Transforming Furniture Production with Zero Waste Approach through WoodenWood

FDT Bureau

In an industry where waste is a significant challenge, the WoodenWood project is leading the charge towards a closed-loop, zero-waste approach to furniture production. By combining traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge digital fabrication techniques and circular design principles, this innovative initiative has developed a groundbreaking stool that represents a paradigm shift in sustainable manufacturing. Wood is a ubiquitous material in both construction and industry, yet its lifecycle is often far from circular, resulting in millions of tonnes of wood waste generated annually. Disrupt.Design Lab, a platform for design-led technological research focused on enhancing the sustainability of the built environment, has taken on the challenge of addressing this issue head-on with its 3D printable wood paste. Know more about it on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT).

Founded by the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology and led by architect and professor Shany Barath, Disrupt.Design Lab serves as a bridge between academia and industry, bringing together a diverse team of researchers dedicated to developing circular material solutions for the built environment. The WoodenWood project represents the lab’s latest material exploration, leveraging circular design principles to revolutionize wood product manufacturing. By combining modular woodworking techniques with robotic 3D printing of a natural wood paste derived from sawdust, the project has successfully prototyped circular wooden seating solutions.

The innovative printing process creates a wood-textile effect using sawdust as the raw material, which is often overlooked and discarded. The wood paste, made from Daika sawdust and cellulose-based natural binders, enables 100 per cent biodegradability, aligning with the project’s commitment to sustainability.

A parametric model and manufacturing workflow have been developed to optimize chair geometry, robotic toolpaths, and material properties for strength, visual appeal, and human comfort. The result is a customizable chair design that can be tailored to individual preferences while minimizing waste within a mass production framework.

Image credit: Disrupt.Design Lab