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In 2024 we are proud to support the Australian Interior Design Awards (AIDA) as a corporate supporter. The AIDA Awards is a not-for-profit program that strives to celebrate interior design excellence via their industry-based program which is supported by the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and Artichoke magazine. Endorsed by the DIA and the Australian Institute of Architects this awards program is the professional program of choice amongst the established design community. With a range of awards categories spanning across all commercial market segments, a truly diverse range of top projects are celebrated.

In 2024 the awards program sees seven primary categories, two optional categories and four automatic categories of awards. This year GH Commercial are supporting the ‘Best of State for Commercial Interior Design’ category, a brand-new category to the AIDA Awards line up in 2024. The ‘Best of State for Commercial Interior Design’ category encapsulates the best of interior design across all commercial primary categories which spans across a broad range of commercial segments. Here at GH Commercial, we are passionate about design and striving to provide flooring solutions to create beautiful interiors. Partnering with the AIDA Awards gives us the opportunity to celebrate leading designers and draw inspiration from the impressive portfolio of projects recognised.

Supporting the ‘Best of State for Commercial Interior Design’ category.

Proud Supporter Of The Australian Interior Design Awards 2024

For Lachlan Howell, passion for sustainability was born alongside the Great Ocean Road – and it’s been a crucial part of his career path ever since. Here, Lachlan talks about how his perspective on sustainability has evolved, GH Commercial’s updated sustainability framework – and the company’s latest initiatives in that space.

Download this whitepaper today.

Download our Sustainability eBook 2023 today

Sustainability eBook 2023

Our local investment in people, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution provides total supply chain capability, ensuring quality control and consistency from product design, right through to delivery. We are proud to have a loyal and long-serving inclusive and diverse workforce while managing organisational renewal to ensure an excellent mix of new thinking and deep knowledge.

Celebrating the incredible faces behind our local manufacturing.

Faces Of Australian Manufacturing

Together, we are stronger. Here at GH Commercial we have come together with Dreamtime Flooring to create a partnership that is a first of its kind and distinctive within the Oceanic region. GH Commercial and Dreamtime Flooring bringing First Nations artists work to life in a distinctive alliance unlike any other.

Dreamtime Flooring is a 100% Indigenous owned flooring business that aims to provide the missing link connecting culture, artwork, and flooring. Josh Haddock the Managing Director of Dreamtime Flooring is a proud Yorta Yorta man raised in Morwell, Victoria on Gunai Kurnai Country, Josh wanted to create a business that celebrated Indigenous culture through flooring while engaging with other Indigenous owned businesses, helping to streamline income back into Indigenous communities.

With over 150 years manufacturing experience, we wanted to take our learnings as a business, and share our knowledge across manufacturing, sales and our wider business with Josh, and his team of flooring experts, to help further Dreamtime Flooring’s success. The partnership model flips the traditional method where ultimately sales are kept with Dreamtime Flooring, which ensures that growth is kept with an 100% Indigenous owned business, creating a unique model that is unlike any other within the current industry.

<blockquote>
“Partnering with GH Commercial has been an incredible journey, developing from two very different business dynamics that through time and understanding created the building blocks to pave the road towards a real partnership”. - Joshua Haddock, Managing Director of Dreamtime Flooring
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
“We are here to break the mould as a large corporate business. Our goal is to build on a foundation of collaboration and as the Dreamtime Flooring x GH Commercial partnership continues, each respective business grows and creates a stronger community of businesses, artists and support for social needs around our country.” – Joel Williamson, National Commercial Sales Manager, GH Commercial.
</blockquote>

Here at GH Commercial we are excited to work with Dreamtime Flooring and to continue support their growth to continue to be the leading partnership within this space as well as continuing the inspiring changes that Dreamtime Flooring are influencing with the Indigenous community. In 2024 we are taking our partnership with Dreamtime Flooring and launching our official product collaboration!

