David Colwell Case Study

"On the principle that an interesting answer is most likely to come from an interesting question, I designed this furniture with sustainability high on the agenda. Really good design is about visualizing a better tomorrow."
David Colwell

David Colwell is one of the UK’s most respected furniture designers, with many international awards to his credit and designs displayed in collections throughout the world. He passionately embraces sustainable design thinking and practice. His designs explore the use of fast-grown ash and a technique called steam bending. This technique offers production efficiency, strength and low energy use, and it provides a much-needed market for forest products that have been considered ‘margina’. Ash is strongest when fast-grown, and it is renowned for its ability to absorb carbon. It is a relatively inexpensive, self-seeding, natural material, which has no sap wood, so there is less waste. Ash is also particularly well suited to the climate and soil conditions of the UK.

For David Colwell, improving the environmental performance of his products includes a broad spectrum of design decisions such as the choice of material; employing appropriate manufacturing processes (processes that have the minimum adverse environmental impact; consideration of the energy used); designing products for life (balancing criteria such as function, comfort, durability, style and aesthetics); supporting local economies and providing quality skilled employment; and making things that are a delight to own ‘because they satisfy you practically and visually, and don’t let you down’. David Colwell emphasises the need to calculate the costs of a product over its whole life cycle.

The furniture market is highly competitive, with cheap imports and large multinationals making it increasingly difficult for small indigenous businesses to survive. David Colwell feels that if UK industry implemented ecodesign thinking and practice, this could provide a key differentiator in the marketplace. Unless the wider market embraces sustainability, supports local economies and enables critical skill development, then it is unlikely that sustainable responsible design (SRD) can become a reality. To encourage this change, David Colwell believes that governments need to provide support for local SRD initiatives, thereby enabling local economies to thrive and SRD to gain prominence.

David Colwell has developed products that are sustainable and responsible with increased performance, functionality and quality. He believes that ecodesign offers an opportunity for developing new products and technologies that could revive the manufacturing sector.