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Designed by de La Vega Architects who have been executing projects around Australia and across the globe, Mama Fuego is a culinary fusion of South American and Australian cuisine,making the restaurant’s main material choice of an Australian timber, a perfect fit. Crafted by Justin Macri and his team at their Sydney based facility Metric Joinery,the venue’s joinery, bar tops, kitchen, coffee counters, wine fridge, sunken lounge, tables, wall panelling, banquet seating, and feature zig-zag half wall, are all made from sustainably sourced Tasmanian Blackwood.

“It was the first time I had used Blackwood and the timber performed beautifully. I really enjoyed working with the Blackwood and the client loved how the few Blackwood elements were coming together so much that the amount of Blackwood specified tripled in size,” says Macri.

With modular construction, the Blackwood pieces came to life through a collaborative effort between the architects, de la Vega Architects and Metric Joinery, and were manufactured to be easily dismantled with knock-down connections and then shipped overseas where the pieces were assembled like a puzzle.Using state of the art technology alongside traditional methods like wood turning to create 200mm diameter expertly designed and crafted table legs, each piece was hand finished with a Danish oil to show off the timber’s natural lustre and to achieve a pristine final product.

“We always employ the latest technology in all of our projects, but the finishing touches are done by hand. The work ability of the Blackwood enabled us to achieve a great end result. Blackwood is a beautiful product,” says Macri.

As Tasmanian Blackwood remains a favourite amongst joiners,architects and furniture makers within Australia, the use of Tasmanian Timber in the international market has begun to take off.Shawn Britton, Managing Director of Britton Timbers, one of Australia’s leading timber suppliers, says they’ve noticed Tasmanian Blackwood has raised the interest of architects and designers abroad.

“Over the past five years, we have seen a steady increase in demand for Tasmanian Blackwood from international clientele, primarily the USA, Japan, Korea and the UK. As Blackwood is so versatile for internal fit-out, joinery and furniture, we have found that some international customers involved in architecture and design are looking for something different to the standard American species that they have specified for years.” says Britton.

With the increase in demand for Tasmanian Blackwood, Britton explains that is readily available for domestic and international markets.

“Britton Timbers have been exporting small volumes of Tasmanian Blackwood for decades and while it is not available in huge volumes like some species, it is readily available–direct from Tasmania, in a range of solid timber of varying dimensions as well as decorative veneer and panel products,” says Britton.

The swamps of north-west Tasmania have been the primary source of high-quality Blackwood for more than a century. This resource has been the cornerstone of Tasmania’s fine furniture industry over that time and Britton shares he’s proud to see Tasmanian Timbers reaching the upscale international market.

“Having seen the completed project first hand in London, I can attest that the finished article is simply stunning and it certainly makes me proud to see our Tasmanian timber used in such a high profile project in London. There are not many species in the world as beautiful as Tasmanian Blackwood that you would have confidence shipping the finished article across the equator pre-dabbed ready to fit together on the other side of the globe,” says Britton

Britton Timbers General Manager Shawn Britton says the acquisition aligns perfectly with the company’s ongoing strategies to produce quality decorative timber and timber products for the furniture and joinery industries, including meeting the increasing demand for natural timber products in commercial applications.

“The Somerset facility produces decorative veneers and veneered panels, primarily in Tasmanian Oak and Tasmanian Blackwood as well as small volumes of myrtle, huon pine, celery top pine and sassafras. The mill is operated by a highly skilled team of over 20 employees and we are thrilled to secure their employment and welcome them to the Britton Timbers team. Specialty Veneers has a loyal customer base that we will continue to supply with the same high-quality product they are used to and the mill’s current processing capacity will also be maintained.” said Mr Britton.

The Seed House: Fitzpatrick’s timber monument

James Fitzpatrick has been designing buildings across Australia and Southeast Asia for the past 30 years. As the founding partner of Fitzpatrick+Partners, one of Australia’s leading architectural design studios, the firm has come to be known for pushing the boundaries on technology and building systems with every new build. When it came time to design his own family home on Sydney’s lower North Shore, Fitzpatrick curated the ultimate mix of materials. The design includes his signature combination of geometry, an engagement with the surrounding environment, and a dedication to sustainable and natural materials. The result is the staggeringly impressive Seed House.

With a desire to create a space in harmony with the surrounding scenic lush bushland, sourcing sustainable and natural materials was of utmost importance. Choosing various species of Tasmanian Timber to shine throughout the home was an obvious choice for Fitzpatrick. The timber met the high standards and environmental focus of the modern home, and also brought back memories of Tasmania’s North West and West Coast, where Fitzpatrick was born and grew up.

Timber rich in character

Purchasing the Sydney property eight years ago, the Fitzpatrick’s took that time to understand the site and its ecosystem. Armed with this knowledge and a clear objective to create a long-term home that would develop its own character with age and patterns of use, the palette of materials and products was carefully chosen.

Fitzpatrick’s admiration for Tasmanian Timbers began long ago, so the long lead time allowed him to grow his already existing collection of Huon Pine and to source Celery Top Pine and Blackwood from recycled or renewable sources. Blackwood timbers were always intended to feature in the furniture of the house, and the search commenced to find the perfect logs and slabs.

Within the Seed House he used his spectacular collection of Huon Pine in the bath house for shelving and wall panels and the Blackwood now shines in the heart of the home, beautifully showing off the grain and character across the entry hall and kitchen joinery.

Throughout the rest of the home, the Tasmanian Celery Top Pine was used for the structural columns, floor and wall linings, doors and exposed stud walls.

“We quite often get asked why we used such a wide variety of Tasmanian timbers in the home and it comes back to my roots- being born in Tasmania, growing up and studying there. It’s what I was surrounded with so using this timber is bringing part of that into a different environment and it’s bringing part of my history into the house.

It’s important that a house tells many stories and this house is full of memories and collections of stories not just from myself but also my wife and the children as well. Tasmanian timbers were all selected obviously to work together but also selected because of the stories they have.”

While using timber generally is important, it’s Tasmanian Timber that Fitzpatrick has a particular fondness for.

“What we like about Tasmanian Timber is that there is a story attached with the species and it’s a story you can touch and a story you can hold and share. It’s also about the locality of the timber, it’s a part of our continent and a part of our history.”

Sustainability and stories aside, as with all architects, aesthetics is always considered which is another reason for the choice of Tasmanian Timber throughout The Seed House.

“When you walk into a timber building it just feels beautiful, it feels warm, it feels inviting in the detail. How often do you hear a person say, ‘look at this lovely aluminium windows or glass table.’; it’s an inherent touch of nature that we all really love as humans.”

Using timber is good for the environment

This is not the first project of Fitzpatrick’s where timber was predominantly the main component of the structure and design. Using timber more and more often for its sustainability and carbon sequestering and structural properties, it’s becoming commonplace in Fitzpatrick’s projects.

“People are starting to understand that using timber is good for the environment which is good for the people of the building and good for the wider world.”

We thought about ways in which we could use the timber to express the integrity and honesty of the material but also look at new environmental technologies and systems from all around the world and how we could bring those into Australia and get them to a residential home and make something special. These concepts were front of mind for this project.”

Specialising in large scale commercial and entertainment projects, Fitzpatrick+Partners have enhanced cityscapes across Australia through carefully considered design using a framework set around geometry and the environment.