Conscious Specifying – ForestOne Announces A&D Trade Competition Winners

ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly A&D Trade Competition asks designers and architects to consider a product’s lifetime energy use when specifying. Focusing on this ambition, the winning designs of Sandberg Schoffel Architects and Outline Design Office highlight how the EGGER decorative wood products helped to fulfil the architects’ eco-conscious ethos.

Achieving a design vision without compromising on sustainability is a central challenge for architects and designers. The Specified Responsibly A&D Trade Competition recognises those who are rising to the challenge, with specifiers of EGGER sustainable wood products automatically submitted into the 2023 Grand Prize draw to win a trip to Interzum, held in Cologne, Germany. Actualised through the use of EGGER’s range of premium wood-based décors, Sandberg Schoffel Architects and Outline Design Office’s projects – a residential new build and a premium spec suite – showcased the versatility of the material.

When it comes to designing sustainably, in addition to emphasising reuse of existing materials, the team at Sandberg Schoffel Architects “look for materials that have a low carbon input in their manufacture and supply and then a low maintenance regime for their lifetime,” Michael Sandberg, Director, declares. In the case of Pavilion House, a lightweight time-framed home based around passive, energy-efficient principles, “we specified the EGGER Natural Kendal Oak Reproduction Laminate on 12mm Particleboard sheet for our ceilings,” he says. The building has been designed to close into zones for heating and cooling, while raised ceilings allow for solar access and natural ventilation flow. Seeking a product that was prefinished and low maintenance, “we also liked this material as, once it is installed, we don’t need any further finishing – so no sanding, painting or scaffolds in the space, which speeds up the build process.”

When it comes to designing sustainably, in addition to emphasising reuse of existing materials, the team at Sandberg Schoffel Architects “look for materials that have a low carbon input in their manufacture and supply and then a low maintenance regime for their lifetime,” Michael Sandberg, Director, declares.

Where Pavilion House demonstrates a commitment to responsible specification in a residential project, Outline Design Office’s L20 Spec Suite Riverside Centre showcases a similarly conscious approach in a commercial context. Responding to the brief, “each spec suite was designed to have its own unique design aesthetic,” Jacinta Condon, Director at Outline Design Office, explains. Looking for a consistency in finishes, Jacinta was drawn to EGGER for to the “sophisticated range of timber-look laminates with matching edging that is seamless.”

Sustainability measures are integral to Outline Design Office’s approach. “We are always seeking ways to ‘do better’, and the EGGER products we used supported these requirements well,” Jacinta says. “[ForestOne Queensland Representative] Kellie Cross, was incredibly helpful in providing product information, samples and specification details,” she recalls. “In talking to the representatives, you also get to know more of their sustainability initiatives that aren’t necessarily advertised.” This is key to Jacinta and her team’s excitement about the prospect of a more sustainable future in the world of design. As she expresses, “sustainability has become a much broader social issue that is seeing all industries challenging themselves to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.”

“We are always seeking ways to ‘do better’, and the EGGER products we used supported these requirements well,” Jacinta says.

In specifying with ForestOne and EGGER decorative products, Sandberg Schoffel Architects and Outline Design Office have created sophisticated, sustainable spaces with EGGER products. Aiming to both minimise its own carbon footprint and support the industry to do the same, ForestOne has aided the designers in their exploration of finding the right material to meet their sustainability aspirations – a worthy goal celebrated by the Specified Responsibly A&D Trade Competition.