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Product design by Makoto Yamaguchi

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Japanese architect Makoto Yamaguchi has recently been extending his practice to include sensitive and exquisitely crafted products.

His “Wooden Frame” is a picture frame cut from a single piece of wood.  By forgoing typical frame construction and leaving the annular rings and bark intact, he creates a much more intimate connection with the natural material.  Though it may look simple, there are some tricky design and manufacturing issues that arise from the grain direction.   The horizontal and vertical beams are different in strength so the design carefully accounts for the thickness, shape and type of wood in order to create a sturdy structure.

“Drawer” was made for the “DEROLL Commissions Series 1: box” exhibition in which five Japanese architects were invited to make creations around the theme: “box”.  Yamaguchi’s contribution is a stack of crisp wooden boxes that evoke surprise through their cleverly concealed drawers.

With forms both seductive and familiar, “2.8cm” is a range of cutlery inspired by the shape a ribbon takes when held between two fingers.

Written by Chris Kirby