application of two different timber treatments. The oak bench has been finished using the ancient Japanese technique of charring wood, Shou Sugi Ban. And the chair is made from beech that has been thermally modified, by heating it in an oxygen-free environment. Both treatments improve the timber’s climatic resistence and dimensional stability, to the highest ‘Class 1’ durability (equivalent to Teak)*.

No chemicals or preservatives are used in either process and the results provide an alternative to less-sustainable tropical hardwoods.

*Timber Durability is measured in 5 classes under the EN350 classification system, with each class determining how long each timber will survive outdoors. These range from class 1 – very durable, lasting 25+ years to class 5 – perishable, lasting less than 5 years.