Steven Banken

CumLaude

Department: Man and Leisure
Website: www.stevenbanken.nl

I-Joist

Wood is a material with a visual memory. It tells a story in the shape of a tree, a beam, or a piece of furniture. With his I-Joist Steven Banken is extending the story of the wood. This beam with its I-joist combines a refined beauty with great supportive power. The numbered oak elements start out as part of a sideboard designed by Banken. The solid beams serve as drawers rolling lengthwise across a set of brass wheels. If the sideboard falls out of fashion, the manufacturer will buy back the wood and give it a new lease of life as a piece of high-quality construction material. The traceable serial number will tell the user the road this piece of oak has travelled, thereby bringing the support beam out of its anonymity.