Terence Woodgate designs furniture collection where "carbon fibre is the structure"

British designer Terence Woodgate has created a collection of carbon-fibre furniture for Carpenters Workshop Gallery, featuring super-slim forms that lend the pieces a lightweight appearance.

The project, titled Lightness of Form, comprises a table, desk, chaise longue, chair and a cabinet that is still in development, all made using a recycled fibreglass material.

Woodgate developed the pieces in collaboration with engineer John Barnard, who designed the first carbon-fibre Formula 1 car and served as technical director for the McLaren and Ferrari F1 teams.

The pair met in 2006 at the Royal Society of Arts, where they were both elected Royal Designers for Industry. Woodgate was organising a series of talks to celebrate various design disciplines and was intrigued by the potential applications of materials used in motor racing.

The two designers subsequently worked together to create the Surface Table for British brand Established & Sons, which launched in 2008 and provided a jumping-off point for this latest project.

The collection developed for Carpenters Workshop Gallery utilises the latest Formula 1-grade carbon fibre and tooling to produce a series of pieces that balance sculptural aesthetics with practical ergonomics.

An updated version of the table, called the Aero Leg Table, features a 3.6-metre-long surface supported at its four corners by slender legs. The tabletop tapers to a thickness of just a few millimetres, and is lacquered underneath to enhance the illusion that the surface is floating above the ground.

The table's legs also contribute to the lightweight aesthetic. Their teardrop-shaped profile was informed by Barnard's pioneering use of flexure-pivot wishbones in the suspension design of F1 cars.

Woodgate told Dezeen that the project utilises the incredible strength-to-weight ratio of carbon fibre to produce visually minimal objects informed by the work of artists and architects such as Eduardo Chillida, Tadao Ando and Luis Barragán.

He added that this pursuit of aesthetic purity and structural reductivism required strong cooperation between the designer, the engineer and the specialist fabricators.

"I'm more interested in subtraction than addition, and when you take things away, it makes the pieces rather complicated to produce," he explained.

"In the case of these objects, there are no beams or extrusions hiding inside. The carbon fibre itself is the structure, so everything is exposed and the pieces therefore require exceptional craftsmanship."

The works were made using a recycled carbon fibre that displays a flecked surface finish. Unlike the standard carbon fibre used for the original Surface Table, this material is more robust and doesn't require lacquering.

Woodgate said that the discovery of this material opened up new possibilities and provides an aesthetic detail that he prefers to normal carbon fibre.

"Sometimes when you use a recycled material, there's a compromise," he pointed out. "It often doesn't look as good as the original virgin material, but in this case, I think it looks better."

Alongside the table, Woodgate created a desk that he said was inspired by an isometric drawing by American artist Sol LeWitt.

From one side, its desktop appears to be a simple planar surface, while the opposite side features a vertical surface that discreetly incorporates a pair of drawers.

"The idea was to have this horizontal plane simply supported by two vertical planes," said Woodgate.

"It almost looks impossible," he added, "because as you walk towards it, all you see is this very thin edge. The wedge shapes distort the sense of perspective while ensuring it has the necessary strength."

The collection also includes a chair informed by American artist Donald Judd's minimalist furniture, as well as an organically shaped chaise longue featuring a magnetically mounted headrest.

Woodgate explained that both of the seating designs take advantage of carbon fibre's ability to flex and therefore provide improved comfort for the sitter.

He added that the opportunity to work on pieces for a gallery allowed him to adopt a more experimental approach than would be the case if he were designing for mass production.

"With a project like this, there is a budget, of course, but it's more like Formula 1 where you're able to try different things and push the envelope a bit," he explained.

"Carbon fibre is fascinating to work with and this collection really tries to explore the ideas of space, movement and minimalism that the material facilitates."

The pieces were presented at Carpenters Workshop Gallery to coincide with London Design Festival 2025, with the exhibition extending until 1 November.

Woodgate was named a Royal Designer for Industry in 2003 and has designed products for numerous brands, including a floor lamp with a rounded glass shade for Case Furniture.

London Design Festival concluded on 21 September. To wrap up the event, the Dezeen team curated their favourite products from the city-wide event.

The photography is by Tom Carter. 

Lightness of Form is on show until 1 November at Carpenters Workshop Gallery. See Dezeen Events Guide for more design events and exhibitions around the world.

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