Digital production methods in furniture and architecture are a hot topic. The Economist featured a substantial article on 3-D printing this past month, as did the Huffington Post. Machines allow furniture to be made more precisely, faster, and in some cases cheaper than handcrafted furniture, bringing a new language of design to our world. Laser cut wood or plywood pieces have been around for a while, but recently they are taking advantage of the process instead of fighting it. Unto This Last is striving for less dependence on heavy industrial processes and more innovative tools, ie their digital router. Furniture pieces are made to order, keeping stock low, and costs down. Their D Stools are show off the cut wafers of material and the edges that are indicative of the process.

Simply Birch. Designed by Evan Brooks and Simon Goetz.

Simply Birch

is making furniture that accentuates a different quality of digital production. Evan Brooks and Simon Goetz are the designers of the coffee table and chair which are built with digital fabrication methods, using eco-friendly birch plywood. The lines follow an angular c-curve, making the edges of each piece the focal point. The finished piece has a pattern that is not attainable with standard furniture manufacturing, with a wood grain that looks more like bamboo than birch.

“Using digital fabrication methods and eco-friendly birch plywood, we developed a cohesive furniture set that is elegant, light-weight, and functional.”