Fresh Wood Design Book: Finished Works from WoodworkingÆs Next Generation

Discover the Next Generation of Woodworkers and Designers.

Young designers and makers have more tools than ever to create what their mind can envision. CNC machining, robotics, 3D printing, and ever-advancing software continue to evolve and have become standards in the toolbox of the next generation. To highlight this evolution, the American Woodworkers & Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) sponsors a student competition with the finalist and winning pieces on display at the biennial AWFS Fair in Las Vegas, NV. With so many pieces of functional art displayed over the past several years, it was time to capture them all in one amazing volume.

In the Fresh Wood Design Book, an inspiring collection of over 120 high-school and post-secondary student projects have been professionally photographed by furniture designer/maker Alan Harp, detailing their creative vision and their beautiful results. The projects in the Fresh Wood Design Book are as unique and inventive as each of the students. Some are reproductions and interpretations of famous styles others are new and igneous designs, but, in the end, all are a noteworthy combination of form and function. Ranging from creative tables and chairs, musical instruments, clocks, and furniture concepts, these projects will inspire students, woodworkers, makers, educators, and industry professionals and will provide a learning or motivational tool for anyone interested in working with wood. Also included is insight from each student discussing the challenges of the design and construction process, the use of new equipment and software, the woodworking techniques, and the complexities of proper finishing. More than a collection of finished pieces, the Fresh Wood Design Book is a glimpse into the future of woodworking and design.

The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers, also known as AWFS®, is the United State’s largest trade association representing the broad array of companies that supply the home and commercial furnishings industry. AWFS members include manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, upholstery, bedding components, plastics, wood products, and other supplies. Since its inception, AWFS® has donated millions of dollars toward educational programs and scholarships with two primary goals:. 1) to ensure that the current workforce has access to knowledge regarding the latest tools, technologies, and policies and 2) to equip the next generation of industry leaders with a full understanding of the woodworking industry. AWFS® is the owner and direct producer of the biennial AWFS®Fair, the largest industry show in the United States. Occurring in odd-numbered years since 1957, the AWFS has hosted 32 AWFSFairs, with the last 8 held in Las Vegas, NV.  The Fresh Wood competition is one of the highlights of the AWFSFair attracting in high-school students and post-secondary woodworkers and designers from around the country.