Westfield Coomera was the first greenfield site development for the Sentre Group in over a decade and wood was utilized as a design element in both interior and exterior built environments.
CUTEK®’s dedicated Architectural Representative was brought in to assist the architect, designer and build teams to protect the interior wood and achieve color hues that integrate wood fittings into the overall aesthetic.
A variety of wood types were utilized in the design, with CUTEK® oil applied to Cypress and Radiata Pine Glulam beams and internal feature Blackbutt panelling.
CUTEK®’s initial involvement was to help the design team achieve a specific color on the interior wood beams overhanging the food court area. A photo of a gray wooden fence was provided as inspiration. The CUTEK® lab formulated a collection of custom Colortones that matched the brief and showcased these to the design team on site. CUTEK® continued to support the design and build as the wood’s color palette was refined. Over the course of 6 months, numerous site visits and over 20 trial colors, CUTEK® delivered a custom Colortone formulation that met the aesthetic requirements.
This led to CUTEK® being applied to numerous interior and exterior wood fittings and 3 custom Colortones being used in the project. Each Colortone was developed, tested and presented on the specific wood substrate to the design and build team in the built environment for feedback to ensure an excellent color outcome. A custom CUTEK® oil formulation was also developed that made the Colortones more pronounced on light internal wood structures.
Our dedicated CUTEK® Architectural Representative was a valuable ally in the construction and build process. Rather than being ‘salesman’ type experts, CUTEK® staff come from lumber, construction and wood coatings backgrounds. On the Westfield Coomera project, our Architect Rep initiated discussions around how Blackbutt wood performs in exterior applications that led to a change in the construction detail. Further, we were on hand to discuss installation and application methods with sub-contractors.
CUTEK® offers solutions that meet the protection and visual requirements of interior and exterior wood applications on large scale commercial projects. CUTEK® is dedicated to providing the best outcome for each project and our friendly team have the technical knowledge to assist architects, designers and builders.
Following the success of the Westfield Coomera, CUTEK® oil with custom Colortones were chosen to be used on Westfield Newmarket in Auckland – New Zealand’s largest shopping centre.