IIDEX reveals 2017 Woodshop design winners

By Canadian Interiors On Nov 16, 2017

For the 5th exciting year, IIDEX Woodshop judges have selected emerging and established Canadian designers who have created innovative prototypes and products from a unique material: urban trees that have been brought down by pests, weather and other natural causes.

Selected from entries across Canada by a panel of esteemed design and architecture experts, the winning designs re-purpose damaged urban wood destined for the waste stream, and create functional beauty from a valuable but under appreciated resource.

2017 IIDEX Woodshop Designer Winners: Di Tao and Bob Dodd – Objects and Ideas, Curtis Dwyer – OCAD University Student, Henry Lin – This or That Studio, Deagan McDonald + Kelsey Nilsen – ORIGINS, Wayne Muma – Muma Fine Woodworking, Isabel Ochoa & James Clarke-Hicks, Sarah Rose Woods – Sarah Rose Woods, Kurt Scanlan – Troop Studio, Adam Shepperdley – SHEPPiD, Donovan Jesse Tapunha & Graeme Anderson – Shift Studio, Brian Velocci – Bit Modern, Edward WooHyun Chung and Hamza Adenali – McEwen School of Architecture Students, Ryo Yonekawa – dcobco

Winners used ash, maple and elm provided by local reclaimed wood provider Sawmill Sid to produce their prototypes. Their creations will debut at the Buildings Show, November 29 & 30, 2017, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building, before IIDEX Woodshop travels to other conferences, expos and design shows in 2018.

Says Ian Chodikoff, Director of Marketing and Programming at IIDEX, “IIDEX Woodshop encourages the use of wood in design through non-traditional applications, and helps designers bring their products to market. We’re proud to champion Canadian talent, and broker meaningful conversations amongst manufacturers, distributors, designers, academia and practitioners, by bringing together these aspects of the design industry and helping to improve the power and potential of Canadian design from an innovation and business perspective.”

Rob McMonagle, Sector Development Officer for the Green Sector, City of Toronto added, “Economic Development and Culture launched the Urban Wood Industry Development Initiative to encourage homeowners and industries to salvage and re-use trees felled in the GTA. Using the skills of our design workforce, IIDEX Woodshop showcases how this valuable economic resource can be repurposed to create innovative, market-ready commercial and consumer prototypes.”

The 2017 IIDEX Woodshop jury included: John Baker and Juli Daoust, Owners of Mjölk; Pooya Baktash, Architect, Co-Founder of PARTISANS; Lars Dressler, Designer/Maker, Co-Founder, Brothers Dressler; Miles Keller, Industrial Designer, Dystil; David Podsiadlo, Partner, Lead Designer, Gus*; Peter Sobchak, Editor, Canadian Interiors; Paul Stevens, Senior Principal, Architect, ZAS Architects Inc.; Myrlene Sundberg, Owner, Urban Mode; Davide Tonizzo, Designer Artisan; Randa Tukan, Senior Vice President at HOK, and Yuill McGregor, Founder & President, North on Sixty.

IIDEX Workshop is supported by presenting sponsors Ontario Wood and the City of Toronto, graphic and exhibit design sponsor Entro, urban wood sponsor Sawmill Sid, signage & display sponsors PCL Graphics and Falconboard, industry partner Carpenters Union Local 27, and industry partners AWMAC and the CaGBC—Toronto Chapter.