ForestOne Announces EuroCucina Round 10 A&D Trade Competition Winners for January
Constantly striving to be environmentally conscious through their material choices, the team at Deicke Richards, including Jiale Yuan and Magda Myszkowski, and Sasha van Melick of Peddle Thorp have been named as ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly EuroCucina Trade Competition winners for January. By specifying responsibly with EGGER wood decor products, the winners have gone into the draw for a chance to win the 2024 Grand Prize of a trip for two to EuroCucina in Milan, Italy.
By specifying EGGER’s wood decor products, the Deicke Richards team and Sasha have incorporated environmentally conscious materials in both of their projects. For a school project in Brisbane, Deicke Richards opted for White Grey U775 ST9 decorative board to uplift the interiors, alongside Natural Halifax Oak H1180 ST37. Sasha used Caramel Nude U830 ST9 decor panels and a variety of other colours to bring a more contemporary edge to the Stage 2 expansion of the Mater Hospital Springfield, also in Brisbane.
Deicke Richards’ most recent project was a school for the Queensland Department of Education, which presented a comprehensive development opportunity for the firm. “We were engaged across multiple stages, spanning from initial feasibility studies and master planning to architectural documentation and interior design,” says Magda Myszkowski, a senior interior designer at Deicke Richards. “Our scope encompassed the design and planning of various components of the school campus including the general learning area, administration buildings and sport and recreation facilities.”
Following the brief for a space that prioritised safety, warmth and comfort, the Deicke Richards design fosters a sense of calm. “Utilising a simple and soothing colour palette, we aimed to create an environment with low arousal levels, thereby enhancing student focus and staff wellbeing,” says Magda. Deicke Richards employed EGGER’s compact laminate in White Grey and Natural Halifax Oak. “EGGER is frequently chosen due to the efficiency of its large board sizes, resulting in less material wastage, especially for full-height amenity partitions and benchtops,” she explains.
As sustainability is an integral part of the firm’s approach, the long-term ownership of buildings by its clients is integral to the process. “We also prioritise materials with durability and longevity, and EGGER’s board products meet these criteria while also being cost-effective and sustainable.”
Working with ForestOne’s specification representative, Kellie Cross, Deicke Richards was able to focus on the project knowing it was specifying materials responsibly. “Kellie’s conscientiousness and prompt responsiveness to our requirements – including timely delivery of samples and necessary information – greatly assisted our decision-making process and ensured we stayed updated with stock levels and the latest sampling.”
For Stage 2 of the Mater Hospital Springfield in southern Brisbane, Sasha specified a variety of colourful timber-look laminates including Caramel Nude U830 ST9, Purple U420 ST9 and Siena Orange U350 ST9. “With such a large footprint, the hospital departments are differentiated through feature colours to create well-defined spaces,” she explains. Additionally, “the colours in our finishes palette are selected for their psychological benefits as they assist in creating calming spaces in an environment that can typically be a stressful place for many.”
Without denying that aesthetics play an important part in the specification process, Sasha also points out the benefits of the materials’ durability, sustainability and suitability to the end-user. “EGGER’s antibacterial and responsible material properties align with the client’s infection control standards and GBCA [Green Building Council of Australia] Green Star rating requirements,” she says.
With sustainable design close to her heart, Sasha understands that she can embed sustainability into the built environment and make positive contributions. “Last year I became a GBCA Green Star Accredited Professional [GSAP], equipping me with the knowledge and expertise to guide projects through Green Star certification,” she says. “I’m also a key contributor to Peddle Thorp’s Environmentally Sustainable Design team, ensuring environmental awareness is present in our culture and designs.” With her passion and knowledge, Sasha aims to “educate clients and fellow designers on the importance of environmentally sustainable design and provide responsible design options.”
Additionally, working with ForestOne’s representative, Kellie Cross, simplified the entire process. “Kellie ensured we were informed early on and delivered, in person, multiple alternate selections allowing for minimal interruption while meeting the initial design intent of the project.”
By producing environmentally conscious designs, Deicke Richards and Sasha van Melick have exemplified responsible specification with EGGER materials. Entered in the draw for ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly EuroCucina Trade Competition with like-minded designers and architects, the January winners encourage others to follow their lead and specify responsibly.
