AHEC Unveils ‘Wood for the Trees’ Exhibition at Shoreditch Design Week 2026
Wood for the Trees exhibition at Material Matters in Copenhagen. Photography by Petr Krejčí
The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is set to present an immersive hardwood exhibition, Wood for the Trees, at Shoreditch Design Week from 15 to 20 September 2026. The exhibition, developed in collaboration with London-based design studio Mitre & Mondays and crafted by Benchmark, explores the journey of American hardwood from forest to finished product.
Following its successful debut at Material Matters in Copenhagen earlier this year, the exhibition returns to London with an expanded and refreshed installation at the Shoreditch Tab Centre. The design studio Mitre & Mondays has created an abstract forest environment using timbers from underused species and grades, fashioned into column-tree trunks, stump-stools, log-benches, and a canopy of suspended veneers. All components are made from ‘No.1 Common’ grade timber and designed for easy disassembly to facilitate reuse after the event.
Wood for the Trees draws inspiration from AHEC’s feature documentary Forested Future, which highlights responsible forestry and sustainable material use by focusing on the people and communities reliant on hardwood forests. The exhibition aims to provide visitors with a spatial storytelling experience that emphasises the environmental, structural, and aesthetic qualities of American hardwoods.
Mitre & Mondays directors Finn Thomson, Josef Shanley-Jackson, and Freya Bolton have incorporated their studio’s commitment to social and environmental impact, regenerative materials, and design for reuse and repair into the exhibition’s concept. Benchmark’s craftsmanship brings this vision to life, translating the documentary’s themes into a tangible design-led environment that reflects the diversity and form of a forest.
Historically, hardwood forests in the eastern United States have undergone significant recovery, growing to cover over 40 million acres and currently expanding at twice the rate of harvesting. Wood for the Trees invites visitors to engage with six key stages of hardwood timber’s lifecycle: growth, stewardship, selection, resilience, timber, and design. These stages collectively illustrate sustainable forest management and the critical role of diversified timber use in promoting long-term forest conservation.
The exhibition also features educational elements including audio-visual displays, graphic narratives, and storytelling that underscore the importance of environmental stewardship and the impact of material choices on forest health.
AHEC has previously showcased American hardwoods at London Design Festival through collaborations with designers, focusing on product innovation and sculptural presentations. This year, the organisation broadens its scope by emphasising hardwood’s role within environmental systems, including carbon storage and sustainability.
Alongside the exhibition, a programme of workshops, live demonstrations, and talks will be announced to deepen engagement with the themes presented.
Wood for the Trees will be open to the public free of charge at the Tab Centre, 3 Godfrey Place, London E2 7NT, throughout Shoreditch Design Week.
The exhibition utilises No.1 Common grade timber, a category typically used for cabinetry and furniture parts in the U.S., which contains a similar amount of clear wood as higher grades but in smaller cuttings. This grade is less commonly used in Europe, where clearer timber grades are preferred.
Featured hardwood species include American red oak (Quercus rubra), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), hard maple (Acer saccharum and Acer nigrum), and American cherry (Prunus serotina). Each species is noted for its distinctive grain, colour, and properties, contributing to the exhibition’s narrative on the versatility and sustainability of American hardwoods.
