DESIGNBUILD 2015 WRAP UP

DesignBUILD 2015 has wrapped up and what a success it was. Builders, developers and architects were the staple, but the 2015 event also opened its doors to new categories of visitors including interior designers and landscape professionals. What attracted the audience and differentiates DesignBUILD from the usual exhibition or fair is the applicable nature of the products on offer. That is, the building materials that are foundational to the built environment, from scaffolding to wall finishes and everything in between.

Rather than use the fair as an extension of the showroom, wholesalers are using it as an extension of the Internet. Where this works well is with the tactile products, and in particular stone, which in reality can vary greatly from an image. Limestone Australia for example, has a range of products that differ by nuances of tone, textural finish, light absorption and even glow, yet it is not until the hand and eye experiences the product that it can be truly appreciated. Similarly, Wollombi Sandstone offers a range of extraordinary stone that well deserves the off line experience.

Where understanding a product’s application benefits from a demonstration, such as ArchiCad™, the fair becomes a neutral, no pressure forum to ask questions and see what the product brings to the table.

Another leader in the Interior Fixtures & Finishes Pavilion was Wood Solutions, with quick interactive demonstrations of how wood can be used in all sorts of environments. The Wood Solutions website includes a range of free downloadable technical design guides as well as a range of case studies, performance data and software.

Fairs are for discovering new and innovative products and DesignBUILD has delivered with some exceptional products. Toto, for example, are using industrial wastes to produce foam ceramics. Delivered as lightweight panels for interior and exterior use (including as thermal roofing), the panels present a range of attributes including an excellent form of insulation, but can also be used with integrated panels in timber or stone. The result is an extremely lightweight wall with a stone or timber fascia that can be made to include other attributes such as anti corrosive or fire preventing.

And this is where DesignBUILD, whether the Interior Fixtures & Finishes Pavilion or the fair itself, is good. It’s not a showroom for the brands and companies we see everyday, nor is it a furniture fair. And why should it be? There are excellent showrooms aplenty. What it is, and what it does well is provide a place to learn about new products and resources. Moreover, it is a place for specifiers to add a few unique products to their little black book.