An industrial style boardroom table designed for one of the branches of CLAC, The Christian Labour Association of Canada. It’s a combination of several solid wood planks assembled to form a 5 feet wide x 9 feet long x 2 inch thick top. Steel frame underneath the top partially covers its edges, and it’s supported on an I-Beam structure bolted to four cylindrical concrete footings.
This is a second boardroom table I designed for CLAC. Once the first one was fabricated and installed in their National Headquarters, the board of directors from another branch decided to upgrade their boardroom as well.
Just like the first one, this table had to include wood, metal, and concrete in its form, and also, as they described: “…the end product should resonate with CLAC’s working members -
people that work with their hands, to construct, to care for others, to earn a living, to support their loved ones, to pursue justice, fairness and dignity in the workplace”
Also, it was requested for the top to be made of solid wood instead of concrete, like in their first table.
The design came… easy I guess, like they do most of the time, the only problem I always have is choosing one of the several that materialize in my mind.
I’m one of those designers that love fabricating their ideas by themselves in their own studio, and their tools. For several reason this is not always practical, especially when the client is thousands of miles away from my workshop in Chicago area. It was painful not to be able to participate in the fabrication process of this table and a few other designed for the Canadian clients.
Fortunately there are a couple of artisans from Hammertown Industrial Furniture in Toronto area that are always meticulously following my blueprints and renderings with a tremendous attention to detail. They make my “fabrication anxiety” disappear.
Their welding, woodworking, and concrete work skills easily transform digital designs into beautiful pieces of practical art.
I’m not sure if I was able to fully reflect on CLAC’s history and its people with this and the first table designs, but based on their response, and referrals that followed, I hope they enjoy meetings at their new tables.
