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Andrew Trotman - Jerwood Sculpture Park Seating Wins Wood Award

17 October 2007

Andrew Trotman
Six Seats for the Jerwood Sculpture Trail
Installed Summer 2007

Andy Trotman was named today as the winner in the Furniture category of the 2007 Wood Awards for the six seats he designed and made for the Jerwood Sculpture Trail at Ragley which were installed this summer. Constructed mainly from green oak felled on the estate and cut at Ragley's saw mill, the seats are imaginative resting places and are there for visitors to enjoy the park and sculpture.

The collection of seats was described by the judges as 'An outstanding set of truly site-specific furniture which works well with its environment'. Hugh Pearman, Editer of RIBA Journal and Architecture critic for The Sunday Times, presented the awards at a ceremony hosted by the Carpenters' Company at Carpenters' Hall in the City of London.

RIBA Journal Wood Awards 2007 Supplement:

Andrew Trotman was asked to create a collection of outdoor seating to be sited permanently at Jerwood Sculpture, providing points of rest along a two-mile trail. He came up with six site-specific designs using fresh sawn oak and, in one instance, coppiced roundwood sweet chestnut, both chosen for their natural durability, material properties and aesthetic appeal.

The designs wer inspired by organic and structural forms, and explore the relationship between mass, balance and strength. According to Trotman, the seating is only partly about sitting down - the pieces should be active, throught-provoking, tactile and often playful. That said, each chair incorporates a variety of possible seating positions, allowing visitors to interact with each other and the landscape in different ways.

The oak furniture was handmade using methods derived from traditional carpentry and green woodworking techniques. Curved forms were created by steaming, spring and 'pre-stressing' slender boards, while components were asembed using joints secured with draw-pegs and wedges, which were carefully designed to provide the necessary restraint and durability while accommodating the possibility of shrinkage during the changing seasons.

The sweet chestnut came from managed Sussex coppices. The chestnut design picks up on the dominant parallels of the surrounding ash plantation. The idea is that the bark will shed over time to mirror the natural regeneration of the woodland.

For more information about Andrew Trotman visit http://www.timberwright.co.uk/
For more information about the Wood Awards visit www.woodawards.com