“Wood has been used since ancient times for the construction of houses, furniture, tools and other objects and is the material which man values the most. It is a familiar-feeling material that has always fascinated us.”
“When designing pieces for the outdoors, and to be in nature, you have to try to design respectfully to create objects that coexist with their setting. LADEMADERA is an example of this design philosophy.”
Francesco Meda & David Quincoces
LADEMADERA is a collection designed by Francesco Meda and David Quincoces for GANDIABLASCO that applies the beauty of teak wood to outdoor furniture. The collection was born out of the desire to introduce a collection made completely out of wood into the GANDIABLASCO universe, whose aesthetic appeal and feel matched with that of the brand, whose primary material has always been aluminium.
LADEMADERA’s base is natural teak wood and black powder-coated aluminium: two 100% recyclable materials that are highly durable and resistant. In fact, the teak used is entirely untreated, something which would be unnecessary due to its many beneficial properties and its lack of ageing.
Sustainable wood, certified and treated with craftsmanship and expert care
The teak wood used in the production of LADEMADERA has the Otazen seal of approval and comes from the company’s production centers in Java (Indonesia). Otazen is a benchmark in the sector whose manufacturing process is based on European quality standards, integrating and respecting the craftsmanship of the areas where it operates. The raw material used to make LADEMADERA is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and V-Legal (Indonesian Legal Wood) certified, which demonstrates its commitment to the environment. In addition, in order to ensure a sustainable life cycle for the wood, Otazen selects teak from controlled plantations that follow strict reforestation procedures.
“We always wanted to make a collection that could be placed in different environments, but which would respect these different settings. When designing pieces for the outside world, and to be in nature, you have to try to design respectfully to create objects that coexist with their setting. LADEMADERA is an example of this design philosophy, in that it does not attempt to overpower an existing aesthetic (a garden, a patio, a style of architecture, etc.) but instead it blends in, and allows the client to experience a sense of calm, relaxedness and familiarity,” explain Francesco and David. According to the designers, the simplicity of the collection means that the aesthetic coherence created by technical and structural details enhance the products’ quality and value.
Many of the phases of the manufacturing process of LADEMADERA are manual. This begins with the selection of the most suitable pieces of wood according to the required measurements. Once selected, they are industrially cut into strips of the required size and dried in an oven to adjust the internal humidity before machining. Subsequently, the pieces are laminated to obtain the final semi-components. From this point on, the assembly process is carried out by hand to obtain the desired final piece. The next phase is also done by hand, and consists of sanding the wood in three stages to achieve a perfect finish.
Personalised environments with exquisite finishes
The collection is made up of 5 items: 3 sofas (one-, two- and three-seaters) and two coffee tables in different heights so that they can be overlapped. They all exemplify a design philosophy that respects the environment that they are placed in; they blend in seamlessly.
Both the seats and the backrests of the sofas are made of Gravidry® filtering polyurethane foam rubber with a layer of padding on the surface. The different upholstered elements have removable covers, and thanks to the foam’s draining capacity, it dries rapidly without the need to remove the covers. They are also made with technical outdoor fabrics from brands such as Kvadrat, Sunbrella and Dedar Milano, as well as fabrics made from 100% recycled and recyclable PET from the brand Reviva. The backrests also have an internal aluminium structure that provides strength and firmness.
The coffee tables which come in different heights also feature the conscious design of LADEMADERA, as they are made of as little material as possible in order to avoid waste. At the same time, the use of simple shapes enhances the natural beauty of the materials used.
