The Warp: A Tea House Where Recycled Wood Meets 3D Printing
At the latest edition of Dubai Design Week, Japanese architecture studio Mitsubishi Jisho Design unveiled The Warp— a structure that functions as a tea house and highlights a cutting-edge approach called “Regenerative Wood.” This installation, made from recycled wood using extrusion-based 3D printing, reflects a full-circle production process—from design to architectural and furniture elements—developed within design studios and labs dedicated to wood. The project reveals the promising role of recycled wood in sustainable architecture.
Blending Tradition with Technology: The Regenerative Wood Approach
The Warp combines traditional Japanese woodworking with modern 3D printing techniques. The pavilion consists of around 900 individually crafted panels, shaped from a material made by mixing recycled wood dust—sourced from wood processing waste—with PLA, a biodegradable polymer. These pieces are assembled using ancestral joinery methods, requiring no nails or screws.
Each tile used in the structure was 3D printed and designed to interlock like puzzle pieces. Thanks to their modular nature, the panels are easy to assemble and disassemble, making the tea house portable and reusable. This method draws inspiration from the elegance and durability of traditional Japanese joinery, adapted for a modern, circular design ethos.
Innovation and Sustainability: The Future of Architecture and Design
Architect Kei Atsumi, who collaborated with Motoya Iizawa on the project, explains:
“Warp goes beyond being a simple pavilion frame; it embodies a vision for the future of architecture and design.”
By merging traditional joinery with advancements in 3D printing, The Warp showcases a new architectural language—one where innovation and sustainability harmoniously coexist. It is a compelling example of how emerging technologies can revive traditional craftsmanship to address modern design challenges.
Presented during Dubai Design Week, the tea house invited visitors into an immersive tea ceremony experience, rooted in Japanese culture. Drawing inspiration from classical pavilions, it reinterprets the nijiriguchi, a small entrance traditionally used in tea rooms. However, The Warp departs from this with a wider, funnel-like entrance, designed to be both welcoming and to frame panoramic views of Dubai’s skyline.
This spatial and material concept underscores how recycled wood and sustainable resources can be leveraged not only for environmental impact but also to create compelling, functional, and aesthetic architectural experiences.
