March 31, 2016
From Tree to Table
For Manasc Isaac, sustainability is not just a marketing buzzword or a term used to puff up a CSR report. Sustainability is a way of life, and a lens that allows us to see the world a little differently.
While working on a parking lot plan adjacent to the Emergency Operations Centre in Calgary, it became clear that a 65 year old Green Ash tree would need to be cleared. Where many would have seen a pile of mulch, we saw potential for a showpiece for our Edmonton studio.
The tree was cut into four pieces and delivered to local carpenter Dave Chalmers, who worked with our Calgary studio’s Lindsay Gurevitch and Claire Johnson on transforming the wood into a stunning custom table to complement Manasc Isaac’s redesigned Edmonton office, reinforcing the space’s open, Activity Based Working layout.
The table took time to design and construct: 5 months altogether. Excess moisture was removed from the wood during an 8 week stay in a kiln. While this was taking place, the design team met with a local metal fabricator who helped conceive the significant structure required to support the wood and add visual weight to the table. 6″ steel channel that was salvaged from another local project was used for the entirety of the piece.
Manasc Isaac’s values are emblazoned on a vein of metal that runs down the centre of the table, reinforcing our corporate culture and ethos using a screen printing technique. Acrylic ink was applied to the steel of the tabletop, which was then topped off with several coats of varathane sealant.
Following 5 months of design and construction, the three 10′ sections (weighing 600 lbs each!) were brought to Edmonton for installation. It took 8 hours to assemble the final product as the new heart of the office, and it has been in constant use ever since! Featuring integrated power and data cables, the 30 foot table can accommodate multiple meetings at one time, and also provides a community hub for staff events.
Since its arrival, the table has triggered a positive, almost emotional reaction from staff and guests alike. Partner Mike Turner reflects back on the process, noting that “it took a twist of fate and some brilliant thinking from both our design team and a dedicated fabricator, to arrive at the right solution. And after only a few hours in the Edmonton office, it felt like it was already part of the family.”
Principal Vivian Manasc also was thrilled with the results, asserting that the five months spent anxiously awaiting the table’s delivery was actually of benefit to us: “I love that we could be patient and wait for this tree to be transformed – and that Lindsay and Dave and Claire had the tenacity and vision to make the transformation happen.”
We feel like the tree is as happy with its second life as our team is!