COILLTE PANEL PRODUCTS SUPPORT PRODUCT REUSE FOR GRADUATE DESIGN SHOW

9th December 2009 - Press release

In 2008, Coillte Panel Products donated SmartPly OSB and Medite MDF panels to South East Essex College of Arts and Technology in Southend, Essex, for the creation of a reusable exhibition gallery structure for the first ever design graduate show hosted by the College. Following on from last year's inaugural show, the 2009 graduate show has proven another great success, and it was once again supported - literally - by Coillte's panel products.

The cool and contemporary modular exhibition base was developed by the UK's premier exhibition stand supplier Nimlok in conjunction with Coillte Panel Products and the college. The 2009 stand reused SmartPly for the high traffic floor, already trodden by hundreds of visitors in 2008, and Medite Premier was again reused for the walls, providing the neutral flat surface for displaying the work of nearly 50 students graduating with BA (Hons) degrees in Digital Animation, Graphic Design and Interior Design.

Coillte Panel Products has a long record of working with students and colleges across the UK - from Newcastle to Kingston-Upon-Thames - and their premium MDF and OSB products enabled the construction of a simple classic gallery which is being used again and again. “Our work with students range from design projects, through to exposure to our materials and manufacturing processes. The original design for South East Essex College's graduate show was deliberately developed to be as easy to deconstruct as it is to make, and it is really standing up to the intended repeat use. Not only did our FSC certified products meet the original sustainability requirements, but their quality enables the College to use the gallery time and time again,” said Geoff Rhodes, Coillte Panel Product's marketing & business development director.

When constructing the exhibition stand in 2008, Nimlok build supervisor Dan Cooke said, “Creating a design with someone else's materials is always a challenge but Medite and SmartPly were straightforward, easy to use products, particularly as we needed to construct a structure which had as long a life as possible. The design we used blended both the paramount importance of reusability with the feeling of a permanent structure.”

The exhibition of graduating design students' work is essential at the start of their careers; being seen by the commercial world is the first step toward being a success. Dave Taylor, BA (Hons) Interior Design course leader at South East Essex College said, “The gallery has again worked exceptionally well, and adapting it for the 2009 show was straightforward. With Coillte Panel Product's help we have for a second year created a solid, understated backdrop for our show. It has really enabled the student's work to shine, as well as giving us the chance to showcase the college as a whole, and we are already planning for the 2010 show!”