Functional Specifying – Specified Responsibly Trade by ForestOne
Committing to the practice of sustainability in design, winners from ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly Trade, Alexandra Morris of Morris Co Design and Marina Bachas at Cayas and Ward, endeavour to showcase why specifying sustainable materials is imperative to the life cycle of a project. With use of EGGER materials, both designers have contributed to the ongoing dialogue of sustainable materials within the commercial industry.
Focusing on functionality and sustainability, ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly Trade encourages designers to think eco-consciously when it comes to identifying materials for their builds. When specifying EGGER’s range of sustainable wood products, designers are automatically put forward into the 2023 Grand Prize draw to win a trip to Interzum, held in Cologne, Germany. Alexandra Morris, Founder of Morris Co Design and Marina Bacha at Cayas and Ward have been entered into the prize pool having showcased their use of EGGER’s premium range of wood-based decors and how their separate designs – Gift N News and Parkwood Tavern – reflect the life cycle of materials.
Located within Forestway Shopping centre in Frenchs Forest, Alexandra Morris produces a gift shop newsagency that combines sustainability and aesthetic design. By working closely with ForestOne representative Annette Fanna, Alexandra found the right products that met her design requirements. “We specified EGGER, firstly, because the colour palette worked in perfectly with our scheme and, secondly, because of the sustainability factor,” Alexandra says. With a focus on creating a split between a typical newsagency and gift store, Alexandra’s material choices help to visually delineate the difference between these two sections. “Warm oak timbers have been contrasted against dark charcoal and wicker pendants were added to soften the overall affect.”
Working with a variety of national retail rollouts, Alexandra is constantly searching to specify materials that are durable, cost effective, sustainable and offer a wide availability of range. “The work we do has a very quick turnaround from the start to end of construction,” says Alexandra. “Material choice is key in ensuring that the project gets delivered on time and within a budget.” However, Alexandra’s fast-paced work does not negate the use of sustainable materials. “ForestOne are all about environmental sustainability and responsible sourcing,” Alexandra supplies “Working with their products means you are making a good choice for the environment.”
Focusing on functionality and sustainability, ForestOne’s Specified Responsibly Trade encourages designers to think eco-consciously when it comes to identifying materials for their builds.
Before beginning the design of the Parkwood Tavern, Marina Bacha at Cayas and Ward knew that working with an already established building of 20 years would require attentive consideration when it came to material selections. Through the refurbishment of Parkwood Tavern, Marina set forth with particular intentions. “The design rationale was to introduce a splash of forest green to enhance the indoor-outdoor connection,” Marina says. “The intent was to create a fresh and welcoming entertainment space for a diverse demographic.” With the intention that Parkwood Tavern would be used by young families, university students and hospital workers alike, the design choices encompassed many different tastes whilst motioning to the history of the tavern. “We always try to keep as much as we can from the original architecture and to create a design that complements the existing building,” Marina notes. “Instead of demolishing the bulkheads in the terrace […] we decided to create interesting arched openings, which formed a focal point for the new glazed doors.” Additionally, the finished design kept over 90 per cent of the existing ceilings and added feature elements to bring about a refreshed modern appearance to the tavern.
Choosing to work with ForestOne due to their extensive range of EGGER products, Marina explains that they were “instantly drawn to it for its beautiful range of colours, textures and realistic timber looking laminates.” Throughout Parkwood Tavern, Marina used EGGER laminate finishes. With the understanding that EGGER wood-products come from “100 per cent legal and controlled sources,” Marina adds that her choices were complemented by EGGER’s range of colours. “Apricot Nude, that works perfectly with our colour palette […] along with the Natural Hamilton Oak and black timber frame,” Marina explains. Furthermore, the Parkwood Tavern was designed with the understanding that most hospitality venues become obsolete in a matter of years. This means that Marina’s empathetic material selection was done with deliberation. “We must be thoughtful of the finishes we specify for our designs,” Marina says. “The main aspects we need to consider are durability and the life cycle of the materials we use.”
With the help of ForestOne, Alexandra Morris of Morris Co Design and Marina Bacha at Cayas and Ward have created functional and durable commercial spaces with EGGER products. Choosing reliable and ethically sourced materials, both designers have contributed to the conversation of sustainably focused designs for the commercial sphere
