Timber

ReCoil

ReCoil is an elliptical centrepiece dining table. It is made entirely of reclaimed Hydrowood timber veneer offcuts. Six native Tasmanian tree species are featured. These include Huon pine, Tasmanian Oak, Celery Top Pine, Sassafras, Myrtle and Blackwood. The veneers are meticulously coiled by hand in outward spirals. These reference the trees’ annual growth rings. The finished table is 2.2m x 1.4m x 78cm H. It comprises 3km of veneer strips.

The effect is a spectrum of wood tones from honey to burnt umber. The honey-coloured wood is the rarest and most treasured of all Tasmanian timbers, Huon pine, and the burnt umber is Tasmanian Oak. The actual colour combinations and sequence of the veneers are randomised into a blueprint consisting of all the species and their many lengths of scraps. The resulting combinations of the veneers mesmerise, demanding attention. The woods release their unique oils, particularly the scented Huon pine.

The tabletop has been CNC trimmed smooth with a flush cut. The surface is polished and finished with resin. The table stem is made of larger pieces of veneer. The impact of ReCoil comes from its refined, innovative process, and positive message.

Hydrowood reclaims trees that were lost underwater when a forest in the Pieman River valley, on Tasmania’s rugged west coast, were submerged for a hydroelectricity scheme in the 1980s. The veneers offcuts were sent to Reliance Veneers in Stamford Hill, London, where they were cut. A randomised algorithm set the patterns for the deisgner to execute. The veneers are hand-coiled, a process that took over 60 hours, over many days.

ReCoil has been made at Brodie Neill studio in North-East London.

RETHINKING MATERIALS, CRAFT, DESIGN
ReCoil rethinks design from the inside out, starting from the material, it’s a gradual evolution. ReCoil presents an opportunity to explore super sustainable pieces, made with an innovative approach to waste streams and materiality. This creates a full circle, a closed loop, a feature that is distinct throughout all of Neill’s work. This combines with the sparing use of materials and resources, a thread that runs throughout Tasmanian design.

FACTS AND FIGURES:
The total length of veneers: 3km
Species of trees: 7
The weight of ReCoil is c. 60kgs
Hours to make: 60hrs of coiling alone, and endless preparations!

MORE ON THE TREES:
Six native Tasmanian tree species are featured. These include Huon pine, Tasmanian Oak, Celery Top Pine, Sassafras, Myrtle and Blackwood. The tree ages range from 100-200 years old Oak through to 2000-year-old Huon Pine.
While the trees are underwater, they are slowly breaking down releasing the greenhouse gas, methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is 20-30x worse than CO2. By removing the trees, stabilising, and using the timber in the built environment, Hydro wood is halting this release.

Text submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank. For information about reproducing (a part of) this text, please contact the maker.