Lucas Hosteing – Kouéno

During my cabinetmaking studies in 2016, I discovered slabwood, which is the name given to the edge pieces milled from a saw log. Slabwood is flat on one side and convex on the other. Because of its asymmetrical and irregular shape, it is discarded by woodworkers. The abundant offcuts from sawmills are sold at a low price (CHF 1 per linear metre of wood). Seven years after my cabinetmaking studies, I started to think about this unexploited material. Going against the tradition of working with pristine wood, my research resulted in a collection of benches. The planks are mitre-cut to create different volumes. Geometric extrusions of inverted trees are transformed into seats. In this way, slabwood is integrated into our interiors in its rawest form.

Diploma project (2023) by Lucas Hosteing