Southern Ocean Lodge by RW Joiners
RW Joiners know a thing or two about working with timber. What started as a small family business 40 years ago has grown into a team of 35 staff and a 4000-square-metre factory. Now a second-generation family business, RW Joiners are industry leaders, constantly striving to be at the cutting edge of technology while upholding traditional joinery skills that have become a scarcity amongst emerging trades. While located two hours west of Brisbane in the town of Toowoomba, the team are regularly involved in projects across Australia and often abroad. Recently, RW Joiners were called to provide the joinery for Baillie Lodge’s newly established luxury accommodation, Southern Ocean Lodge, on the cliffs of Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Needing a timber that could withstand the often tumultuous weather conditions of the island while exuding a sense of luxury, Tasmanian Blackwood was chosen for its durability and alluring timeless beauty.
Over the span of 12 months, RW Joiners spent countless hours in the workshop creating the custom joinery for the lodge’s 19 suites, spa, restaurant and wine cellar- all out of Tasmanian Blackwood. With the architects pushing the boundaries on the design of the lodge, RW Joiners happily rose to the challenge to provide and execute joinery that required immaculate precision and an exceptional eye for detail. Learning and practising the art of steam bending timber, the team drew from the skills taught by an expert traditional timber craftsman to execute the brief. Using CAD drawings provided by the architect, templates for the rest of the joinery work were manufactured off-site in Toowoomba, and the pieces were numbered and carefully loaded onto seven trucks to be assembled like a jigsaw puzzle on site.
“The other materials used in the project were governed off of the joinery and because we’re in Queensland and the project site was in South Australia, there was no tolerance for error, everything had to be exact,” says second-generation joiner, Ryan Wilson.
Tasmanian Blackwood: the perfect timber for Southern Ocean Lodge
RW Joiners were thrilled to be working with Tasmanian Blackwood. They worked closely with Britton Timbers, who supplied the 70 cubic metres required to execute the joinery for Southern Ocean Lodge.
“We were looking for a durable timber, and we needed a species that could withstand the fluctuating temperatures often experienced on the island. Many days it’s freezing in the morning, hot by noon and then cool again at night. Blackwood is a very stable timber and can easily withstand this type of temperature change. It was the perfect choice,” says Wilson.
“Blackwood is a darker timber, which is what we were looking for, but its colour is rich with beautiful variation compared to other timbers similar in strength. It has a lot of character while being warm and inviting, perfect for the lodge,” says Wilson. “It also machines well.”
Selecting the right timber for each application
With extensive experience in using various timber species, Wilson stresses the importance of selecting the right material for the right application.
“The right material must be chosen for the right application. For Southern Ocean Lodge, timber was certainly the hero material, but we wanted to ensure that its use was appropriate depending on the location within the lodge. In wet areas, we opted for a 2-pack finish for durability. In the wine cellar, the space is lined with veneer, but we chose a hardwood where the wine is stacked to ensure the longevity of the timber.”
To ensure consistency throughout the lodge and in the case of the Flinders Suite, RW Joiners specified Blackwood veneer sheets that matched the timber used in the joinery.
“Britton Timbers provided twenty sheets of Blackwood veneer for the suite, that had a similar tone and texture to the timber used in the joinery.”
“Timber is a natural product, which is what we love about it, so we knew there would be small differences in the timber, but we wanted the timber to blend and to not have too much variation in colour between say the feature wall and the furniture. The veneer provided by Brittons blended beautifully with the joinery features,” says Wilson.
The craft of timber and the trusted partnership with Britton Timbers
Reflecting on their long history with Britton Timbers, Wilson says Britton’s has remained a consistent, trusted and reliable timber supplier.
“We’ve worked closely with Britton Timbers for 20 years; 90% of the timber we have bought has been through them. In June, we took a trip to Tasmania to look at their mill and the forests, and the trip was fascinating. It was the best work learning trip I’ve ever been on. Seeing the work and care that goes into their whole timber process is mind-blowing,” says Wilson.
Highlighting the importance of sustainability in the timber selection for Southern Ocean Lodge, Wilson says the selection of Tasmanian Blackwood made perfect sense.
“If using sustainable timber is important to you, compared to timbers that have a similar profile to Blackwood found in New Guinea or Malaysia, why wouldn’t you choose Tasmanian Blackwood?”
“Using a local timber was important to the client, and we would have been mad not to choose a local timber. The lodge is very self-sufficient, environmentally friendly, and celebrates its Australian identity. Tasmanian Blackwood made perfect sense to meet the requirements of the brief.”
Reflecting on the craft of working with timber, Wilson says a future without timber would be scary.
“A lot of our work involves timber, which we’re proud of. We have a passion for keeping the trade of working with timber going. Our apprentices are all trained on-site as joiners first. It’s a dying trade, but it’s scary to think about a future without timber.”
