More than 80% of the municipality of Kočevje is forested so it is quite unusual that the wood, this fantastic natural resource, is so underused here. To challenge this, they launched Festival of wood to encourage the people about the opportunities that lies within the forest. To remind the local community about the value of wood as natural resource and to connect with entrepreneurs and increase positive thinking in town that struggles with one of the highest unemployment rates in Slovenia.

Every year there is a diverse events schedule with a buzz about the town. This year the international industrial design contest "Primeval Chair - from idea to prototype." The Festival invites applications for a industrial design contest of a wooden chair as a tribute to the primeval forests of Kočevska region in Slovenia, home of the Festival. The aim is to create a simple, functional and ergonomically designed chair, which will, in addition to its primary function, raise awareness (contemporarily speaking) about the importance and effect that man and nature have when co-existing.

The purpose of the contest is not only to design but, bringing the story to life by creating a pre-production prototype made with modern tools and ready for wider distribution.The four winning designs will receive the development of pre-production prototypes that will feature at the Festival of Wood, on the partnering platforms and promoted in the media. Manufacturing the final product from the initial 3D design model is the key step of the industrial design process. So often all these great ideas and concepts remain on paper and never see the end result – a market-ready product. Here you can vote for your best chair design.