Jan Hendzel Studio was invited by Red Deer architects to head up the design and making of a suite of furniture as part of Birch hotel’s launch.
It was clear from the start that this was no ordinary commission. Red deer were keen to challenge the idea that uniformity was essential for large batch runs of furniture.
They also wanted to have fun. We feel they came to the right people!
The hotel renovation had an inspiring lightness of touch. No major overhaul. Only interventions where it counted.
Colour, texture and detail took central stage.
The valet stand is a wonderful demonstration of this – a playful concoction of all three.
We led the design and fabrication of 120 stands and managed a team of talented makers to provide each with a handmade element.
Sustainable material designer Charlotte Kidger sediment-cast recycled plastics to form the central orbs.
Ceramicist Emma Louise Payne created the glazed and textured vases.
Metalsmith Lucie Naujalis produced the hand-beaten patinated copper bowls.
Their pieces – in combination with our use of flamboyantly grained ash, spalted sycamore, and CNC carved raw agglomerated black cork – gave each stand a rich diversity of materials.
Where possible we expressed the natural variants in the wood, celebrating character over uniformity.
The technical challenge for us lay in bringing the multiple elements together in a single form that was simultaneously light, robust and yet able to be easily taken apart.
We arrived at a system of octagonal uprights, jointed with through tenons into a ‘wing’ that snuggly slotted into a central base, held fast by dowels and hidden bolts.
The uprights are designed to be interchangeable – a modular system that means parts can be replaced, and the valets can be updated over time.
A constantly evolving piece of furniture.
We were careful to select the timber that best suited the sustainable aspirations of the Birch project.
The ash and sycamore are part of the GIB (Grown in Britain) scheme and originated from the continuous cover forests from National Trust estates around Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
“Working with Jan and his team has been an incredible collaborative process bringing to life this bespoke Valet Stand for Birch. Their attention to details and meticulous craftsmanship techniques helped us improve the design.. while keeping the minimal and enigmatic aesthetic of the unit we wanted to create. Amazing work, thank you!”
Pauline Dellemotte, Architect, Red Deer
Where’s the hotel?
Have a look at what3words.com. Birch is using the location:
handle.silk.comet
In case you were wondering, Jan Hendzel Studio is
hungry.atomic.horses.
We’re happy with that.