Students create bespoke furniture from premium Tasmanian Timbers
Students at one of Sydney’s most decorated technical secondary colleges, Northern Beaches Secondary College (NSBC) Freshwater Senior Campus, had the unique opportunity to use premium Tasmanian timber as a part of their HSC Major Project, crafting Tasmanian Blackwood and Oak into fine custom furniture.
Year twelve students that enrolled in the specialized course ‘Industrial Technology Timber’ used the Tasmanian timbers as a part of their HSC Major Project to create a bespoke piece of furniture of their choice. Leading up to the hands-on craftsmanship of the furniture, students learned various forms of technical woodworking skills, including creating sketches and digital images, before creating a full-scale prototype to grasp their concept and refine the making process.
Lead by their teacher, acclaimed furniture designer-maker Ben Percy, students were encouraged to explore designs, styles and designers from which to draw inspiration for their projects. Putting their woodworking knowledge and skills to work, students created various pieces of furniture including chairs, coffee tables, an entertainment unit and a bathroom vanity.
“Students typically only experience working with low-grade timber for their Major Project. The students were very appreciative to work with fine Tasmanian hardwoods, donated by Britton Timbers, that are also certified and come from a reputable company,” says Percy.
Presenting their projects at an exhibition-style ceremony, Director of Britton Timbers Shawn Britton presented the students with the ‘Most Creative Design’ and ‘Best Use of Tasmanian Timber’ awards along with $750 in tool vouchers.
“Giving the Freshwater Campus students the opportunity to use and experience Tasmanian hardwoods was a pleasure. These students are our up and coming craftspeople and designers of tomorrow and need to be exposed to various forms of materials. Witnessing the hard work and dedication the students put into each individual project was impeccable and really was a beautiful display of Tasmanian Timber.”
Carrying on the longtime tradition of the fine craftsmanship of Tasmanian timbers in Sydney, Tasmanian Blackwood has been used for the creation and construction of fine furniture and decorative uses in New South Wales for 150 years.
NSBC Freshwater Campus has a long association with Britton Timbers, who supply Tasmanian Blackwood and Tasmanian Oak amongst their range of timbers.
