Sandy Buchanan, Lath Cabinet (WORLD 2021)

Country

UK

Made solely using sustainable timber from within 50-miles of my workshop, the Lath Cabinet celebrates the creative association of old and new materials, techniques and design. The design is a contemporary take on a Ming-style Chinese cabinet from my childhood growing up in Hong Kong. As a nod to the traditional Chinese use of exotic timbers, the frame, drawer fronts and top use English Elm, an Eastbourne street tree taken out due to Dutch Elm disease. This home-grown exotic is an increasingly rare sight and it is a privilege to be able to give it a new life. With a complimentary grain offering a lightening contrast, the internals are in English Ash, another rescued fallen tree and another native species under threat. The exterior panels are inspired by traditional Chinese riven latticework, using coppiced hand-riven Sweet Chestnut from a managed woodland in Kent. This ancient management method is a rare example of where human intervention has boosted biodiversity and woodland health. Individual laths traditionally riven for use in lath and plaster walls are now only used in restoration. This use supports the traditional craft and sustainable woodland management while challenging visual preferences with organic texture celebrating timber’s natural imperfections and contrasting against the fine finish of the Elm. Personally I love the layered eroded rock strata effect of the laths, a reminder of my previous career as a geologist in the oil and gas industry, which I left to pursue sustainable, meaningful work.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.