innovation
Our innovation department creates new design techniques and develops new wood-based materials, sometimes working in collaboration with scientists. The various experiments we consistently perform allow us to push the boundaries of the materials we use to open up new creative avenues and create innovative furnishings, fixtures and fittings for all sectors of activity, from artistic cabinet-making, architecture, design and contemporary art to the automobile industry, among others.
Pushing the technical boundaries to open new creative avenues
index
AIRWOOD©
Technologie et Innovation ARCA
Also called inflatable wood; the development of this material took 10 years. It allows the production of veneered panels having the particularity of revealing a pattern in a reversible manner. This material is always composed of a rigid support, an elastic membrane and a chiseled face in wood, plastic, leather, ceramic or even cork … The panel is accompanied by an automated pneumatic device managing air injections and extractions. Manual pumps are also possible.
WOOWOOD©
Technologie & Innovation ARCA
WOOWOOD© is born from the desire to give more functionality to our AIRWOOD© technology. This time it is not the air that inflates or sucks the pockets, but the objects that we slide inside. The wood skin follows the contours of the object to let us guess the outlines. Acting as a tensioner, this material allows objects to be placed in all directions, defying the laws of gravity. Many functions appear under the wood: cable gland, lampshade, coat rack, socket cover, sliding of drawers, clothes, boxes …
squama
Design ARCA
Sideboard without doors or drawers, access is through the openings in the marquetry. Each wall is distorted thanks to our WOOWOOD © technology, even the underside of the cabinet. In tribute to animals whose scales deform under pressure of ingested food.
wonsole
Design ARCA
1100 x 300 x 330 mm
This sideboard can be placed in an entrance, a living room or a bedroom. Subtle veining connections passing over edges and sides are made from the same sheet of ziricote, with no right to error for the craftsman.
VITRINE CARTIER
Woowood© – Innovation ARCA
Vitrine en WOOWOOD© pour la montre “coussin” de la maison Cartier lors du Watches & Wonders de Genève 2022. Nous avons conçu et réalisé ce cadre et support de montre mouvant ! La marqueterie de pièces laquées reprend la disposition des diamants de cette montre d’exception, limitée à 20 exemplaires. Sertie de diamants sur silicone, elle à la pouvoir, comme notre technologie WOOWOOD©, de changer de géométrie. Pour la première fois nous avons intégré notre technologie sur une structure sculptée.
MELT
Woowood© – Innovation ARCA
ARCA a rendu le bois aussi moue que du caoutchouc, alors pourquoi pas le marbre !? Inspiré et passionné par la notion de mouvement et le surréalisme, cette pièce de bois semble fondre au bain marie et perdre son cœur de marbre (Rose du Portugal). Œuvre, mais également mur de rangement grâce à notre technologie de bois souple WOOWOOD©. Le bois de Tinéo, par son veinage marqué renforce le mouvement des poches.
TRAMETES
Woowood© – Innovation ARCA
This wall console is inspired by rubber polypores attached to tree bark. It welcomes classic objects but especially those who want to constantly roll to the ground, or objects difficult to grasp. The wooden elastic allows to pass hands more easily and to apprehend the object. Tramètes is intended for a bedroom, an entrance or a corridor. The degraded treatment of the mirror follow the movement and the illusion of appearing as if by magic. This wall console is composed of recycled plastic shelves Le Pavé and flexible bands in walnut US WOOWOOD©️. Designed with our intern Lucile CHESNEAU.
lumino
Design Gaëtan Guillaumin
150 x 180 mm
Made in US Walnut, this playful lamp uses WOOWOOD© technology to offer different types of lights. A simple rotational movement tightens or relaxes the membrane, which changes from diffused light to ambient light.
target
Design ARCA
800 x 30 mm
A wall board made up of storage pockets and made with WOOWOOD© technology.
marsupio
Design ARCA
2302 x 981 x 1880 mm
First piece of furniture in WOOWOOD©. Thanks to a completely flexible wood, cutouts are made on different sides of the desk to contain everyday objects: binders, files, books, pens, mood lamps … Outstanding Talent Hand Intelligence Award 2017.
Fugu
Design ARCA x Octave Grehal
Handbag made of WOOWOOD©; it follows the shape of objects much thicker than itself.
Gainerie 91
Design ARCA
Drawer box for a bottle of champagne. It protects and reveals the curves of the bottle. Produced for Gainerie 91, a packaging company.
woowall
Design ARCA
2100 x 1400 x 30 mm
This wall, inspired by geological faults and using WOOWOOD© technology, is composed of several storage pockets that can accommodate objects on the wall. The pockets testify the high flexibility of the material and give this piece of furniture the appearance of an endlessly reinvented sculpture, according to the shapes of deposited objects.
pulse
Design Gaëtan Guillaumin
Pulse is a wall speaker that uses the sound properties of wood to create and emit sound. Its soft wooden cone WOOWOOD© stretches on ignition and offers a clear and natural sound.
morphoz
Design Renault
Interior plating of the Renault MORPHOZ concept car. Extendable central column integrating AI through microperforations animated by LEDs and a WOOWOOD© zone which deforms to receive your smartphone and act as a car key.