Coming together with Dreamtime Flooring in a unique alliance.

Together We Are Stronger - Dreamtime Flooring Partnership

Visualise in real time using GHC Go! 

Here at GH Commercial we are excited to launch our GHC Go Visualiser App that provides a new tool to assist in finding the best flooring solution for your next project. Browse a wide range of our commercial flooring styles, from carpet tiles, to hard flooring and broadloom carpets directly on the GHC Go App.

Visualise your flooring selections in real-time using built-in augmented reality within your space. With GHC Go, virtual reality makes selecting a commercial flooring for a project a breeze. With no log in required, visualise your flooring in real time on this immersive platform.

Available now on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/ghc-go/id6450460139">Apple App Store</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mohawkgroup.ghcgo&amp;pcampaignid=web_share">Google Play Store</a>.

GHC Go Visualiser App

On the 12th of October 2023 we were thrilled to host our Design Discussion Event at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane. The night entailed a mix of intriguing discussions, inspiring art installations and networking opportunities for our interior design and architect community. This evening was designed to foster connections and bring industry professionals together, whilst exploring the challenges and opportunities around participatory design. 

We were honoured to begin the night with a private viewing of the ‘Gone Fishing’ exhibition and be joined by graduate of the National Gallery of Australia’s Indigenous Arts Fellowship program, and curator of ‘Gone Fishing’, Katina Davidson where she took us through the creation of ‘Gone Fishing’ and the meaning behind the exhibition. Drawn from the QAGOMA Collection, ‘Gone Fishing’ presents Indigenous Australian artists’ works that affirm this cultural, social and recreational activity. Alongside the display of fish traps, spears, nets and depictions of leisure, the exhibition also showcases works responding to discussions of rising and warming seas, water contamination, and the struggles faced by Traditional Owners to continue to care for their sea Country.

We then invited our guests to be seated in the elegant River Lounge space within QAGOMA that boasts views over the Brisbane River that were illuminated by the city lights. Claire Beale, Head of Learning at the Design Institute of Australia joined us to moderate our evening of in-depth discussion. Claire currently works with the Design Institute of Australia teams to deliver programming that enables designers to continue their own professional learning and share their expertise. Discussion surrounding the importance of participatory design and the relevant limitations was undertaken within each group which uncovered a range of individual insights that illustrated the breadth of experience within the room. Inspiring discussion flowed throughout the night alongside an expertly crafted two course meal that showcases the best fresh local produce. 

Claire then formed a panel comprised of a mix of individuals from different regions across Australia where all those in attendance where able to listen in on the differing learnings of individuals in relation to the discussion topic. With Claire’s own extensive experience within the design field led an authoritative discussion that embraced all experiences within the room. Thank you to all of those who attended and contributed towards such distinguished and impactful discussions!

Design Discussion Event - a night to bring industry professionals together to explore design challenges and opportunities. 

GH Commercial Design Discussion Event

Geelong Arts Centre has recently reopened after extensive renovations bringing revitalised performing and event spaces to the art community of Geelong and surrounds with a unique design that reflects Geelong’s history, culture and creativity. Here at GH Commercial we are proud to support the Geelong Arts Centre through a donation to The Church Giving Campaign. This campaign focuses on the redevelopment of the mid-1800s Church located in the heart of the Geelong Arts Centre creative campus.  Through The Church, the Geelong Arts Centre will be able to further nurture and foster incredible talent and to provide opportunities and pathways for artists to practice and further hone and develop their craft. We are also proud to be a part of the Name A Seat Campaign where our donation is recognised in The Story House where some of the top regional performances will be held.

Supporting the Geelong Arts Centre through a donation to The Church Giving Campaign.

Geelong Arts Centre Donation

The presentation equips architects and designers with essential insights to confidently specify carpet products for diverse projects. It begins by highlighting the importance of carpet fibres, covering both natural and synthetic options. The process of fibre treatment and preparation is explored, emphasising its impact on the final product's performance and appearance.

