production: topo bench

October 5, 2011

One thing that comes from doing a lot of outdoor carpentry in NYC is a ipe scraps. Ipe is a south american hardwood which is exceptionally dense and stable, making it ideal for dealing with NYC’s harsh winters and hot summers. That is why many public projects, like the Coney Island boardwalk use it. Unfortunately, it is a horribly unsustainable wood to be using, as it is harvested from forests in South America. The one saving grace is I have been saving all of the scraps and cutoffs from these outdoor projects and now we have folded them into a new furniture piece, the ipe Topo Bench. Check out these process shots:

We are assembling the scraps into a topography that will serve as a seating area for two, which grows into some sculptural planters. Stay tuned for finish shots!