Designing with Nature: Why Architects Have Always Chosen Wood

Sally Put
Jul 9
3 min read

In today’s fast-paced world of synthetic surfaces and throwaway trends, wood stands out as a timeless material. Architects have relied on it for centuries to bring warmth, integrity, and a sense of place to their designs. At Di Legno, our story began with an architect’s vision: to create oak floors that elevate interiors through natural beauty, sustainable choices, and craftsmanship that endures for generations.

But what is it about wood that makes it such a profound choice for conscious designers? We turn to the words of some of architecture’s greatest minds to answer that question.

Frank Lloyd Wright: “Wood is Universally Beautiful to Man”

Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the pioneers of organic architecture, believed wood was more than a construction material. It was an extension of human life itself. As he famously expressed:

“It is the most humanly intimate of all materials. Man loves his association with it, likes to feel it under his hand, sympathetic to his touch and to his eye. Wood is universally beautiful to Man.”

Though often paraphrased, this statement captures Wright’s conviction that wood connects us emotionally to our homes, softening spaces and making them truly livable. (Inspired by The Natural House, 1954.)

Peter Bohlin: “Wood Tells You About Itself”

In an interview with Architectural Digest (October 2006), Peter Bohlin, the celebrated architect behind Apple’s iconic stores, explained why wood remains so compelling:

“Wood is a material people connect to because, as with stone, they can imagine where it came from… It has emotional and romantic qualities, it tells you about itself.”

Bohlin’s words remind us that natural materials offer authenticity. They provide a visible story of origin, growth, and transformation, a story Di Legno aims to preserve in every oak plank we craft.

Intenso Ravenna Di Legno — Intenso - Ravenna

Alvar Aalto: The Sensory Power of Wood

Finnish architect Alvar Aalto valued wood not only for its timeless beauty, but for its deep connection to human well-being. In his writings, he praised its biological qualities, its kinship with nature and humans, and the pleasant sensation it offers to the touch.

For Aalto, wood was never just a material. It was a living element that shaped healthier, more human-centred spaces. In projects like the Paimio Sanatorium, he demonstrated how wooden interiors could nurture both body and mind, long before concepts like biophilic design became mainstream.

(Inspired by insights from Alvar Aalto: Between Humanism and Materialism, MIT Press, 1998)*

Kengo Kuma: Recovering Place through Wood

Contemporary Japanese architect Kengo Kuma takes the conversation further, viewing wood as a key to restoring harmony between architecture and its environment:

“You could say that my aim is ‘to recover the place’. The place is a result of nature and time… I think my architecture is some kind of frame of nature. With it, we can experience nature more deeply and more intimately.”

(El Croquis 156, 2011; Anti-Object, 2008.)

Kuma’s philosophy resonates deeply with Di Legno’s mission to create floors that do more than occupy a space. They enhance its relationship with light, air, and the natural world.

Peter Bohlin on Balancing Materials

Bohlin also spoke about the importance of honoring each material’s unique strengths:

“Marrying wood and steel successfully involves finding a way to combine them when they’re each the most important material for the situation.”

(Architectural Digest, 2006.)

At Di Legno, we share this respect for thoughtful material selection, combining oak with architectural elements to create balanced, timeless interiors.

🌿 Di Legno: Born from an Architect’s Vision

These insights are more than inspiring quotes. They form the heart of Di Legno’s approach. As a brand founded by an architect, we believe design must start with responsibility. It means choosing materials that age beautifully, support well-being, and honor their natural origin.

Our oak floors are crafted from responsibly managed European forests, using slow aging techniques that enhance each plank’s unique character instead of masking it. The result is floors that are tactile, timeless, and designed to grow more beautiful with every year of life.

Why Wood Still Matters Today

In the age of fast fashion and disposable interiors, these architects remind us of a simple truth. The most sustainable choice isn’t the trendiest; it’s the one that endures.Wood, with its natural warmth, repairability, and ability to bring spaces closer to nature, embodies that truth better than any synthetic alternative.