Key takeaways for architects and designers include understanding the factors influencing fibre selection, ranging from aesthetics and performance needs to location considerations.

Furthermore, the presentation offers a comparative analysis between cut pile and loop pile carpets, elucidating how fibre choice influences the visual and tactile qualities of each type.

Fibre Significance: Grasping the role and types of carpet fibres in production.

Selection Expertise: Navigating the selection process based on aesthetics, performance, and location.

Impact on Carpet Types: Discerning how fibre choices shape the unique attributes of cut pile and loop pile carpets, enabling precise design decisions.

 

Australia: <a href="https://www.archify.com/au/education/gh-commercial/detail/carpet-construction-and-performance-unravelling-the-craftmanship-underfoot">Watch webinar via partner Archify</a> and claim formal CPD Points.

New Zealand: <a href="https://teulo.co/events/teulo-ed-acoustic-thermal-wastewater-carpet-fibre-and-roofing-part-two/">Watch webinar via partner Teulo</a> and claim formal CPD Points.

CPD Points:

<ul><li>1 Australian Formal CPD Point (Design competency)</li>
	<li>10 NZRAB Points (10 Design competency)</li>
</ul><a href="https://www.archify.com/au/education/gh-commercial/detail/carpet-construction-and-performance-unravelling-the-craftmanship-underfoot"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/archify.png" /></a> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/nzia-approved.png" /> <a href="https://teulo.co/events/teulo-ed-acoustic-thermal-wastewater-carpet-fibre-and-roofing-part-two/"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/teulo.jpg" /></a>

Discover the factors influencing fibre selection, ranging from aesthetics and performance, providing confidence to correctly specify carpet products for your projects.

Carpet Construction & Performance: Unravelling the Craftsmanship Underfoot

Godfrey Hirst and GH Commercial are proud supporters of PNG Foundation, an organisation that provides Kamea people in remote Papua New Guinea access to health, education, and infrastructure.

The PNG Foundation aims to provide primary healthcare access for all Kameas, improve nutrition status, improve hospital buildings and implement an effective vaccination program to prevent communicable diseases. They believe that education is the foundation for children to reach their full potential. Their aim is to improve school infrastructure and provide access to supplies, electricity and communication.

Every year, PNG Foundation welcomes volunteer health and other professionals from Australia to visit Kanabea. These skilled individuals, including doctors, nurses and allied health workers, provide valuable services to the clinic and outposts. Additionally, other professionals such as plumbers, painters, and carpenters have also contributed by renovating existing buildings. School supplies were donated to the Kanabea primary school and cement for 2 additional classrooms.

Godfrey Hirst and GH Commercial are proud supporters of PNG Foundation.

Supporting The PNG Foundation

GH Commercial is a supporting sponsor of Geelong Connected Communities (GCC), which provides a 24/7 online grants platform to help not-for-profit organisations fund their programs.  

With a history of over 150 years of local manufacturing in Geelong, we share a value in giving back to the local community and supporting like-minded organisations in diverse industries like arts and culture and events.

GCC has established partnerships with more than 300 non-profit organisations in the area. Together, they have successfully completed 777 meaningful projects and distributed a total of $2,199,118 to support initiatives aimed at improving the lives of the people in Geelong.

GH Commercial are proud to support GCC’s goal of 1000 grants by 2025, helping keep the Geelong region strong through all community segments.

Photography: <a href="https://www.planetdesigns.net/planet-designs-overland">Planet Designs Overland</a>

GH Commercial is a supporting sponsor of Geelong Connected Communities.

Supporting Geelong Connected Communities

As part of US Climate Week, Mohawk Industries, our parent company is proud to announce the release of their global ESG Report. For us in Mohawk Oceania, there is a lot to celebrate having been the first carpet manufacturing company to achieve carbon neutral organisational status in both Australia and New Zealand, completed our first Reconciliation Action Plan and more. You can read further about our local and global achievements in our complete report. 

