Adam Cornish Design

1st Place For The Herman Millar Asia Pacific – Yves Béhar Design Competition

This is the winning design for the Herman Millar Asia Pacific – Yves Béhar Design Competition; “Wooden Hammock” by Adam Cornish.  The hammock is crafted from a single piece of plantation grown plywood; plantation grown wood is an alternative to logging native forests and holds green leanings. The piece is designed with ergonomics in mind, specifically the human spine, the idea is that the hammock embraces the user flexing to fit them exactly.

The simple elegant design follows some of the aesthetics of its bases, in that it resembles the backbone, though to me it also seems to have similarities to a segmented exoskeleton of a beetle or a shell.  The strange and enigmatic form of the piece allows it to hold a contemporary aesthetic with consent to its peaceful and comfortable functionality.  Given Cornish’s steering from the use of a conventional fabric, as seen in so many hammocks, "Wooden Hammock" is new, exciting and a contemporary piece of furniture, to me it doesn’t seem such a strange idea that this functional and beautiful design could be found inside as well as out.

After completing his mentoring session with established industrial designer Yves Béhar, the prize for first place at Herman Millar Asia Pacific – Yves Béhar Design Competition, Adam Cornish will be taking part in the 2011 Milan Furniture Fair.