Sustainable Materiality – ForestOne Announces Trade Competition Winners

Continuously encouraging the use of innovative, sustainable materials, ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly Trade competition not only promotes responsible materiality but encourages an ethos of designing for a more sustainable future. Every month, two winners are drawn and go into the Grand Prize draw for a trip for two to INTERZUM 2023 in Cologne, Germany.
Sustainability is a central design challenge, and this month’s winners of the Specified Responsibly Trade competition Claudia Jarjoura and Edith Makra’s use of EGGER products showcases how the right materials are key to reducing environmental impact of a project.

Claudia Jarjoura, Director of Jarjoura Design, collaborated with Swerve Design and Design Delta Architects to create a tri-level, state-of-the-art penthouse crafted with materials by EGGER. Refreshing the outdated interiors, Jarjoura Design created a sophisticated series of interconnecting spaces that exude an overarching feeling of comfort. Of the choice of materials, “we specified EGGER not only for its highly sustainable, eco-conscious properties, but also for its beautifully coloured and textured selection of products,” Claudia says. “For the casual lounge area, for example, we specified their Brown Tossini elm laminate, which has a rich timber look hue and lovely warm timber texture.” In addition, the matte grey of the Dark Steel laminate was chosen for its “interesting nuances of light and shade. Both of these products complemented our design in a very elegant, contemporary way.”

Working with ForestOne to meet these stringent specification goals, she was introduced to EGGER wood-based materials by Area Manager Jelena Matic.

Understanding the social and environmental impact is key to the studio’s approach to material specification. Through this focus, the designers eschew materials that do not demonstrate an environmental awareness. “We feel we have a responsibility to play a role in preventing the depletion or damage of our natural resources and environment by making informed choices, so together we can achieve a better world for us and future generations,” Claudia reflects. Working with ForestOne to meet these stringent specification goals, she was introduced to EGGER wood-based materials by Area Manager Jelena Matic. “She explained in detail how the product was conceived, the methodology and objectives behind EGGER in preserving our forests as much as possible, through the recycling of timber and its by-products to produce green energy, as opposed to using fossil energy on their production line,” Claudia recalls. “She also explained how the company implements logistical strategies to minimise their carbon footprint, avoiding transporting timber by truck over long distance to sawmills.”

Similarly, for Edith Makra, Senior Designer at RFA Architects, selecting the material palette for a project is a crucial part of the design process. Despite having never used EGGER products before, she recalls seeing the samples in the office and recognising it was an “opportunity to use a product that was sustainably certified.”  With an array of products to choose from, ForestOne representative Annette Fanna helped Edith to home in on the materials that suited her needs best. Working with ForestOne in this way provided confidence in the selection – “it is good to have peace of mind that what you are specifying actually works,” Edith says. “As designers, it is good to know where your products come from and that they have a proven sustainability. Clients will look to you for guidance and expect you to put your best foot forwards. So, it is important to put forward products that you believe in.”

As specifying responsibly becomes increasingly important and emphasised in both the private and public spheres, architects and designers have a duty to deliver on sustainability for their clients. “When you know a project is going to be around for 10 years, you do not want everything going to landfill. So, using products that are natural, as much as possible, is high on our list,” says Edith. Trusting EGGER to deliver materials that fit her brief, Edith was able to design with complete confidence. Knowing that sustainability practices will take time to implement across the industry, she continues to push forwards in hopes that others will follow. “I look forward to seeing sustainability inherent in the way we design, not a catch phrase or seen as a part of a design methodology, but just the way it is, with every design and every build.”

Trusting EGGER to deliver materials that fit her brief, Edith was able to design with complete confidence.

Working with EGGER laminates, panels, worktops and finishes, both winners of the Specified Responsibility trade competition exemplify how these products support the delivery of environmentally friendly projects.