Within our inaugural localised ESG Report, we outline our united efforts globally and draw on cases locally, across a range of environmental, social and governance issues. In performance and governance we continued to deliver a Zero Harm workspace achieving ISO 45001 standard in all Australian sites. We delivered our third Modern Slavery report continuing our commitment to ensuring our suppliers meet our expectations laid out in our Supplier Code of Conduct. Our connection to community continues to play a pivotal role through our local and national initiatives. 

As the Oceanic subsidiary of Mohawk Industries, we are proud to belong to a global network of leading products, brands and world-class manufacturing and we know that our future depends on the work we do today. Here at GH Commercial, we summarise our commitments to our planet, people and our performance within our Believe in Better® framework This framework outlines how we challenge ourselves to do and be better every day, how we make decisions, how we reinvest in our people and our planet, and how we define what matters most as we work to deliver value for generations to come.

<a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/sustainability">Learn More</a>

<a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/v1/apps/ghc-web/sustainability/docs/Mohawk_ESG_Report.pdf">Download the Sustainability Report (10MB)</a>

Announcing the release of Mohawk Industries global ESG Report.

2022 ESG Report

In pursuit of celebrating artists with disabilities in the Oceanic region, our <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/collections/social-canvas">Social Canvas Collection</a> is proud to support genU’s Arts Programme by providing an annual donation. genU is an organisation that is driven to ensure everyone’s lives are happier and healthier, especially people with disabilities, the ageing and those experiencing disadvantage. 

Originally founded in Geelong as a play-centre for children with disability in 1952, genU services and support have greatly expanded over their 70+ year history.

Today, they are a team of 3600 employees and volunteers across 169 locations across Australia. They are also profit-for-purpose and committed to reinvesting surpluses into services to promote inclusion in the community. Through their Arts Programme, genU offer day programs across five locations, James Street Gallery studio and further diverse community art programs. 

This donation supports James Street Gallery by providing a soundscape element to support their upcoming exhibition RISE, at the Geelong Gallery. The James Street gallery provides artists experiencing disability access to studio use, their mission is to provide a welcoming and accessible studio for artists with disabilities. Since 1997, they have supported local and studio artists in more than 140 exhibitions. 

<a href="https://www.genu.org.au/">Learn more about genU</a>

The RISE exhibition features a collaborative installation created by the various artists from genU’s, James Street Gallery and Eastern Hub Studio located in Geelong. The totemic structures are created from paper mache and individually express each artist’s unique markings. The exhibition enables each artist to showcase their own individual creativity whilst presenting amongst other artist’s works as a whole. The structural whole signifies a community that can rise through mutual support while celebrating and encouraging diversity.

At GH Commercial, our commitment to our planet extends beyond just products and processes: it’s how we challenge ourselves to do and be better every day, how we make decisions, how we reinvest in our people and our planet, and how we define what matters most as we work to deliver value for generations to come. We work to partner with local and global community initiatives that strive to improve lives where our team members, customers, and stakeholders live and work in order to contribute back to the communities that we operate within.

<a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/collections/social-canvas">View our Social Canvas Collection</a>

Our Social Canvas Collection is proud to support genU’s Arts Programme by providing an annual donation

In Support Of genU

Lorena Gaxiola + Gallies have partnered with the Feltex design team to bring an entirely new concept of floor coverings and fashion-inspired carpet designs to life. Drawing from a diverse range of creative disciplines, this exclusive collection is set to add vibrancy and life to any space.

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/collections/lorena-gaxiola">Collection </a>available now.

The result is a captivating combination of unique, artful pieces and gentle movements that come together in a curated series of prints that can be used to create either subdued or vibrant atmospheres within any commercial interior.

