Materials & Technical Specifications

Material Excellence: The Woods Behind Our Architectural Wall Systems and Wine Objects

The quality of a design object is decided at the very stage of selecting the raw materials. As curator and official distribution partner in Germany for sophisticated solid wood wall systems and sculptural wine objects, we and our manufacturing partners place the highest value on the physical and aesthetic properties of the timbers used. European Oak, American Walnut, and European Ash form the foundation of our curation. Each of these fine woods is characterized by specific material properties that predestine it for certain architectural applications. Careful selection and drying of the timber are the guarantee that our products lose none of their beauty and dimensional stability even after decades of use. Every piece of solid wood undergoes a multi-week phase of acclimatized drying, where the wood moisture content is precisely adjusted to target values for heated interiors (approx. 7-9%).

Physical Metrics: Brinell Hardness and Dimensional Stability

Wood is a living material that reacts to moisture fluctuations in the air. This is referred to as "swelling and shrinking behavior". To guarantee long-term dimensional stability of our three-dimensional panels and heavy wine sculptures, we use timbers with outstanding dimensional stability and high strength:

• European Oak: With a Brinell hardness of approx. 34 N/mm², oak is an extremely resilient, hard wood. Its moderate swelling and shrinking behavior makes it the ideal all-rounder for exclusive wall claddings and highly loaded furniture structures. Its distinctive ring porosity gives surfaces an expressive texture.
• American Walnut: This noble, dark wood has a Brinell hardness of approx. 26 N/mm². Walnut is characterized by excellent dimensional stability – it "works" noticeably less than other timbers. This makes it the first choice for intricate millings and extremely precise fits, such as those found in the wine racks by OWN Studio.
• European Ash: With a Brinell hardness of around 38 N/mm², ash even surpasses oak in terms of surface hardness. Its high elasticity and toughness paired with a vivid, high-contrast grain make it particularly attractive for modern, lighter design concepts.

Acoustic Relevance of Wood Structure

In addition to hardness and shrinkage behavior, the physical density of the wood plays a key role in its acoustic properties. Woods like oak and ash possess excellent sound-scattering properties due to their micro-porous structure. When sound waves hit the three-dimensional milled contours of our panels, the density of the wood ensures that sound energy is not reflected in an uncontrolled manner, but rather diffusely scattered. In combination with the integrated absorber cores inside our acoustic modules, this allows for a precise acoustic balancing of frequency bands, particularly in the mid and high frequency ranges, which are crucial for human speech.

Material Origin & Documentation

Depending on the product, timber species and batch, both certified timber and other selected timber are used. According to the manufacturer, non-certified timber is sourced from sustainably managed forestry in Poland. For OWN Studio and ARC, certification and origin status are likewise handled on a product- and batch-specific basis. Available certification and origin documentation can be provided on request for specific projects.

The Art of Surface Finishing: Natural Hard-Wax Oils

To avoid suffocating the fascinating haptic feel of real wood behind a synthetic layer of lacquer, all our products are finished with premium, natural hard-wax oils. These organic oils penetrate deep into the pores of the wood and protect it from within, while the waxes form a semi-matte, dirt- and water-repellent protective layer on the surface. This finish allows the wood to continue breathing, regulates room humidity, and ensures that the texture of the wood remains tangible. When touched, you feel the velvety grain and fine pores of the wood – a multi-sensory experience that synthetic materials can never provide.