Raw innovation: globally-sourced timber

As a country that loves timber, the New Zealand marketplace is a continually evolving one, moving through trends and styles of timber as we embellish our love of this natural product. Timber features in some of our most significant heritage buildings, as well as in some of the most innovative contemporary projects.

Of late, the country’s largest timber importer has seen a move towards the raw, the imperfections of natural timber, as well as a renewed desire to use timber sourced from sustainable plantations.

So it was in line with these market shifts that Hermpac developed their new branding to signify their consistent ethos and clearly articulate this to the market. Their new logo depicts the outline of both a house and a tree and is encircled within a green background – to signify their prioritisation of the environment.

“Adding green to our logo is no accident: it’s a bold reminder that we have a responsibility to source timber from legal, well-managed forests. Our commitment to this is unwavering,” Hermpac’s Steve Carter says.

“We’ve been striving to shape the building landscape with innovative products since 1974 and our new logo reflects this.”

While the last few years were dominated by the desire for the crisp cleaness of perfect timber – timber without the imperfections that make it what it is – of late, that’s been surpassed with raw imperfection.

“People want to see the knots, the imperfections, the character – all the things you can’t replicate with other products,” Steve says.

“We’re also seeing timber being specified throughout the interior and exterior, particularly in residential settings.”

That often means, for example, vertical cedar cladding will be continued into the interior using the same profile for an entranceway.

Hermpac imports timber from around the globe but some of its most sought-after timbers are sourced from Canada, the United States and Europe.

Canadian Western Red Cedar remains Hermpac’s most prolific timber, with Siberian Larch a quickly rising choice for both interior and exterior settings. “American White Oak is still popular for interiors. What sets us apart in the marketplace though, is our ability to allow architects to literally design whatever they want, because we have the ability to machine our timber in 4,000 different profiles,” Steve says.

Make sure you visit Hermpac on ArchiPro he to see their new branding and the latest in timber innovation.