&nbsp;

<blockquote>
"Crafting self-identity through unique floor coverings &amp; fashion-inspired carpet designs." - Lorena Gaxiola, Interior Architect and Designer
</blockquote>

Lorena Gaxiola + Gallies have partnered with the Feltex design team to bring an entirely new concept of floor coverings and fashion-inspired carpet designs to life. 

Lorena Gaxiola + Feltex Collection

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/v1/apps/ghc-web/images/lorena-feature-sm.jpg" />

Lorena Gaxiola, an internationally acclaimed interior architect and designer renowned for her expertise in creating bespoke spaces that add value to any project.

With over two decades of experience, Lorena has worked across Europe, the US, Australia and China, making her well versed in global market trends.

Based in Sydney, Lorena leads a team of multi-faceted female creatives, dedicated to offering clients a holistic approach, combining conceptual architecture, interior designs, product development and branding to deliver a client-centric service.

In this exclusive interview, she talks about the influences, concepts and ideas that have made her an award-winning Interior Architect &amp; Designer who provides strategic and unique solutions for progressive property developers across the world.

“My nature is to be very curious, and I am a gutsy person,” she says.

“I don’t tend to design under one aesthetic. I like to say that I bring form and function to my clients' requests or that I’m a curator of their vision”.

Lorena, who is American with a Mexican background, grew up in a family of architects and builders that inspired her down the path of interior design. She now heads up a renowned all-female creative agency based in Sydney that specialises in creating bespoke spaces.

When Lorena was working on interior design for the new 47-storey building, The Lennox, in Parramatta she was adamant that the many corridors would not have lacklustre carpets. She took this vision of stand-out flooring to the next level by designing her own carpets for the building in collaboration with GH Commercial.

“Working with the GH Commercial internal design team we were able to create a beautiful pattern inspired by the riverfront, and we were able to produce it and the builder liked it and the developer liked it, and it looks amazing. It’s an artwork in what could have been a dull corridor”.

Lorena went back to the GH Commercial team to discuss flooring designs for her upcoming projects. The team was keen to collaborate further, and she is now developing a bold new range of commercial carpets with them.

Lorena says the element of surprise is everything in commercial design.

“Operators need to have a sense of surprise, it’s highly competitive out in the market and travellers are becoming a lot more savvy. And then we have social media now as a way to express and show people how it can be an Instagramable moment so really this is why the pop of colour and strong artwork is important in dull spaces and I think this is where the trend is definitely heading in hospitality”.

She believes colour is under-utilised in hospitality design, with people underestimating the power of colour theory.

“Imagine how much information people are seeing every day through social media. How do you stand out? Colour is the way to stand out…It is a way to grab people’s attention because it’s a memory point. Colour really affects the mood of a space in a room”.

She says with people exposed to so much media and so many images these days it’s easy to be inspired by other designers' work and play on that. But when it comes to the big brands, they don’t want to look like anyone else.

“People need to be surprised. People need to be original, especially the big brands”.

When asked about her dream design project, Lorena said she is lucky enough to have ticked just about every box already.

“This year I’ve even been invited to design a synagogue in California. A yacht is the only thing I haven’t done yet, or perhaps something in the Metaverse”.

<a href="https://podcast.architectureanddesign.com.au/episode-176-lorena-gaxiola-on-the-changing-trends-and-challenges-of-hospitality-design/">Listen to Episode 176: Lorena Gaxiola</a> on the changing trends and challenges of hospitality design.

Listen to Episode 176: Lorena Gaxiola on the changing trends and challenges of hospitality design.

Talking Architecture & Design Podcast with Lorena Gaxiola

We are honoured to have been recognised at the Better Future Sydney Design Awards 2023 winning Gold in the Best Product Design – Commercial and Industry category. This award celebrates creative and innovative design for either a component or overall product. Consideration is given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function. As the world’s largest network of design award programs, Better Future acknowledge excellence in innovation and design.

