Witka Wood’s design and material choices are guided by Scandinavian design language, functionality, and life cycle ecology.
In Finland, a person is never far from nature. No matter where you live, the nearest forest is always a stone’s throw away. This closeness to nature is the hallmark of Finnishness. It also influences the way a Finn thinks and sees. Finland has four distinctly different seasons that rhythm the year.
For Finns, nature is an important element and a seamless part of our very being. Every product bearing the Witka Wood label is designed responsibly, using renewable or recyclable raw materials.
Designer Ville Witka (b. 16 July 1966) is a designer originally trained in classical music.
“In design, the visual rhythm is important to me”
Witka’s design reflects a strong understanding of product usability. Often, his designs also fill a gap in the market or add features to an existing offering.
Witka’s path to becoming a designer – why not?
Ville Witka’s path to becoming a designer is perhaps not very traditional. As a child, he drew a lot and the pictures were always house plans and floor plans. Some people asked “why”, but Ville wondered “why not?”. The house design was a shared connection to his grandfather who, in his spare time, constructed several buildings that were considered unusual at the time. Grandfather set an example of fearlessness and freedom of thought. As an adult, Witka also designed his own houses. The traditional Finnish log house model was transformed into a modern log house on the designer’s desk, and the Witka Poolhouse collection was born, with the idea of modular space and adaptability.
The ‘why not’ attitude led to a wide variety of design projects. In addition to designing numerous different buildings, Witka was involved in interior design for Caribbean cruise ships and was able to work with world famous Japanese architect Shigeru Bani on a timber frame design. Witka also designed the first Finnish print tile product in collaboration with Pukkila Oy. In addition, he designed the world’s first patented door product based on CLT wood panel construction.
Ville Witka has carried out numerous product design projects for various companies and has collaborated with many top Finnish and international designers. In all of Witka’s designs, the Nordic design language, usability, and ecology are consistently applied, including the choice of materials. All products are designed to stand the test of time.
