The tree of the embrace is born at the end of the millet. The towering trees we can see today were just a small seed at the beginning. The rings of annual rings are the traces of time left on the wood, and those ancient trees are likely to have witnessed more vicissitudes of human history than the longest-lived person. Origins, a Vancouver design studio, is based on this material that symbolizes life, and combines traditional handwork with technology to give it a unique and organic texture. The wooden design works show lifelike water waves, ripples, or columnar joints of rock formations, presenting a calming poetic beauty under the effect of light and shadow.
Studio co-founders Deagan McDonald and Kelsey Nilsen met when they were studying for a master's degree in architecture at the University of Toronto, and hatched the prototype of Origins in 2015. At that time, Origins was just a platform for the two to freely use their imagination in their spare time . It wasn't until 2019 that Origins developed into a design studio in the true sense. In anything, taking the first step is always the hardest part. McDonald knew deep down at the time that only working for himself would bring him satisfaction, and starting the Origins studio seemed the only option. So he convinced himself that Origins was worth the risk and that he and Nilsen were worth giving up a full-time job that offered a steady salary and benefits.
Asked how he transitioned from architecture to design, McDonald recalls: "It was a slow process for me. The university at the time had a carpentry workshop where students could make models and prototypes, and I always Walked in and felt something changed mentally, I felt like I was in the right place. As soon as I qualified, I signed up as a workshop teaching assistant, and by the end of the semester, I probably spent more time there than at the studio desk I spent a lot of time at school. The workshop overlapped somewhat with the College's Digital Fabrication Lab, which allowed me to explore woodworking and technology freely. In my final years, I transferred my teaching assistant position to the Digital Fabrication Lab, and by the time I graduated , I have run the lab full-time. As Kelsey and I approached graduation, we both felt that we were not ready to move directly from an academic environment into a more corporate architecture firm, so we decided to use Origins as a platform where we could Or continue to explore our own ideas and listen to our own voice at night, but back then, we didn’t have an ultimate goal in mind, and the projects were diverse and random. But now, Origins only focuses on solid wood and manufactures all our designs in-house , it’s a pretty crazy shift.”
Experiments represent infinite possibilities. The love for experiments probably sprouted from McDonald's student days, and has continued to this day, permeating into Origins' design philosophy and production process. “We refer to Origins as an experimental design studio, which means that we usually design and iterate our products according to the most original intuition, so we can have a very free and fluid flow between the concept stage and the actual production process. At the same time, "experimental" also means that we accept failure as an inevitable part of the process – we always want to bring abstract ideas from our heads to reality as quickly as possible, through our own two hands. The hand is constantly evaluated and tested. Origins, on the other hand, sits at the intersection of craftsmanship and technology, trying to combine the limitations of digital technology with the skill and intuition of the human hand. We always ask ourselves, what can this machine do that humans can't What do they do? What are machines and craftsmen good at and what are they not good at? Can we revolve around this machine Designing a process that allows both technology and craftsmen to perform at the highest level? In short, experimenting with the tools and technologies available to us in atypical ways. "
We witness the continuous development of society and the continuous advancement of technology, but at the same time feel confused because of the increasingly uncertain future. When everything seems unpredictable or when we feel the impact of various events, well-designed spaces and objects are like "shelters" that can bring people inner peace. Origins' decorations and furniture carved from solid wood are mostly inspired by the textures that can be found in nature, while playing with the visual effects of light and shadow on the surface. Each piece of work shows a different personality due to the natural differences in the color and texture of the wood itself, as well as the design and manufacture of Origins. Even though trees have left the earth and the soil, they can still be regarded as "living materials" in a sense – wood will adapt to its environment and develop a unique temperament. This adaptation is sometimes driven by indoor humidity and temperature; it may absorb moisture and expand during the warmer months, while it loses moisture and contracts during the colder months. Ultraviolet rays in sunlight can also gradually change the color of wooden materials over time. And these small changes that may not necessarily be sensed by the naked eye are the stories of time told by Origins wooden artwork.
There is no pretentiousness, just simply highlighting the beauty of the wood itself through organic grain patterns. As the name of the studio, Origins, indicates in turn, everything returns to its origin, which should be natural and simple.
