Studio Hemal Patel's Terrace Coffee Table: A Paradigm Shift in Furniture Design

Winner of the Silver A' Design Award, Terrace Coffee Table is Functional Art Inspired by Terrace Farming

The Terrace Coffee Table draws its inspiration from the terrace farming practices employed in the Far East and South America. In a similar manner to how hillsides are terraformed to produce flat, cultivatable land, the terraces meandering across the table surface are carved out of the wood to form two large, flat plains. These plains provide practical areas for work or storage, breaking away from the traditional linear aesthetic of standard furniture and introducing height and depth in the form of platforms.

Studio Hemal Patel's design is a functional piece of art, offering a user experience that is novel and unconventional, yet familiar. The table’s sculptural form introduces a new design language and topology that is eye-catching and original. The use of terracing creates layers and platforms of differing heights, breaking away from the flat, linear form-factor of standard furniture.

The Terrace Coffee Table is made from planks of wood joined together to form a single block. This block is then placed in a CNC router, and the terraces and edge perimeter are carved from the wood. The leg brackets and braces are cut on the router, and the legs are turned on a lathe. All parts are then finished and assembled. The table is available in Sapele, American Maple, European Oak, or American Black Walnut, with all woods, except Sapele, being FSC certified.

The table was designed in London and is manufactured in Yorkshire, UK. The design process involved studying terrace farming practices around the world, and the use of contours in architectural scale models. Several prototype iterations were conducted to understand the strength and warping issues of the material, and to identify process constraints and possible efficiency gains.

The greatest challenge during the project was balancing the aesthetics of the terraces with the resulting warping issues. The shape and size of the terracing had to be adjusted, and the minimum and maximum table thicknesses that would offer a manageable amount of warping had to be tested. Despite these challenges, the Terrace Coffee Table stands as a testament to Studio Hemal Patel's commitment to innovative design and craftsmanship.

In conclusion, the Terrace Coffee Table by Studio Hemal Patel is a remarkable piece of design that has been recognized with the Silver A' Design Award. Its unique design, inspired by terrace farming, offers a new perspective on furniture design, making it not just a functional piece of furniture, but a work of art.