Woodworking Explorations

Over the course of my bachelor’s degree

Individual

Oud-Inspired Tea Table

9 weeks

Individual

This tea table is inspired by the Oud, one of the oldest Middle Eastern instruments. Designed for two, it creates a space where sound resonates and conversations feel more intimate. This project explores how a traditional craft, like Oud construction, can influence modern industrial design, and how both can mutually enrich each other.

As an industrial design student with no formal luthier training, I’ve spent the past few years learning about Oud construction and meeting with master luthiers, with the long-term goal of building one myself. This table serves as a stepping stone in that journey.

Process

I focused on creating a form that reflects the heat bending technique used in Oud construction, ensuring it remained feasible to fabricate. while ensuring it remained feasible to fabricate. Given the experimental nature of the process, I wanted to avoid making the curved wood the table’s primary structural support. Instead, I explored how the form could create a space that invites interaction, while subtly drawing inspiration from sound and how people engage with a table surface.

A form that makes the curve the focal point

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CAD/CNC Mold - Modern Process

Mold Assembly - Traditional Process

Crosscut Walnut - Traditional Process

Heat Bending - Traditional Process

Glue Up

Oud

(in progress)

This project explores Oud construction through industrial design, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern tools. The Oud, central to Middle Eastern culture, is a generational craft with limited resources due to its secretive nature and decline resulting from lack of interest and conflict.

Driven by a personal connection to the Oud and my Egyptian heritage, this journey involves uncovering hidden knowledge and refining technical skills. Through this project, I apply my industrial design education to traditional methods, aiming to enhance material sensitivity and attention to detail.

Wall Sconce

6 weeks

Individual

This project explores our relationship with belongings and their broader impact on the world. Inspired by the Bornean Lantern Bug, whose behavior is disrupted by light pollution, I designed these wall sconces. While beautiful in daylight, they reveal a hidden glow at night, unnoticed until the lights are turned off.

I’m curious if objects can remind us of their environmental impact, influencing the way we choose what to own and use.