Ahec unveils ‘Seed to Seat’ furniture collaborative

The American Hardwood Export Council (Ahec), a leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, has unveiled its ‘Seed to Seat’ furniture collaborative at ‘Design Days Dubai’, the Middle East and South Asia’s only annual fair dedicated to collectible modern and contemporary design works, which runs until March 17. Given an open brief and asked to design ‘something to sit on’, the designers have worked closely with AMBB Furniture Manufacturing and created seven unique pieces using American tulipwood, red oak and cherry. The project in the Middle East is the second phase of ‘Seed to Seat’, which was initially launched in Australia and New Zealand last year. The seven seats, which were designed and made by some of the most prominent and exciting designers based in the UAE, are on show in a creative display that highlights the sustainable credentials of the American hardwood resource, said a statement from Ahec. The designers involved with ‘Seed to Seat’ Dubai are Fadi Sarieddine (Fadi Sarieddine Design Studio), Anna Szonyi (Studio Anna Szonyi), Tarik Al Zaharna (T.ZED Architects), Bruce Paget (Heriot-Watt University - Dubai Campus), George Kahler (Kahler Design), Pallavi Dean (Pallavi Dean Interiors) and Hana Akram (Studio EM). Aiming to demonstrate that sustainability can have substance, Ahec is developing full environmental profiles for each of the finished pieces using its ground-breaking Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) research, it added. "Our collaboration with the seven designers and AMBB Furniture Manufacturing has resulted in a fascinating approach to working with timber, which has made a comeback over the past few years," remarked Roderick Wiles, Ahec director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania. "This unique exercise has not only thrown the spotlight on the beauty of American hardwoods but it has also helped the designers explore the creative potential of underutilized and yet readily-available hardwoods from America, he noted. “Seed to Seat was conceived as a way for Ahec to collaborate with high profile designers and to introduce them to US hardwood species that are less well-known in their markets. With the unveiling of these remarkable pieces at Design Days Dubai, the project reconfirms Dubai’s position as a center for design,