2020 Australian Furniture Design Award Winner — Anthropic Bench by James Walsh

Through the reinvention of an ancient material tradition by combining rammed earth with recycled glass fillings to produce a sustainable composite, Sydney-based industrial designer James Walsh has taken home the 2020 Australian Furniture Design Award (AFDA) for his entry, Anthropic Bench.

As part of the 2020 Melbourne Design Week, Stylecraft partnered with the National Gallery of Victoria to present James with the $20,000 first prize and an invitation to develop a design through to commercial production for distribution and a two-week residency program at JamFactory in Adelaide. “Stylecraft are proud to be involved in such a prestigious award that fosters Australian designers and makers through professional mentoring and commercial production opportunities,” explained Stylecraft Brand Director Tony Russell. “We look forward to collaborating with James on a new collection that aligns with the sustainable practices and contemporary aesthetic demonstrated in his winning design.”

“Stylecraft are proud to be involved in such a prestigious award that fosters Australian designers and makers through professional mentoring and commercial production opportunities.”

James was one of five shortlisted entrants who were invited to proceed to Stage Two of the Australian Furniture Design Awards program, allowing them to present their realised designs for exhibition and judging at the Stylecraft showroom during Melbourne Design Week 2020. Despite a drastically altered exhibition and awards program as a result of social distancing requirements, the 2020 AFDA was considered a great success and the grand prize was eventually awarded to James by video link.

When asked about the intent behind his design for Anthropic Bench, James explained he sought to “explore the growing global issue of the vast amount of post-consumer glass and the potential of this material through experimentation. To focus on the idea of material development, transformation and reinvention, the Anthropic bench substitutes as much recycled glass material into the traditional rammed earth recipe as possible, whilst maintaining strength of durability. This convergence of tradition and technology raises awareness of the potential of forming a solution-based link between this age-old method and the current rising issue of waste material.”

“Explore the growing global issue of the vast amount of post-consumer glass and the potential of this material through experimentation.”

“James Walsh is representative of the exemplary standards we have come to expect from Australia’s top furniture designers,” said Simone LeAmon, AFDA Jury Chair and The Hugh Williamson Curator of Contemporary Design and Architecture, National Gallery of Victoria. James’s 2020 AFDA win is testament to a six-year design journey that has seen him work with various top furniture and lighting companies, graduate RMIT with first-class honours and have his work exhibited at the prestigious Salon Satellite in Milan. Looking to the future, James is hopeful to use this achievement to further develop his focus on sustainability and experimental approach to design.