The Paparoa National Park Visitor Centre has been built with sustainability at the forefront. Designed by Shepard and Rout Architects, the visitor centre hosts a cafe, open plan shop, meeting space, toilets, and an attached education experience space. The design aimed to complement and integrate with the surrounding environment, while also creating a welcoming and engaging space for the estimated half a million yearly guests.

The visitor centre, which has been designed to curve around the existing Nikau Forest without disrupting it, features a green roof on the exterior, while inside timber has been used to bring a touch of nature to wall linings and cabinetry. These timber elements play a key role in meeting the project's sustainability goals, and helping to integrate the building in its surrounding environment. 

Due to its reliability and strength, Plymasters Euro Birch Multiply was chosen for joinery throughout the visitor space, including product displays and bespoke counters for the cafe and information centre. The long-lasting nature of birch and its quick growth also makes it a great renewable resource, contributing to the sustainability goals of this huge project.

Plymasters Euro Birch Multiply offers durability in high traffic areas with an aesthetically pleasing, light timber finish. Made with 100% birch and a marine grade glueline, it is a premium product that offers the strength needed for commercial spaces. 

The attractive multiply layup of Plymasters Euro Birch Multiply allowed JB Joinery to create unique cabinetry with vertical lines, tying in with the vertical ceiling paneling and timber window cladding. The JB Joinery team creatively layered Euro Birch Multiply plywood both vertically and horizontally in the counters, shelves and cabinetry, resulting in striking joinery that emulates the imperfect lines found in nature and adds to the natural feel of the space. The strong screw holding power of birch provides the peace of mind that JB Joinery’s cabinetry and displays will withstand engagement with guests and staff.

Ultimately, incorporating timber elements including the Euro Birch Multiply plywood helped to create a warm, welcoming space that effortlessly connects the indoor and outdoor spaces, and encourages visitors to explore all areas of the centre.