When Fisher & Paykel embarked on designing their new Auckland Experience Centre they were keen to embrace natural materials representing Ngati Whatūa Orakei's ancestral narratives.  This design partnership, in collaboration with  Alt Group and Knight Associates has seen the creation of the main social kitchen and the wine experience area using our Toitū Totara Veneer as the key cabinetry material to complement Fisher & Paykel's impressive range of appliances.  It also appears in the scullery, classic kitchen and apartment kitchen areas.

For the project, our Wood Source Manager Guy Stewart secured a North Island windblown Totara estimated to be around 800 years old that had been salvaged as part of quarry operations and which is now included in our Track my Tree database, confirming the origin, permits and other relevant information.  Our Veneer Category Manager Johnny Dobbyn was involved in hand-selecting all the Toitū Totara layons made by our Auckland veneer team once the tree had been harvested and sliced into leaf.

Hewe Architectural Cabinetry were responsible for the stunning joinery in the main social kitchen and wine experience areas - the Toitū Totara was clear-coated in a 2k water-based clear polyurethane to bring our the richness of this gorgeous New Zealand native veneer.   

Toitū Totara was stained a darker walnut colour for use in the scullery, classic kitchen, apartment kitchen and onboarding wet bar with joinery and installation carried out by Dimension Shopfitters.

Emulating the look of solid timber, Prime Toitū Veneer is notable for its mis-matched leaves laid up in a planked effect, meaning a more sustainable yield from each tree and also making it much easier and more economical to match panels.  There is a huge variation in the colour throughout the veneer panel giving a richness and complexity that isn't possible with more traditional layons.