digitally fabricated timber installation reimagines japanese engawa as public gathering space
Layered Timber installation Reinterprets the Japanese Engawa
Strata Engawa by Superficium Studio reinterprets the traditional Japanese engawa as a digitally fabricated timber installation designed for sitting, gathering, play, and informal public occupation. Developed for the inaugural Digi Fab Award 2025 organized by KOKUYO × VUILD, the project explores the relationship between architecture, furniture, and adaptable public space through layered plywood construction and computational fabrication methods.
The installation takes its name from the engawa, the transitional space positioned between interior domestic environments and the surrounding garden in traditional Japanese architecture. Rather than reproducing the typology directly, the project translates its spatial qualities into an inhabitable timber topography composed of stepped and contoured surfaces that support multiple forms of occupation, including reclining, sitting, movement, and collective use.
Inspired by geological strata and natural contour formations, the installation is organized as a continuous layered landscape without a singular orientation or fixed program. Its asymmetrical geometry creates varying spatial conditions across the surface, ranging from enclosed seating areas for individuals to broader platforms accommodating groups, families, and children. The plywood construction introduces warmth and tactile continuity while reinforcing the installation’s relationship to material and landscape references.
layered plywood surfaces form a continuous inhabitable landscape | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
Algorithmic Design and CNC Fabrication Shape Strata Engawa
Strata Engawa was developed by the London-based practice, Superficium Studio, through an algorithmic design process that allowed the geometry to be adjusted according to site-specific requirements, spatial conditions, and fabrication constraints. The project investigates how computational design workflows can generate spatial complexity while maintaining constructability and assembly efficiency.
The structure was fabricated using CNC-routed plywood components produced through a 3-axis CNC manufacturing process. Digital fabrication methods enabled the precise production of customized elements while supporting modular assembly and material consistency across the installation.
Presented as part of the Digi Fab Award 2025, the project received the competition’s Grand Prize for its exploration of cross-disciplinary design between architecture and furniture scales. 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 Centre’s exhibition program running alongside the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Strata Engawa reinterprets the Japanese engawa through timber construction | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
CNC-routed plywood components define the stepped geometry of the installation | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
the project creates spaces for sitting, reclining, and gathering | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
asymmetrical contours produce varied spatial conditions across the surface | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
timber layers reference geological strata and natural topography | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
the installation operates between furniture and architecture scales | image courtesy of ©KOKUYO
image of the original competition proposal, courtesy of ©Superficium Studio
a view of the exhibition at the Palazzo Mora, the European Cultural Centre, at the Venice Biennale 2025 | image courtesy of ©Superficium Studio
Strata Engawa by Superficium Studio was developed for the Digi Fab Award 2025, organized by KOKUYO × VUILD
project info:
name: Strata Engawa
designer: Superficium Studio | @superficium
competition organisers and fabrication: KOKUYO | @kokuyo_official × VUILD | @vuild_architects
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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