Layered Timber installation Reinterprets the Japanese Engawa
Strata Engawa by Superficium Studio reinterprets the traditional Japanese engawa as a digitally engineered one timber installation designed for sitting, gathering, playing and informal public occupation. Developed for the inaugural Digi Fab 2025 Award organized by KOKUYO × VUILDthe project explores the relationship between architecture, furnitureand adaptable public space through layered plywood construction and computational construction methods.
The installation takes its name from the engawa, the transitional space placed between the domestic domestic environments and the surrounding garden in traditional Japanese architecture. Rather than directly replicating the typology, the project translates its spatial qualities into a habitable timber topography composed of stepped and shaped surfaces that support multiple forms of employment, including reclining, sitting, moving and collective use.
Inspired by geological layers and natural contour formations, the installation is organized as a continuous multi-layered landscape with no singular orientation or fixed program. Its asymmetrical geometry creates a variety of spatial conditions across the surface, ranging from enclosed seating areas for individuals to wider platforms that accommodate groups, families and children. The plywood construction introduces warmth and tactile continuity while reinforcing the installation’s relationship with material and landscape references.
the multi-layered plywood surfaces form a continuous habitable landscape | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
Algorithmic Design and CNC Fabrication Shape Strata Engawa
Strata Engawa was developed by Practice based in LondonSuperficium Studio, through an algorithmic design process that allowed the geometry to be adapted according to site-specific requirements, spatial conditions and construction constraints. The project explores how computational design workflows can create spatial complexity while maintaining manufacturability and assembly efficiency.
The structure was constructed using CNC-routed plywood components produced through a 3-axis CNC manufacturing process. Digital fabrication methods enabled the precise production of custom components while supporting assembly and material consistency throughout the facility.
Presented as part of the Digi Fab Award 2025, the project received the competition’s Grand Prize for exploring interdisciplinary design between architecture and furniture scale. Following the award, Strata Engawa was exhibited at KOKUYO’s THE CAMPUS in Tokyo and later at Palazzo Mora in Venice as part of the European Cultural Center’s exhibition program running alongside the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.
Strata Engawa reinterprets Japanese engawa through timber | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
CNC-routed plywood components define the installation’s staggered geometry | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
