Primary Wool Co-operative (PWC), strong advocates for the strong wool sector, have been working to unite with other industry members to raise awareness and promote uses of the versatile fibre.
“We have a commitment to our growers to actively work together to strengthen and unite the New Zealand wool industry through strategic collaboration,” said Bay de Lautour, Chairman, PWC.
The Co-operative put these words into action and in March sponsored Campaign for Wool NZ - Weekend in a Woolshed. Designed as an educational weekend workshop, nine leading architecture graduates were mentored by design industry leaders, to think outside the square when using wool in their design.
The challenge for the group was to look at alternative uses for wool in design as well as position and value wool clearly in the consumers’ minds as a material which is desirable for its technical, ethical and comfort values.
PWC representatives, Bay and Hamish de Lautour spent an afternoon at Ngamatea Station with the graduate designers and Campaign for Wool NZ.
The designers were eager to learn and the mentors – including Home magazine; Massey University textiles; AgResearch and Stephen McDougall, CFW NZ Architect Ambassador - were just as keen to impart their knowledge about the fibre. PWC actively took part in the collaboration with industry members - all with a passion to educate and inspire the next generation about strong wool and its multitude of uses in architecture and build environments.
After working up initial concepts using strong wool, the designers are now refining their designs and will work with selected partners to turn their concepts into reality. Both PWC and Just Shorn™ are looking forward to partnering on some great design ideas –the knowledge from projects such as Weekend in a Woolshed will cause a ripple effect in design communities into the future and is invaluable for New Zealand’s strong wool sector.