The Responsible Specifier of The Year
Words Brett Winchester Photography Cieran Murphy
While many outstanding projects were entered into the ForestOne’s A&D Trade Competition, Genevieve Vu at DC8 Studio was the lucky winner to secure the grand prize of a trip to the INTERZUM trade fair in Cologne, Germany. Held in May, INTERZUM 2023 offered Genevieve the chance to learn more about the latest innovations in sustainable specifying and to gain further insight into EGGER’s ongoing commitment to a circular economy.
One of ForestOne’s Trade Promotion winners in round six, Genevieve specified responsibly by utilising EGGER’s robust and sustainably manufactured laminates and boards throughout Stockland Armstrong Creek, an active living community for people aged over 55 near Geelong, Victoria. After being awarded the grand prize, the designer attended the prestigious INTERZUM trade fair, accompa- nied by ForestOne Specification Representative Kellie Cross and Group Decorative and Specification Manager Darryl Ball. “INTERZUM exceeded my expectations,” says Genevieve, who returned home with a renewed passion for sustainability. “This was my first trade show and the scale of the information available was tremendous.” With hundreds of suppliers and fabricators show- casing their products over the four-day event, INTERZUM gave Genevieve the opportunity to learn more about innovations currently being developed worldwide. A focal point for the trip was the EGGER exhibition held in the INTERZUM Boulevard of Sustainability, where Genevieve and Kellie met with Dr Martina Bender, the Product Sus- tainability Manager of EGGER group, who shared details about the EGGER approach to sustainability, recycling
and the lifecycle of the company and products. Here, Genevieve says, they were able to develop a deeper understanding of EGGER’s mission to create a circular economy and given a preview of EGGER’s latest decors “to see new innovative products, as well as their absolute focus on sustainability,” states Genevieve. There was also the opportunity to learn from other companies and exhibitors at the trade fair. “The exhibi- tion’s central theme of ‘new ecology’ brought together a collection of new, innovative materials as part of the trend forum ‘Materials and Nature’,” Genevieve says. “It was encouraging to see so many products and their fabricators honestly answering and showing the data to any claims of sustainability and carbon costs.” As Genevieve’s winning design was for a public sales and community building, she had the advantage of seeing first-hand “how other coun- tries interact with public spaces,” she says. In addition to giving Genevieve an array of opportunities to learn more about sustainability, the trip also provided the chance for her “to visit cities and spaces that had been a part of my architectural education and practice”.
“It was encouraging to see so many products and their fabricators honestly answering and showing the data to any claims of sustainability and carbon costs,” says Genevieve.
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