By
Mattiazzi
Industrial Facility
Designed in
Italy (and UK)
Description
Branca is both functional and sculptural. Like a tree that forms a branch through growth rather than construction, Branca is unique: the back legs are made of one single piece of wood bent and carved with seamless joints. Sam Hecht and Mattiazzi have produced a chair that has armrests but can stack, is lightweight but very strong and is comfortable to the eye and body. Mattiazzi have perfected the art of allowing wood to take the complex shapes more commonly associated with injection-moulded plastic and is crafted without a single screw. Widely acclaimed and awarded since its introduction in 2011.
Key Features
and/or Benefits
One of the striking features of Branca is there is just so little there. It is really made up of a series of graceful lines that come together, meet and branch off. As Sam Hecht's first chair design, Branca is unique because it has armrests yet can also stack, can fit under a table, is lightweight yet strong and is comfortable to the body and the eye. It was designed to be fluid taking advantage of Mattiazzi's skill in working with wood and the legs support the back yet it is made of one continuous piece of wood.
It seems impossible to produce a chair without a single screw, yet Sam Hecht and Mattiazzi have done just that. Branca's back and legs are carved from a single piece of wood and joints are seamless. Mattiazzi have perfected the art of woodworking, using sophisticated tools, they bring a handcrafted feel to Branca which belies the complexity of its design. This was only possible by allowing time for the idea and design to be perfected and working together to refine every detail and dimension until it was possible to produce a light, slender chair without a single screw.
Mattiazzi, a contemporary furniture manufacturer in Italy was founded by brothers Nevio and Fabiano Mattiazzi in 1978. While many producers in that region rely on third party factories and work in diverse materials, Mattiazzi operates with their own machines and hands, and has developed a healthy obsession for woodworking. By using sophisticated CNC tools, Mattiazzi has perfected the art of allowing wood to take the complex shapes associated with injection-moulded plastic. Operating such a machine is an art and Mattiazzi disproves the modern myth that mechanised manufacturing is not a craft.
Branca is made from wood sourced locally to Mattiazzi's factory. The wood is never chemically treated and it is manufactured in a factory powered and heated entirely by solar power and waste products from the wood. This clean energy saves 200,000 kg of Carbon Dioxide per year and 73 tonnes of oil. The finish is water based and the factory is ISO 14001 accredited and monitored monthly to ensure emissions and waste are continually reducing. Branca has already been globally awarded and acclaimed making it a piece to be cherised for years to come and handed down through generations.
Branca's simplicity belies the complexity in its design. To produce a chair without a single screw, with seamless joints and with the back legs made from one continuous piece of wood took time, dedication, skill and a process of refinement. Branca us the perfect balance between beauty and comfort. The slender, light and comfortable chair exceeds global standards for durability and has been awarded and acclaimed across the globe since its introduction in 2011.