2025 Wood Materials Joinery in Traditional Chinese Handicraft Materials research achievements release

“Wood Joinery” is the fifth and final year's research theme in the five-year “Traditional Craft Material: Wood' plan, exclusively supported by Ugan concept and co-researched with the Rong Design Library, following previous studies on “Wood Cutting,” “Wood Dyeing,” “Wood and Lacquer,” and “Wood and Engraving.” This research primarily categorizes and interprets the various joinery techniques in traditional Chinese wood construction, exploring their significance for contemporary design.

Exhibition Notice | "Chinese Character Structure" Furniture Series Shanghai Exhibition

As the series officially launches, we furtherimagined what kind of dialogues would take placebetween them if they were placed in a specificarchitectural space. So we organized the first exhibition of the 'Chinese Character Structure' series of furniture,exploring the ways in which they can be presented in space.

Ugan concept "Chinese Character Structure" furniture series

As a wood flooring brand, Ugan concept has always paid close attention to traditional Chinese woodworking techniques and their design transformation, with furniture being a key focus. Following the “An-chair” made from 42 naturally dyed wood floorboards, Ugan invited DRA architect to design the “Chinese Character Structure” furniture series, creating a contemporary dialogue with traditional Chinese wooden furniture.

Ugan concept 一 \ | / coffee

Ugan concept, as a wood flooring brand, came up with the concept of the “Wood Rings” when it was first established.In 2024, we launched “Ugan concept coffee” based on this concept, and invited Ugan's brand VI designer 702design-Mei Shuzhi to design the coffee VI system again, which translates and continues the “rotation” of wood in the form of hand-brewed coffee. Neri-Hu was invited to design the first Ugan Café space in the Ugan concept Shanghai “Twisting” showroom, which is also based on the concept of the wood ring.

Ugan concept Shanghai “Twisting” Showroom | Neri&Hu

Ugan concept invited Neri-Hu to design its first concept showroom in Shanghai, with the theme of “Twisting”, which showcases the products and the brand's philosophy through carefully designed displays. The showroom also features an “Urban Living Room”, where customers are invited to enjoy a hand-brewed coffee while experiencing the brand's unique atmosphere.

Devided by Screens：Ugan concept Headquarter Phase II

The Ugan concept Headquarter Phase II is a new space of “senses”on the basis of the original Headquarter (the space of “objects”)，which takes “Devided by Screens” as the main design concept, trying to present daily use scenes or seasonal scenery between screens, creating an environmental space where floor, people, space and nature coexist in harmony.

Making a Floor in the Traditional Chinese Way

In an era without advanced industrial machinery, ancient people used traditional wood-making methods to build wooden structures that were more durable than today's houses. With concerns and thoughts about this method, Ugan concept conducted in-depth research and documentation on “how to make a floor in the traditional Chinese way”, and presented the results of the research in a piece of work consisting of wooden floors.

Primordial | Exhibition of Ugan concept Wooden Shingle Installation 2023

Ugan concept has carefully re-claimed wooden shingles from southwest China and invited Neri-Hu to interpret the re-use of the materials, therefore, Neri-Hu designed the installation“Primordial”. Here, in a new time and space, existing between tradition and modernity, Neri-Hu hopes to give new life and purpose to these wooden shingles that have witnessed a century of history, surviving the test of time, through wind and rain.

The Wooden Shingle of Traditional Chinese Handicrafts

There is a traditional dwelling that uses wood as roof shingles, and these shingles are able to withstand wind, rain and snow without rotting. Ugan concept conducted in-depth research and recycled this quality material, which was facing extinction, so that it could be sustained through design and reflection.

2023 Wood Materials Engraving in Traditional Chinese Handicraft Materials research achievements release

「Wood and engraving」 is the fourth research topic of the Wood Materials Research project of traditional Chinese materials after 「Wood cutting」, 「Wood dyeing」, and 「Wood and lacquer」. The Ugan concept exclusively supports the Rong Design Library as a wood material expert and participates in the research. Deconstruct the production process of engraving from the four parts of 「Board-carving-plate-printing」 and explore the plasticity of engraving in contemporary design.