The TAS Architects team can boast a new skill: spoon carving. We took some time out of the studio to learn about types of trees and how to create a spoon from a simple block of wood.

Our workshop was led by Jonah Maddox of Hertswood, who makes beautiful items from many types of wood, from bowls and vases to bird tables and shelves. And, of course, spoons. He often makes use of fallen trees in the local Ashridge forests. 

Jonah talked to us about how he selects different kinds of wood for different purposes. He often experiments by either leaving items to dry slowly or putting them in the sun to speed up the process to see how the wood changes. He also took us for a walk in the area around our Hertfordshire office to explain where different trees are most likely to appear in their natural habitat. 

If you’d like to follow in our footsteps, Jonah runs spoon carving workshops in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.