The Better Future Awards proudly recognise courageous, diverse and excellent design across the globe. Hosting an annual awards program that cover 19 separate awards hosted every two weeks right across the globe. Starting with the Melbourne Design Awards, Better Future Awards have now extended to New York, London, Sydney, Paris, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Brisbane, GOV Design Awards, Australian Design Awards and more. With a global community of 115,000 members that incorporate 9,600 brands and 2,900 studios, Better Future are quickly expanding across the design industry worldwide.

Recognised at the Better Future Sydney Design Awards 2023.

Better Future Awards

Lorena Gaxiola is an internationally acclaimed interior architect and designer renowned for her expertise in creating bespoke spaces that add value to any project. With over two decades of experience, Lorena has worked across Europe, the US, Australia, and China, making her well-versed in global market trends. Based in Sydney, Lorena leads a team of multifaceted female creatives dedicated to offering clients a holistic approach, combining conceptual architecture, interior designs, product development and branding to deliver a client-centric service.

Lorena's journey into the world of architecture and design unfolded naturally, driven by her profound fascination with the art of creating and shaping spaces. With her family's architectural and construction background and her collaborative work with her husband in building and development, Lorena has always been fully immersed in this field. As the years passed, her influence expanded beyond her immediate circle, encompassing a network of friends and colleagues in the arts. This diverse influence played a pivotal role in shaping Lorena's design philosophy, which she perceives not merely as a profession, but as an expression of her identity and the realization of her life's purpose.

Lorena first came into contact with GH Commercial when working on a custom hospitality project. This project required bespoke custom carpet for installation in the corridors of a 47-storey building.

<blockquote>
“When I was first looking at what was available in the market, I looked at vendors from overseas. The builder however, wanted me to work with GH Commercial, because they really wanted to deliver on time and on budget and that’s what GH Commercial is known for.” – Lorena Gaxiola
</blockquote>

GH Commercial sits down with Lorena Gaxiola exploring the inspiration behind her Terra Collection.

Lorena Gaxiola Q&A

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/v1/apps/ghc-web/images/Callie-Headshot.jpg" />

As the founder of the Design Partnership, Callie van der Merwe began his career as an architect in the early 1990’s before changing over to hospitality architecture in the early 2000’s.

Since then, he has completed multiple award winning and successful hotel and hospitality interior spaces all over the world with a signature philosophical approach of design for predictive behaviour.

In this interview, he reveals the secrets of designing a successful and vibrant restaurant.

He says when it comes to design people commonly talk about layers, volumes, textures and balance rather than focusing on the behaviour of the people who will use the space. “Design is not a painting, design is for people” he said.

This signature approach of putting people’s predictive behaviour at the heart of hospitality design has seen Callie van der Merwe and his team create many award-winning commercial interior spaces across the world. 

“We spent a lot of time on it and started observing. We looked at security footage we just spent more time in restaurants looking at what people do. We realised there are things people do 80% of the time and we were able to bank those behaviours. We know where people like to sit, how they like to move, how they like to be served” he said.

He said there are specific seating behaviours most people like in hospitality settings, such as sitting at bench seating along the perimeter of a restaurant or choosing slightly raised seating that allows them to scan the space and feel safer. They also discovered that the length of the stay in a venue is equal to the weight of the chair. If it’s a very light chair people stay for a shorter time, if it is a heavier chair they feel like it’s a better experience and tend to stay longer.

“We are all wired in a very similar way so if you get that right every single time then you make the space the kind of space where you want to linger longer and a space you go back to repeatedly.”

While van der Merwe and his team can predict many human behaviours in the hospitality space, he admits the science is always evolving.

“Every single restaurant we learn something new and we bank it”.

<a href="https://podcast.architectureanddesign.com.au/episode-171-callie-van-der-merwe-from-design-partnership-reveals-the-secrets-of-designing-a-successful-restaurant/">Listen to the podcast: Episode 171: Callie van der Merwe from Design Partnership</a> reveals the secrets of designing a successful restaurant

In this interview, Callie van der Merwe reveals the secrets of designing a successful & vibrant restaurant.

