Yuma Kano Transforms Forrest Debris into a Sustainable New Material.

Tokyo-based designer Yuma Kano has developed ForestBank, a unique and innovative material that looks to find new value in our forests. Yuma repurposes twigs, leaves, and branches, bound by a water-based acrylic resin, transforming them into a new timber-terrazzo. Rather than just creating lumber, the designer researches the problems and possibilities around forests to develop a useful material from items considered worthless.

ForestBank’s patterns vary depending on the angle and depth of the cut, creating a variety as fascinating as wood grain, whose difference is multiplied again depending on the season, land and other conditions of the forest at the time of harvest. The yellows and greens found in the timber-terrazzo are the actual colourings of the trees, which are dyed by bacteria found in nature. The green leaves change to orange and brown as the seasons change and earth from the forest floor can be mixed in, adding browns and blacks.

Timber 'Terrazzo' Made from Recycled Materials by Foresso.

Just like the 15th-century origins of its stone cousin, Foresso timber terrazzo celebrates the beauty and variation of natural materials while making use of waste.

“By looking at the ubiquitous nature of wood from a different angle and finding new value, a new material that condenses the whole forest has been found. This material can be shaped with ordinary woodworking methods, and applied in various fields like furniture and interiors,” Yuma explains. “Plus, forests don’t have to be its sole source. It can be made from waste pruned from trees lining streets, in parks, gardens, and from scrap wood from woodworking studios to create original patterns that tell a unique story,” he concludes.

Yuma partnered with Netherlands-based Sho Ota to present ‘Touch Wood’, a mind-blowing exhibition at Alcova during Milan Design Week 2023. Alongside Yuma’s timber-terrazzo works, Sho Ota showcased ‘Surfaced’, furniture pieces crafted from discarded wood provided by Dutch factories and workshops. This collaborative venture beautifully encapsulated the designers’ shared “collecting and cutting wood” method, steering clear from mass production norms.

To see more projects pushing the boundaries of material research and design, dive into our free publication MILANTRACE Digital 2023. Part Multimedia Magazine, part Video Documentary, this highly curated design resource and immersive experience offers a 360-degree look at the lasting impact of Milan Design Week and Salone Del Mobile.

EXPLORE MILANTRACE DIGITAL 2023

MILANTRACE 2023 — Material Research

Material Research section in MILANTRACE Digital 2023 explores inventive projects destined to push design forward.

Brodie Neill's Positive Design for Reimagined Timber.

Crafted with Hydrowood timber harvested underwater from Tasmania’s lakes, ReCoil expresses a connection to place, time, and identity...

[Images courtesy of Yuma Kano.]