Exploring the Possibilities of Lumber

Yoshiharu Shimura plans and designs interiors, furniture, and other elements of facilities ranging from hotels and offices to hospitals, schools, and stores. His maternal grandfather was a temple and shrine carpenter, and he’s been familiar with wood and woodworking since he was a little child. He’s used lumber for a wide range of projects, both past and present. Despite experimenting with many materials when younger, including periods of deep immersion in glass, metal, and plastic, he says, “I’ve returned to my starting point and am keenly interested in wood.” We asked Mr. Shimura to discuss the appeal of wood as a material and his thoughts on using wood.

When planning and designing interiors, furniture, or other projects, I constantly think about how to move people, surprise people, or make people happy. One way to do this is by using materials from the natural world, like wood and stone. Natural materials have a special energy that reaches people’s emotions. When we touch or smell wood, we often feel nostalgia or a sense of peace. This is wood’s greatest appeal. Individual pieces of wood, even of the same species, have their own unique shape and look. They’re asymmetrical both horizontally and vertically, and the flow of wood grain is varying and uneven. That’s what gives wood such a natural feel. It’s an important feature of wood as a material.

When you incorporate these advantages into a building or interior, there’s no need to use wood for everything. Simply put, it’s enough to use solid, natural wood in just one place, for example. With recent advances in lumber fireproofing, lumber materials have been used increasingly in architectural projects. But solid natural wood can be expensive, and in some ways it’s hard to work with, because it’s susceptible to cracking and warping. Also, the use of lumber as a building material poses regulatory concerns with regard to fireproofing and structural integrity. In such cases, I think it’s a good idea to think about using wood not from the architect’s perspective, but from the perspective of those who will use the building. One example would be to use wood in places where people touch it directly, whether with their hands or feet, or by sitting on it. You can accomplish this by using solid wood furniture or even by installing solid wood door handles. People will encounter the benefits of wood every time they touch it.

The auto industry has recently developed systems to avoid collisions with other vehicles or obstacles, which will greatly improve the user experience. I think the field of architecture needs to incorporate the same kind of thinking. With all of today’s technological innovation and industrialization, it’s possible to produce large volumes of products that are uniform and free of defects. Nonetheless, we should consider how to design buildings that use natural materials in order to improve the experience of those who spend time there.

Another thing we have to keep in mind is that when we cut a tree, we’re putting an end to a life that’s lived in natural surroundings for a long time. It’s vital to keep this in mind and approach trees as living creatures. If we use trees well, they can live again in a new environment—that of the building. I’d like to continue developing interior design concepts that will convey to visitors the living quality of wood.

When I think about design, I always emphasize continuous creativity and a sense of play. I often work with professionals drawn from various fields, including architects, woodworkers, lighting designers, and photographers. Working with these people, one finds a treasure trove of new discoveries. When we’re brainstorming at a meeting, and people are saying things like, “It’d be nice if we could do this,” or “Let’s just give it a try,” we always try to take things seriously, but with a playful spirit, even if it means we can get a little sidetracked from the job at hand.

My hope is to continue working with this approach, without setting any specific goals. Then, when a formal job or an exhibition comes up, I can shift my current of activity, incorporating this energy into the new project.

An example of these efforts is the work “Five Tables” made by Field Four Design Office and Shimizu’s Tokyo Mokkoujou Arts & Crafts Furnishings, which received a merit award at Interior Pro Ex Co (IPEC) in November 2010. While working with Tokyo Mokkoujou on another project, we felt a connection to the craftspeople there in terms of our enthusiasm for discovering new things. A team consisting mainly of younger staff started talking about making something interesting from wood. Since this coincided with the run-up to IPEC, our work led to these tables, the design of which gradually took form through daily discussions.

Sharing the joy of building things through daily, open discussions was a valuable experience for each of the young staff members. We thought it’d be a shame to let such a meaningful experience end with a single project, so we’ve already taken on a new challenge based on the theme of wood and light.

I can’t wait to see what will come from this project.

These photos depict the rest of the Five Tables. Mr. Shimura had this to say about true collaboration: “Working out common rules and philosophies on what to build and exchanging opinions based on each other’s areas of expertise can produce results even better than those imagined. That’s fun no matter how many times you do it.” However, he says, an essential precondition is the establishment of mutual communication and trust. “We managed to achieve this while working with Tokyo Mokkoujou on various projects, including the work exhibited at IPEC,” he noted with a look of satisfaction.