No.1 Common by AHEC alters perceptions of lower-grade wood at 3daysofdesign 2025

In an era where sustainability and environmental sensitivity are increasingly the focal point for design practices, No.1 Common, an exhibition realised by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) at this year's 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, Denmark, puts forth a simple yet poignant enquiry: what if wood's beauty is not perfection, but character?

To be unveiled at the Material Matters fair within the design festival, the show, running from June 18 – 20, 2025, highlights a timber grade that is frequently overlooked in European furniture production—the No.1 Common—and recontextualises it as a prospective alternative for creative, sustainable design. AHEC invited Andu Masebo, Daniel Schofield and Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng to stage the natural variety of timber and 'use what nature provides'.

"We selected the designers for their contrasting approaches to design, materials and making," Rocío Perez-Inigo, director of communications at AHEC, tells STIR. "The aim was to challenge traditional notions of value and demonstrate how so-called 'imperfect' material can inspire new thinking," she adds.

No.1 Common timber contains the knots, colour variations and natural grain patterns that are usually abandoned for clearer, more uniform cuts. While the timber trade traditionally sought out unblemished boards for cabinetry and furniture, No.1 Common accounts for a greater portion of the tree, providing similar structural quality, but with greater individuality. In refusing to discard what is deemed aesthetically unfit, the design exhibition urges manufacturers and designers to celebrate the entire tree, as opposed to merely the upper 10 – 15 per cent that is considered for its high visual value.

For over 30 years, AHEC has worked to encourage the use of American hardwoods around the world, promoting their hardness, beauty and environmental merits. As forests in the United States now contain twice as much standing timber as they did a half century ago, the emphasis has moved toward more utilisation, especially of 'lower' species and grades. The exhibition, itself named No.1 Common, is the culmination of a series of AHEC projects that strive to rethink industry standards, bringing attention to the untapped potential of materials and promoting a circular, yield-maximising design philosophy.

"True sustainability in hardwood use means making better use of what the forest naturally grows. By embracing it (No.1 Common), designers and manufacturers can help rebalance demand, reduce waste and support more responsible sourcing," Perez-Inigo shares with STIR.

The physical exhibition, conceptualised by Kia Utzon-Frank of Danish multidisciplinary practice KUF Studios, brings these concepts to life. Made up of nothing but off-cuts created during the production of the showcased works, the exhibition space at the design event epitomises efficient design where nothing goes to waste.

Its appeal alludes to timber yards and workshops, with the visual minutiae of stacking methods, ratchet straps and crayon marks recalling the journey of wood from its raw form to a finished object. Easy to disassemble and reuse, the exhibition is not merely a showcase for sustainable thinking, but also a byproduct of it. The timber used in this exhibition will also be repurposed and given a second life in student projects.

Central to the show, the presentations by the three creatives push the expressive and functional capabilities of No.1 Common hardwoods into furniture and objects. For his creation Around Table, London-based designer Masebo urges guests to regard the dining table as more than a piece of furniture; rather as a social centre, an arena for connection and narrative. Made using No.1 Common red oak, the piece consists of eight modular sections that can be rearranged throughout the course of No.1 Common, creating a dynamic landscape that evolves with time. Semi-stackable stool designs in identical brown maple continue the table's design language, offering flexibility and visual coherence.

In Common Room, Copenhagen-based British designer Schofield adapts to shifting work and collaboration models. His furniture suite, made from No.1 Common cherry, is developing a vocabulary of triangular butterfly joints that embrace, not hide, the material flaws. The table design, benches, stools and freestanding screens provide modularity and haptic engagement with nature, referencing the biophilic potential of wood with character. Schofield's joinery method is also indicative of a pragmatic approach: in modifying tried-and-tested methods, he tries to keep production economical, reproducible and considerate of the raw material.

Øfstedal Eng from Norway proposes a more sculptural contemplation of contrast and materiality in her Kontur Series. Drawing inspiration from roots and branches, and honed by hands-on experimentation with the UK's pioneering furniture-makers Benchmark, her wall mirror and cabinet employ laminated yellow birch to its fullest potential. By stacking boards of varying hues and cutting across the grain, the furniture designer elicits strong natural patterns that bring her forms to life. Complemented by sleek, unadorned surfaces on complementary pieces, the product designs establish a dialogue between expression and restraint, delineating a poetic exploration of the potential within 'imperfect' wood.

Together, these wooden furniture pieces present a compelling argument for challenging the aesthetics of excellence in timber. By opting to work with No.1 Common, every participating designer unearths the material's creative potential and also assists in challenging a supply chain that values surface perfection over sustainability. AHEC's initiative emerges as a reminder that design innovation often starts with disrupting established assumptions and that embracing the inherent diversity of materials can result in more responsible, richer solutions.

In a design landscape that continues to struggle with its environmental responsibility, No.1 Common is both an exhibition and a provocation; an invitation to appreciate what already exists in plenty, to redesign standards and to perceive beauty in 'debris'. "With No.1 Common, we're expanding our mission,” as Perez-Inigo notes. "It is no longer just about which species we use, but also which grades we embrace. By shifting attitudes towards more characterful, lower-grade timber, we can help make better use of the full forest resource," she concludes.

AHEC's 'No.1 Common' is on view from June 18 – 20, 2025, during 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen, Denmark.