Thoughtful Simplicity

Collaboration between designers and makers is a common part of creative life, but a recent partnership forged between Japanese furniture workshop Ishinomaki Laboratory and Hong Kong-based Studio Adjective extends this alliance of imaginative forces beyond practical considerations — material, form, function — to help a seaside community recover from one of the worst natural disasters in Japan’s history.

Ishinomaki Laboratory, an independent, community-based furniture workshop, was created after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami devastated large swathes of north-eastern Japan, including the town of Ishinomaki, in March 2011. In the aftermath, Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa saw the opportunity to help residents affected by the disaster repair or make their own furniture following a simple DIY process using Japanese cedar. The workshop has since evolved into a collection of easy-to-make furniture pieces conceived by distinguished Japanese and NONJAPANESE creatives including Torafu Architects, Koichi Futatsumata and Michael Marriott.

Studio Adjective founders Wilson Lee and Emily Ho first came across the project when they saw Ishinomaki Laboratory furniture on sale at one of their own interior retail projects, lifestyle concept store Galleon, in Hong Kong. ‘We were touched by the story behind Ishinomaki Laboratory, and really wanted to pay respect to the brand’s story and original concept,’ says Ho. Their contribution to the collection, a minimalist three-legged stool, is designed for communal seating. ‘A stool is not a chair. It must be easy to carry so that people can take it somewhere to sit and enjoy ramen or a beer with friends,’ Ho explains.

Before making the prototype, the couple carefully studied the wood and design details to avoid waste. ‘This is important for all our projects’, says Lee. ‘We pay attention to materials and the story behind a design. It’s not just about aesthetics.’

Composed of just six pieces — three legs, two seat plates and a low back — the stool is easy to assemble. The front leg, slightly slanted at seven degrees to provide stability with a wider base, is made of cedar and combines Japanese joinery and aesthetics. The piece, called Tripodal Stool, was launched in Hong Kong in August 2018 at Galleon.

Lee and Ho are known for their simple design solutions with a creative flourish. ‘It looks very simple, but so much thought and planning went into making it. We aimed for a design that has human warmth and evokes a timeless simplicity. The stool can also be used as a bedside table with the gap on the seat leaving space for a mobile phone charger or table lamp.’

The couple says that the experience of working with Ishinomaki Laboratory has been transformative for them as designers, and has made them think differently about what design can do for a community.