In praise of wood

WOOD is a material of endless possibility rich in texture, versatile in use, and deeply embedded in human history.

- PRACHI SATRAWAL

Pradip Krishen, an environmentalist, author of Trees of Delhi: A Field Guide and Jungle Trees of Central India, former filmmaker, and restoration expert, captures this perfectly: "Wood is absolutely fascinating and delicious to work with. I deal a lot with living trees and dead trees. I find that quite a nice combination, as both are completely different things." Sitting in his Delhi home, surrounded by furniture crafted from lesser-known woods, Pradip reflects on his journey that began over three decades ago. "My interest in wood started in 1992-95 when I was building a house in Pachmarhi. At that time, teak was ₹2,000 per cubic foot, and I couldn't afford to buy all the structural wood, doors, and windows in teak," he recounts.

Woody journey

He began searching for alternatives. "I asked a forester friend if it was possible to buy wood from forest depots. You need to know what you're looking for," he explains. He turned to Dietrich Brandis' book, written by India's first Inspector General of Forests, which included details on the trees of the region.

"I made a list of about 12 to 13 species that should have been available in the forest depot." After navigating the auction system, Pradip managed to acquire 10 of the 12 species he had listed. "The average cost came to 140 per cubic foot. Then I learned how to season woods.

We had really wonderful results with the grain. This was 30 years ago," he says. Pradip has since developed an expertise in using "waste woods", ones that would otherwise be discarded or used for firewood.