BOIS LARMÉ©
Innovation ARCA
Wood reinforced with metals forming tears. Creation of «rapid ornaments» intimately marrying a veneer of fine essence and a non-ferrous sheet such as aluminum, brass, bronze or copper. It makes the wood more resistant to abrasion and impact. We can print grids in 3D in order to control the patterns, dimensions, colors and relief.
Kellywood
Maison Hermès
Full range of marsh oak handbags made with our BOIS LARMÉ© innovation. This new version of the historic Kelly bag from Maison Hermès is the result of an extraordinary 2 years collaboration between ARCA and Hermès Sellier.
culbuto
Design ARCA
505 x 205 x 180 mm
Rotating watch case, its LARMÉ WOOD© surface allows it to resist frictions while being dressed in an innovative marquetry. A counterweight system makes the case and watches visible.
dundee
Design ARCA
750 x 210 x 100 mm
Skateboard whose LARMÉ WOOD© pattern is used as a grip, like a crocodile’s back. Repeated rubbing will lead the teardrop inlay to appear under the board.
C°WOOD©
Innovation ARCA
It can be bent or twisted during cooling using simple tensioners or clamps and avoiding a complex die. To considerably increase these bending radii, we have joined forces with «Bois Dentelle Dalbergia» technology and its microscopic perforations. This technology also works with teardrop wood.
WOOD EAGLE
Innovation ARCA
Comment combiner ses passions : le bois, l’innovation, la moto… Un vieux rêve devenu réalité par un beau travail d’équipe sur une base de Guzzi Griso 1200cm3. Les carénages sont en BOIS LARMÉ©, ainsi renforcés et facile à refaire en cas de chute. Le siège apparait à l’allumage et peu se régler suivant la taille du pilote et son style de conduite. Dessiné en collaboration avec Alban Jaunay de Banb Motorcycles. Merci au Garage Good Kids Motorcycles pour l’échappement et les durites sur mesures. Un énorme travail de Gaëtan Guillaumin ! Chêne des marais, aluminium, PVC thermoformé…
ARCANE
C°Wood© – Innovation ARCA
Nous avons demandé à notre ami artiste et designer Jörg GESSNER de créer une pièce avec notre C°-WOOD© en noyer US. Il a dessiné et maquetté cette pièce magnifique, pleine de subtilités et de détails, où notre bois thermoformable est mis en tension pour créer une assise légère et résistante, inspirée de l’architecture sacrée et ses croisées d’ogives.
FOLIUM
Design ARCA
1000 x 550 x 150 mm
Mirror made with our thermoformable wood called C°WOOD© combined with our LARMÉ WOOD©. The wood is molded intuitively to generate coat hooks, a paperweight or a tablet. Curves and counter curves are only achievable with our technology.
Côl
Design ARCA
1280 x 280 x 900 mm
Suspension made with our thermoformable wood called C°WOOD© combined with our LARMÉ WOOD©. Curves and counter curves are only achievable with our technology.
Copal AW²
Design ARCA
10 x 3 x 3 m
Structure overlooking a dining room on the Grenada Islands (Caribbean). This 30 meter long wooden ribbon is rolled up on itself and maintains its shape thanks to the C°WOOD© technology.
VAPOWOOD©
Innovation ARCA
VAPOWOOD© c’est un procédé qui permet d’imprimer un motif sur le bois par pressage et utilisation de la vapeur.
SCHOOPWOOD©
Innovation ARCA
For several years, ARCA has been co-financing thesis on wood at L’école des Mines. This technology consists in depositing at high speed and very high temperature droplets of molten nanometric material on a wood support, using a cold spray or plasma torch.
Margat
Design ARCA
300 x 50 x 20mm
Wenge knife with a stainless steel blade brazed by thermal spraying. ARCA finances and participates in a thesis intended to develop this procedure on wood. Thesis carried out at L’école des Mines. We are pioneers in this area.
Kapnos
Design ARCA
Smoker created for a great French chef and intended for table service. The interior is coated with aluminum deposited by thermal spraying. In partnership with L’école des Mines.
LABO#1
Schoopwood© – Innovation ARCA
Since 2016 we are looking to project metals on wood by thermal projection, as part of a thesis. Our ideas are oriented towards augmented wooden objects for table art, sanitary, lighting. Quentin HIRSINGER of MateriO has named this technique the SCHOOPWOOD©, allowing to hybridize the wood with: brass, copper, stainless steel, titanium, zinc, aluminium, bronze, gold… All without any polymer.Objects made with one of the best «designer craftsman» of his generation, Alexandre Echasseriau. [Works produced with the support of the association Les Lauréats de l’Intelligence de la Main® as part of the Labo program. The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation is the main sponsor of the Le Labo Project.]
INDUSTRIES
Les technologies et innovations ARCA trouvent leur applications dans la quasi totalité des industries. Etant nombreuses et en constante évolution, n’hésitez pas à solliciter un rdv pour les visualiser ou commander des échantillons en fonction de votre projet.
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Antoine Duhamel
Antoine Eschilmann
Karine Demeyer
Geronimo
Thierry Caron
Sophie Palmier
Olivier Foeller
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