Future Heirlooms is a project initiated by the American Hardwood Export Council in partnership with The Circle and Yonga Mobilya, drawing attention to the potential value of design, materials and workmanship, deployed during the production of furnitures, which may become family heirlooms, passed down from down through generations.
The project is designed to increase the recognition of Turkey's next generation of emergent designers and demonstrate how good design with quality hardwoods can leave a light environmental footprint, with timeless designs producing ‘heirlooms’ that last in contrast to the current throwaway culture of disposable furniture.
Interviews
Video Production: Umut Egitimci
Umut Productions DOP
Editor: Cihan Kahraman
Talk 1
On 16 September 2023, as a side event of the Future Heirlooms exhibition, we talk to the designers about the project process and the realisation of their designs.
Designers taking part in the interview:
Ayça Yılmaz
Deniz Koldaş + Nazlı Mutlu
Gürcan Bulut
Moderatör: Feyza Baltacı
Talk 2
On 30 September 2023, as a side event of the Future Heirlooms exhibition, we talk to the designers about the project process and the realisation of their designs.
Designers taking part in the interview:
Aslı Eylem Kolbaş
Öykü Üner
Bodin Hon + Dilara Kan
Moderator: Neil Summers (Technical Consultant, AHEC)
Within the Future Heirlooms Program, seven design practices who have contributed to the design culture of Turkey were selected through an open call to design timeless furnitures and objects in American hardwood with the themes of sustainability, longevity and quality, that could be handed down through generations as ‘heirlooms’.
The designers developed their initial design proposals together with the Jury members and in guidance of the manufacturing partner. After a meticulous production process, a unique selection of furniture, objects and sculptures of different functions and scales were realized using three different wood species: American red oak, American maple and American cherry.
Selected Designers
Aslı Eylem Kolbaş
Ayça Yılmaz
Deniz Koldaş & Nazlı Mutlu
Deniz Yenidoğan
Gürcan Bulut
Öykü Üner
Studio Yellowdot
Bodin Hon + Dilara Kan
Jury
-
Defne Koz
Product Designer, Founding Partner, KOZ SUSANI DESIGN
-
Mehmet Ali Uysal
Artist
-
Melkan Gürsel
AIA (Int'l. Assoc.) Founding Partner, Tabanlıoğlu Architects
-
Seyhan Özdemir
Architect, Founding Partner, AUTOBAN
-
Tom Dixon
Designer, Founder, TOM DIXON
Exhibition
The works of the selected designers of 'Future Heirlooms', produced within the scope of the program, met with the audience at The Circle Space between 8 September - 15 October 2023!
Photos from the Exhibition Opening
Calendar
Open Call Application Process: 7th June – 31st July 2022
Selection Process: 8th August – 21st September 2022
Announcement of shortlist of 7: 23rd September 2022
Briefing and Design Development Process: 26th September – 7th November 2022
Production Preparation Process: 7th November – 28th November 2022
Manufacturing Process: December 2022 - August 2023
Exhibition: 8 September - 15 October 2023
Design Brief
The selected designers are expected to design furniture made from American hardwoods, taking into account all of the themes of sustainability, longevity and quality.
Recollect, Tan Wei Xiang, Photo Credit: Winston Chuang
Slow Design For Fast Change, Endless Garden, Haus Otto
How can our production help support these themes in a world of accelerating consumption?
How can we develop a sensitive and holistic design consciousness to reduce irresponsible consumption and waste caused by overproduction and complex supply chains?
Production
Seven designers selected after the Future Heirloom | Open Call process, completed their design ideas submitted in the application between September 26 - November 7 with production consultancy.
Between November 7, 2022 - November 28, 2022, 'production preparation' was made with Yonga Furniture.
The works produced between December 2022 - August 2023.
Project Team
Project Coordinator
Feyza Baltacı
Coordination Assistants
İlayda Köroğlu
Merve Şanlı
Visual Communication Designer Ali Rıza Bayrak
Burcu Salıcı
Reporter
Merve Şanlı
Press Relations Manager
Merve Şanlı
Social Media Manager
İlayda Köroğlu
Exhibition Designer
Sanja Jurca Avcı
with Merve Şanlı & Tomaž Budkovic
Project Advisors
Roderick Wiles
Selçuk Avcı
Umut Eğitimci
Exhibition Production
Yücel İçin
3T Reklam
Administration
Tuğçe Karaduman
Partners
Project Initiator
Project Partner
Manufacturing Partner