Talking Architecture & Design Podcast With Callie van der Merwe

Dubbed the Age of the Individual by Oracle, our technology-driven society has sparked a profound shift in consumer expectations, where tailored experiences are motivated by our individual acute awareness for our personal wellbeing, inclusivity, comfort, belonging and purpose, thus driving our overall happiness.

Human centred design is transforming the design and interior fit-out industry, in response to the demands of individuals to have their individual comfort needs met. A once brand or company dominated experience is now being replaced with an experience that addresses both company and individual. The desire to emanate happiness is now overwhelmingly driving the industry.

As we navigate the post-COVID era, our expectations for office environments have evolved. We now desire workplaces that provide a level of comfort and familiarity comparable to our homes. The fight is on by CEO’s of global businesses to ‘earn the commute’ back. Workers have a profound sense of appreciation for their personal wellbeing and awareness their environment impacts their happiness and are demanding a deep need for home comforts in order to return to the hybrid workspace.

Reflecting the broader cultural landscape, our society now yearns for public spaces that embody our identity and provide a sense of belonging. Simultaneously, an exemplary manifestation of these expectations can be observed in the realm of hospitality, particularly in restaurants.

Modern diners seek more than just sustenance; they crave a positive immersive dining experience that reflect current trends, deliver delectable cuisine, and envelop them in a personalized journey encompassing ambiance and culinary offerings delivering on their happiness radar.

Shifting expectations emphasize the need for personalised experiences and adaptable designs, as hospitality and office environments strive to mirror who we are and where we live in the pursuit of overall happiness.

This presentation explores three significant trends in the design and interior fit-out industry that have emerged from the global pursuit of happiness through customisation, with a particular focus on the role of bespoke flooring: 1. Enhancing the hospitality industry's experience through tailor-made fit-outs. 2. Transformation through personalized office spaces 3.

By incorporating bespoke finishes, public spaces gracefully intertwine the narratives of history, society, culture, and the unique geography of their location.

 

Australia: <a href="https://www.archify.com/au/education/gh-commercial/detail/how-happiness-is-the-new-driving-force-behind-human-centered-design-in-hospitality-office-public-spaces">Watch webinar via partner Archify</a> and claim formal CPD Points.

New Zealand: <a href="https://teulo.co/events/gh-commercial-how-happiness-is-the-new-driving-force-behind-human-centred-design-in-hospitality-office-and-public-spaces">Watch webinar via partner Teulo</a> and claim formal CPD Points.

<a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/contact">Contact us</a> to schedule an in person CPD presentation.

CPD Points:

<ul><li>1 Australian Formal CPD Point (Design competency)</li>
	<li>10 NZRAB Points (5 design, 5 project management)</li>
</ul><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/archify.png" /> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/nzia-approved.png" /> <a href="https://teulo.co/events/fractal-design/"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/teulo.jpg" /></a>

Explore how the global pursuit of happiness through customisation is the driving force behind human cantered design.   

Human Centred Design In Hospitality, Offices And Public Spaces

Living intentionally is all about getting back to natural tones, natural fibres and creating an earthy atmosphere within an interior space, ultimately connecting our inner worlds with our outer worlds.

Anchoring this trend is colour and texture. From earthy and natural tones, through to spicy and warm hues are definitely the colour direction of the season. Google search terms for “terracotta bedrooms” have seen an increase of 11% year on year, inspiring us to recreate this colour-blocking with our natural wools and rich timbers in flooring and layer with natural bed linen, terracotta tiles and chunky pottery.

Introduce nourishing colours throughout interior spaces with furniture pieces, décor and even wallpapers too. For example, statistics have shown that from year-to-year, Pinterest searches in the UK have shown that ‘terracotta wall colour’ is up 29% from the previous year. The trend is showing that warmer, earthier tones are consistently growing within interior trends as of late, specifically the brown and desert inspired colours in textiles, decorative objects and large furnishings.

