Four designers uncover wood’s natural beauty at 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen
Project runs from June 18–20, 2025
By Michael Snow,
Executive Director
American Hardwood
Export Council
Sterling, VA
703-435-2900
www.ahec.org
This June, AHEC’s new exhibition, No.1 Common, lands in Copenhagen to make the case for often-overlooked hardwood qualities in design. Four visionary designers will be unveiling unique works at the festival’s Material Matters fair on June 18–20, 2025, each championing a sustainable approach to material selection: ‘use what nature provides.’
Hardwood producers across the world label their lumber based on a number of factors, often subjective visual assessments that vary from one mill to another. In the U.S., we benefit from a calculated standard of grade determined by a percentage of clear wood – setting a clear expectation for American hardwood lumber sold by NHLA grade. Although Number 1 Common – aka No.1C – hardwood has a lower percentage of clear wood across an entire board, the clear wood is generally the exact same high quality as upper grades, just in smaller cuttings.
Communicating this difference is key to international markets – who often tend to specify “FAS” even if lower grade lumber is perfectly suitable for the project. Although 1 Common was originally created as the ‘cabinet grade,’ specifically selected to be used in cabinetry, flooring or furniture parts, it is still not commonly used in Europe, in favor of ‘cleaner’ grades of timber.
Launching at 3daysofdesign, AHEC’s No.1 Common project is an argument for broadening the grade’s usage categories, presenting visually and texturally unique designs to showcase the potential of No.1C hardwoods as aesthetically rich, high-performance design materials.
The No.1 Common exhibition showcases four designers’ response to wood’s natural beauty. From left: Daniel Schofield, Kia Utzon-Frank, Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng and Andu Masebo. All photography by Dan Medhurst, courtesy of AHEC.
American hardwood forests contain more than twice the volume of standing timber today as 50 years ago. To maximize the potential of this natural resource, we need to rethink how we use timber – learning to appreciate and utilize not just the most ‘pristine’ cuts, which make up only up to 10 percent of the tree, but as much of the tree as possible.
The initial inspiration for the project came when AHEC (American Hardwood Export Council), commissioned the English furniture maker Benchmark to explore the potential of No.1C timber. Benchmark conducted hands-on research as the first stage of the project, assessing the technical, aesthetic and practical possibilities of using this grade of timber in furniture. The goal was not only to push technical boundaries but also to explore the benefits of using No.1C in terms of labor efficiency and yield.
Following this initial phase, the four designers worked on developing pieces that highlight the beauty and potential of these sustainable timbers. Their focus is on showcasing both the aesthetic appeal and practical benefits of the material, creating designs that reflect the qualities of No. 1 Common while contributing to a more sustainable future.
The resulting exhibition, debuting at Material Matters, will question what quality means when it comes to natural materials and highlight how sustainable and thoughtful material selection can shape the future of our forests and our world. The exhibition aims to demonstrate the shared power and responsibility that designers, industry leaders, and consumers have in prioritizing environmentally conscious decisions, rather than simply following trends that don’t always respect the rhythms and needs of nature.
