Khalid Shafar and Ahec present an installation of 45 crafted wooden stools in Downtown Design

“WIN, VICTORY, & LOVE”, 45 crafted wooden stools in American cherry and soft maple commemorate the brave and unforgotten Emirati soldiers.

‘Win, Victory, & Love’, a collaborative installation between respected Emirati designer Khalid Shafar and the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, was unveiled the 27th October 2015 at Downtown Design at Dubai Design District (d3). Using two important American hardwood species - American cherry and soft maple - Shafar has created his installation in memory of the 45 brave UAE soldiers who gave their lives during their mission in Yemen this September. A homage to the sacrifice of those fallen, brave and unforgotten Emirati soldiers.

Shafar has created a total of 45 crafted wooden stools in American cherry and soft maple, set graciously in a site-specific installation and presented in a harmonious setting. Derived from Shafar's well-known LITTLE PALM stool, the hardwood stools have been upholstered in an original military uniform textile to inject the soul of the Emirati soldiers in to them. Inspired by the palm trees of the region, which demonstrate great resilience against the harsh weather of the area, the LITTLE PALM stool is a perfect metaphor for the brave soldiers of the UAE.

“Taking its name from the famous three-finger salute that was introduced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in February 2013 during the Government Summit in Dubai, ‘Win, Victory, & Love’ is an innovative trademark for work ethic, success and love for the nation. A pure foundation and belief of what those soldiers lost their lives for,” said Khalid Shafar. “This is my second collaboration with AHEC and it has allowed me to work with two wonderful hardwoods on a project that pays tribute to our fallen heroes.”

Downtown Design is the only platform in the Middle East for the region's trade professionals to discover original, high quality design from all over the world and a key element of Dubai Design Week. In its third edition, the fair took place at the Dubai Design District and presented a carefully edited roster of established and emerging brands across a range of product categories; including furniture, lighting, bathrooms, kitchens, textiles and accessories.

“Our involvement with Khalid Shafar and Downtown Design is at the core of what we do to celebrate the potential of American hardwoods. By supporting installations for events like Downtown Design, we can be experimental with American hardwood species through exploration of design and craftsmanship. We also want to ignite new thinking and excite designers about new ways to use wood, particularly underutilized, yet widely-available hardwoods, such as American cherry and soft maple,” concluded Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania.

As a testament to the sustainability of the American hardwood resource, a quick environmental analysis of the project, based upon AHEC's extensive work on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), revealed that it would take less than six seconds for new growth in the U.S. forest to replace the cherry and soft maple required to manufacture all 45 stools. Of course, it is the sheer scale of forests, which cover the same landmass as England, France and Italy put together that makes this possible, together with the fact that every year growth far exceeds harvest. Furthermore, almost exactly twice as much carbon was stored in the wood used to manufacture the stools as there were carbon emissions associated with sourcing, processing and delivering the wood to Dubai.

Source: AHEC

Read more news related AHEC published at Infurma

Read more news related Downtown Design published at Infurma

For more information on American hardwood species and case studies, visit www.americanhardwood.org