Conscientious Design – ForestOne Announces Round Six A&D Trade Competition Winners

Genevieve Vu at DC8 Studio and Clare Smyth at COBiE Group are the September winners of ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly A&D Trade program. Through the use of EGGER’s sustainable wood-based décor, New Farm State School Learning and Resource Centre and Geebung Special School Learning Centre by COBiE Group and Stockland Armstrong Creek by DC8 Studio exemplify the benefits of a conscious approach towards designing responsibly.

Both New Farm State School Learning and Resource Centre and Geebung Special School Learning Centre and Stockland Armstrong Creek showcase how EGGER products not only meet the needs of the given brief but improve the sustainability outcomes of a project. Across these two very different projects, Genevieve and Clare have contributed to the conversation around responsible design within the public sector. With their chosen materials, the two designers have considered how end users will benefit from the use of renewable and recycled content.

With their chosen materials, the two designers have considered how users of their projects will benefit from the employing of renewable and recycled content.

Stockland Armstrong Creek is an active living community for people aged over 55. Genevieve and the DC8 team were tasked with completing the original concept design as well as the finalised interior design and detailing, creating a place that connects to its surrounds. The modular design allows residents to purchase a home and adapt as desired. Inspired by the beachside town of Torquay, on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, Genevieve forged a dark and tempestuous palette. “The joinery selections use EGGER laminates and boards throughout, ranging from a beachy washed tone through to a stormy grey base and matte black shadows,” Genevieve says. In addition to the products’ aesthetic qualities, they “have great wear, impact and scratch resistance which suits the requirement for these buildings,” she says.

Genevieve utilised ForestOne to source products that would best suit the needs of her project, employing the help of ForestOne representatives to inform the material specification. “Kellie Cross [at ForestOne] was a really excellent person to have available during the design phase,” she recalls. “We worked through the subtleties of refining the palette of colour and finish through to the detailing.” Fuelled by an interest in specifying a product that the client was familiar with – as well as respecting the clients’ and her own environmentally-conscious mindset – Genevieve and the DC8 team introduced EGGER throughout the community. “Ethics and sustainability in the selection of materials are also a key priority for the client group and formed part of the project brief, with regular check-ins at most milestones, which makes EGGER a great fit as it has a negative carbon footprint.”

“The EGGER range provides a vast arrangement of beautiful finishes, while maintaining the strength required to stand up to the robust environment in learning spaces,” Clare says.

At New Farm State School Learning and Resource Centre and Geebung Special School Learning Centre, durable and sustainable materials were key in creating a safe space for growing children. Robust finishes are essential in primary education facilities – as Clare says, “kids are notoriously tough on interiors.” Focused on providing her clients with materials that create a healthier environment, Clare also strived to create a visually appealing interior space. “The EGGER range provides a vast arrangement of beautiful finishes, while maintaining the strength required to stand up to the robust environment in learning spaces,” she says. To emphasise a warm and inviting ambience, she selected the Vincenza Oak from the EGGER range of timber, which offered “the perfect backdrop to include the natural timber look with a realistic grain and texture.”

Clare has consciously chosen to work with EGGER not only for its durability but also for its sustainable properties and commitment to innovation. “EGGER’s closed-loop production line that utilises sustainable forestry is something that stood out to us when understanding the products’ origin,” she expresses. Evidently, this project demanded a nuanced and informed response, and as Clare says, EGGER products “give us peace of mind for the responsibility we hold.” Tasked with meeting a tight timeline and dealing with a range of changing factors associated with designing a school, Clare required an in-depth understanding of the specified products, and she also worked with ForestOne Specification Consultant Kellie, who “was always at hand to ensure delivery and availability was not an issue.”

Both New Farm State School Learning and Resource Centre and Geebung Special School Learning Centre by D8 Studio and Stockland Armstrong Creek by COBiE Group are characterised by warm, inviting and highly functional spaces. As deserving winners of ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly A&D Trade Program, the projects also demonstrate the environmental projects EGGER’s eco-friendly wood-based decors.