Jordan Whealan is a furniture designer and maker whose work explores the relationship between natural materials, contemporary interiors, and human connection to the built environment. A graduate of the Bachelor’s Degree program at HDK-Valand – Campus Steneby, Jordan combines a foundation in traditional craftsmanship with an experimental and material-driven design approach.
Originally trained in traditional furniture making and craft in Ireland, Jordan developed an early appreciation for the intelligence and character of natural materials. This background continues to inform his practice, while his current work expands beyond conventional furniture design into more exploratory investigations of form, materiality, and spatial experience.
During his final year at HDK-Valand Steneby, Jordan was awarded the Slöjdföreningen Scholarship for his thesis project, “Tension,” recognizing both the quality of his work and his innovative approach to material exploration.
Jordan’s professional practice is centered on the use and incorporation of natural materials in modern interiors. Themes of biomimicry and biophilic design consistently influence his projects, reflecting a desire to create environments that strengthen the connection between people and nature. More recently, his work has focused on developing a deeper relationship with materials through form, investigating how design can communicate the intrinsic qualities and behaviors of wood and other natural resources.
His process typically begins with direct experimentation and sketching in locally sourced materials such as solid wood and veneer. Rather than imposing predetermined solutions, Jordan allows material properties to guide development, embracing a broad and responsive approach that enables design ideas to emerge through making. This material-led methodology encourages unexpected outcomes and reveals new possibilities for form, structure, and function.
While functionality remains the ultimate objective of his work, Jordan views the design process as inherently nonlinear. He believes that meaningful, long-lasting design emerges through exploration, testing, and an openness to discovery. As a result, his contemporary projects are often less focused on producing finished products and more concerned with investigating new ways of understanding materials, craft, and their role within modern living environments.
