SterlingOSB Zero from West Fraser is a well-loved material for architects and designers who are looking to incorporate an industrial vibe to work and leisure spaces
After transforming Bloc Projects’ Sheffield art gallery to incorporate artist, administrative and shop/reception space, and local social enterprise architecture practice, Studio Polpo turned to SterlingOSB Zero to create a series of bespoke, interlocking furniture pieces known as Bloc Objects.
“The clients were artists, and the Objects had to fit into an arts space, which was an important aspect of the design, rather than being purely functional elements,” explains Studio Polpo’s Mark Parsons.
‘A supporting timber structure which is conventionally hidden by fabricators’
The pieces – a desk, a storage unit and a display stand – were created by marrying smooth white Himacs solid surface material with SterlingOSB Zero. “We deliberately chose the materials to emphasise the extreme contrast between the utilitarian SterlingOSB Zero and the perfectly smooth finish of the Himacs,” says Studio Polpo’s Jonathan Orlek. “Our design plays with the ability to invisibly join the solid surface material but reveals a supporting timber structure which is conventionally hidden by fabricators,” he adds.
The desk has four flat sides finished in pure white solid surface material with the SterlingOSB Zero mainly visible in the chair recess. An open storage box, lined with SterlingOSB Zero, punches from one side of the desk. The smaller storage unit, with its outer surfaces also finished in gleaming white Himacs, doubles as a small table.
One side of this unit incorporates a rectangular recess to accommodate the desk’s storage box. This allows the two pieces of furniture to be amalgamated to form a single long table. The third element is a freestanding leaflet stand, sized to be stored under the desk when not in use.
The supporting structure emphasises the difference between smooth and rough
“When we decided to reveal some of the supporting structure, we also emphasised the difference between smooth and rough,” says Orlek. Parsons elaborates, “SterlingOSB Zero has a beautiful texture and colour and is doing a lot of the work, while Himacs is this perfect high-end material that is almost a veneer; we were trying to give them both equal billing”.
To find out more about West Fraser’s support for architects and to access useful downloads visit the architects’ page.
For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit https://uk.westfraser.com/.
