VANTAGE Windows & Doors
Roofing Industries
ALTHERM Window Systems
Dimond Roofing
Juralco Aluminium
SPAX
Prolam
Case Studies
PGH Bricks
Metwood
saveBOARD
Hassell's new Melbourne studio, housed inside I.M. Pei's landmark tower at 55 Collins Street, is built around a deliberate contrast. Step out of the lift and you're met with a dark, enveloping corridor with no natural light a deliberately unsettling arrival. Find the door sensor, and the space opens into a sweeping, light-filled studio with panoramic views across the city.
That contrast is delivered largely through saveBOARD Paperfaced, with more than 400m² lining the fitout. Hassell asked saveBOARD to perforate the ceiling panels, then left the surface raw, painted directly over the board's natural texture rather than concealing it. The studio also features what are believed to be the first pink saveBOARD walls installed anywhere a colour and finish combination that hadn't been tested at this scale before.
"We love it when clients push our product further than we expected," says Paul Charteris, CEO, saveBOARD. "This is exactly the kind of relationship that shows us what's possible with our material."
Beyond the finish, the numbers matter. saveBOARD panels are made from 99% recycled content, largely soft plastics and packaging fibre otherwise destined for landfill. The Hassell installation alone diverted 3,000kg of recyclable packaging waste from landfill, and the project's full lifecycle carbon footprint (A1-A5) including manufacture, transport and installation comes in at -1,547kg CO2e. Net carbon negative, from production through to a finished, occupied space.
For Hassell, the studio needed to do two jobs at once: signal the practice's design ambition to visitors and prove that sustainable materials don't mean compromising on atmosphere or finish. saveBOARD's willingness to take on an unconventional brief perforation, raw texture, an untested colour made that possible. This project is a finalist in the Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) 2026.
saveBOARD is manufactured in New Zealand and available directly via [email protected] or 022 392 6390, or through the Trade Desk at leading merchants.
Product: Paperfaced internal lining
Popular Products from saveBOARD
Most Popular
Popular Blog Posts
