Reclaimed spruce and oak from the construction industry are paired together in this collection of minimalist furniture by Swiss design studio Gini Moynier.
Lighter spruce timber contrasts with darker, honey-coloured oak in the series, which comprises a chair, a side table and a wall-mounted shelf.
Despite their differing functions, the pieces are united by their geometric forms and rectilinear components.
A patchwork effect is achieved by strategically combining the two types of wood, with lighter spruce used for the upright elements and oak for the horizontal ones.
Gini Moynier salvaged all the wood used for the collection from local building sites.
To make the rough planks fit for reuse as furniture, each length was prepared using a range of mechanical processes including CNC machining.
The wood was also treated using traditional manual craft methods before being fixed together using traditional joinery techniques.
Due to their mono-materiality, the pieces can be recycled at the end of their lifespan, founders Amandine Gini and Victor Moynier told Dezeen.
“The Formwork collection is made from solid wood, which allows repairing by skilled craftsmen unlike industrial furniture, which often relies on technical and specific parts,” the duo said.
“This characteristic significantly prolongs the lifespan of the pieces, allowing them to endure for multiple generations like traditional vernacular wooden furniture.”
In a nod to the provenance of the salvage timber, the Formwork series takes visual cues from the wooden moulds used to cast concrete building elements.
This emphasis on planar surfaces displays the grain of both types of wood and results in a simple, pared-back composition.
“This collection was conceived as a research project, allowing us to explore and question critical aspects of furniture production without the constraints of mass industry,” the duo said.
“We believe that the luxury market plays a crucial role in promoting ethical practices such as responsible resource usage, localised production and the wellbeing of craftsmen.”
The Formwork collection was developed for the Nov Gallery – an art gallery in Geneva, Switzerland – and all pieces exist as limited editions.
Gini and Moynier, who founded their eponymous design studio in 2023, are currently in the process of creating more pieces to add to the series, including shelving units, tables and stools.
Formwork has been shortlisted in the furniture design category of the 2024 Dezeen Awards. The project is up against Sabine Marcelis’s Lokum tables and bark-clad stools by Sarina that celebrate traditional Mongolian craft, with the winner set to be announced tomorrow.
The photography is by Pier Carthew.
