The project
Produced as a series of seven for Lyreco Denmark, this award was given to winners whose prize was a trip to Morocco. Each recipient qualified in a different area, so every base is engraved individually.
The approach
A themed award has to look like the destination without turning into a souvenir. The approach here was to borrow the architecture rather than the imagery: the keyhole arch, the zellige tilework, the pierced mashrabiya screen. Those forms carry Morocco immediately, and they also happen to suit laser cutting and layering, so the theme and the production method agreed with each other instead of fighting.
How it was made
The award is built up from layered components and stands around 20 cm tall. The arch frame is 3D printed. The lattice layer is laser cut acrylic, sitting in front of a vivid orange sheet that shows through the pierced pattern, with further layers building depth behind it. The base is solid oak, cut into a sand dune profile and engraved for each recipient. The finished piece is an assembly of 3D printed and laser cut parts brought together into one object.
Where the same approach works
When a theme has strong geometry behind it, the decoration and the manufacturing can be the same decision. Pierced repeating patterns are what a laser cutter does best, so the design leans into the process rather than working against it. The same approach suits themed award series, incentive and recognition programmes, and any piece tied to a destination or a campaign.
