Architects Workshop

IWTO has initiated a new education project for wool in the interior textiles sector. The project was held in New Zealand, hosting a five-day seminar with eleven of the world’s top architects in Christchurch. The architects talked about using wool and getting a hands-on feel for wool from inside the farm gate through to the finished product. This event aimed at renewing interest and understanding by architects in using wool in both domestic and commercial buildings and covered carpets, bedding and other interior textile uses. The benefits of using wool rather than synthetic fibres, especially for its luxury, health and safety attributes as well as fire resistance is a major theme of the seminar. The focus this seminar can bring to the wool industry will have long term benefits that should increase the demand of wool in the Interior Textiles Sector.

These architects are amongst the most influential in the world and changing the way they specify the finishes, particularly in large buildings such as hotels and office blocks is important to encourage a wider use of wool.

Participants came from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Spain, The Netherlands and USA. The following architects and designers are participating in the workshop:

• Iris Wex, O-D-I sprl international, Brussels
• Louis Becker, Henning Larsen Architects A/S, Copenhagen
• Lars Vejen, schmidt hammer lassen design, Aarhus
• Carlo Weber, Auer und Weber Assoziierte, Stuttgart
• Wolfram Putz, Graft Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH, Berlin
• Jan Kleihues, Kleihues + Kleihues, Berlin
• Takaharu Tezuka, Tezuka Architects, Tokyo
• Manuel Bailo Esteve, bailo+rull ADD + ARQUITECTURA, Barcelona
• Gerhard Pfeiler, Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes, Paris
• Branimir Medic, de Architecten Cie, Amsterdam
• Giorgio Borruso, GIORGIO BORRUSO DESIGN, Marina Del Rey
• Heinz Richardson, Jestico Whiles Architects, London

The rest of the architectural profession takes note of what these people do and the follow-on effect to other architects is expected to be both real and significant.

International cooperation partner from the architecture and interior design side for the project is ‘AIT – Architecture – Interior – Technical Solutions’, the leading European magazine for architecture and interior design.

The project is executed jointly by IWTO, AIT and the New Zealand Wool Industry

This new initiative is financed jointly by the New Zealand Wool Industry and other IWTO members.

Related files:

Slideshow presentation of the participating architects