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DESIGN 43
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To truly embrace sustainability, AHEC believes the Class of '24
industry must shift its paradigm towards a more holistic
understanding of materials.
This begins with integrating material choice into the initial

stages of the design process, prioritising responsibly sourced,
renewable natural materials and investing time and effort
in learning and understanding their unique characteristics
and potential.
Rather than treating natural materials as like-for-like
substitutes for man-made equivalents, design must recognise
and celebrate their inherent qualities and imperfections as
part of their charm and authenticity.
By adopting this mindset and approach, we can foster a “We take immense joy in collaborating with

more sustainable design ethos that respects and preserves creatives due to the unique opportunities it
the natural world while meeting the needs of contemporary offers us as an organisation representing
design aesthetics. both an industry and a precious natural
resource. Over the past two decades,
Milan Design Week we've cultivated fruitful collaborations with
For AHEC, Milan Design Week has always been a crucial architects and designers to showcase the
date on the calendar. The April event provides an unparalleled diverse possibilities of the sustainable

opportunity not only to showcase the design possibilities timbers we represent.”
of sustainable hardwoods, but also to provide a platform
for creative collaborations with extraordinary emerging and – David Venables, European Director, AHEC
established talents.
At this year’s Salone del Mobile, AHEC shone the
spotlight on maple—a valuable yet underused hardwood
with a delicate colour and a beautifully fine grain. “For us, it's about balancing traditional
Two UK studios participating in the Wallpaper* ‘Class joinery methods with pushing the capabilities
of ’24’ exhibition at the Triennale were commissioned to of digital machining. In these projects, we

create new work in maple: the artist and architect Giles are celebrating the use of American maple,
Tettey Nartey, and Parti, the interdisciplinary studio founded a beautiful creamy white, very hard, dense-
in 2015 by Eleanor Hill and Tom Leahy. grained timber, with an almost illustrative
Supported by AHEC and Jan Hendzel Studio, each used grain patterning. The challenge for us is in
maple as a material springboard to explore and experiment, mastering how far we can push it.”
creating two very different bodies of work from a common
starting point. – Jan Hendzel, founder, Jan Hendzel Studio