<blockquote>
Product pictured above: <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/products/apostle?colour=sediment">Apostle - Sediment 545</a>
</blockquote>

Living intentionally by returning to our roots.

Regenerative Living

We were so grateful to be able to enjoy the excitement of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ at the Australia v Republic of Ireland match! It was a great night to support the Matildas and women’s soccer with our team and guests at Stadium Australia in Sydney at the inaugural match in Australia for the tournament. It was a fantastic opportunity to come together to see the Matildas take the win with Stephanie Catley kicking the winning goal in the second term.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is the ninth edition of the FIFA international women’s tournament. This year Australia and New Zealand are proud to host the championship tournament from the 20th of July to the 20th of August. Matches will be played across 10 venues in 9 different cities across Australia and New Zealand. The FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 will see 32 teams compete for the ultimate title, increasing from 24 teams in 2019, with Australia and New Zealand also being the first cohosts of the tournament.

Well done to the Matildas for their achievements in the Women’s World Cup in 2023!

A great night to support the Matildas and women’s soccer.

FIFA Women’s World Cup

Wellness in Commercial Interiors

The current increased investment in our emotional and physical wellbeing is apparent now more than ever. This trend sees a range of commercial spaces starting to incorporate a range of comfort features through texture and colour aspects. With an understanding that the atmosphere of our environment interlinks with our general health, more people are now seeking spaces that promote activity, healing and resting restoratively. Wellness can be introduced into the interiors of a space from the ground up from floor coverings all the way through to soft furnishings, there are many ways in which you can update the look and feel of a space to entice wellness.

Wellness Application in the Workplace

This increasing trend of implementing wellness inspired features into commercial spaces is especially applicable within the workplace segment where a shift towards hotelisation has been evident. Hotelisation sees workspaces combining the comforts of home with adaptable spaces that cater to different working styles on demand. With this human-centric design strategy, employees can benefit from the seamless integration of their work and home life with personalised workspaces that prioritise meaningful team connections, mentorship and collaboration.

Hotelisation trend, bringing wellness and comfort to commercial spaces.

Wellness Applications In Interiors

GH Commercial is proud to have earned a Gold medal by EcoVadis, the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, as a recognition of their EcoVadis Rating. EcoVadis measures a company’s improvement in its whole supply chain and production towards the transition to a sustainable economy. The results put GH Commercial in the top 97th percentile of more than 100,000+ rated companies in the EcoVadis global network.

The Ecovadis methodology is built on international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact, and the ISO 26000, covering 200+ spend categories and 175+ countries.

The Sustainability Scorecard illustrates performance across 21 indicators in four themes:

<ol><li>Environment</li>
	<li>Labour and Human Rights</li>
	<li>Ethics</li>
	<li>Sustainable Procurement</li>
</ol>

Recognising improvements in company sustainability standards.

GH Commercial Achieves Gold Medal Rating By EcoVadis

In September of 2023, the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) hosted an exclusive event celebrating artist eX de Medici and her ‘Beautiful Wickedness’ exhibition. The DIA is the peak industry body within the design community and operates at a national scale providing Australian designers with knowledge, thought leadership, access and inclusivity within the community. Here at GH Commercial, we are proud to support the DIA through this event partnership held at the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in Brisbane.

This exclusive event welcomed the design community to attend a Q&amp;A session with eX de Medici herself, as well as QAGOMA’s Samantha Littley, the curator of Australian Art. This forum covered a wide range of design led topics and was followed by a networking cocktail event where guests are also invited to experience the ‘Beautiful Wickedness’ exhibition. ‘Beautiful Wickedness’ is the most notable exhibition of Australian artist eX de Medici and explores concepts of the fragility of life, greed, commerce as well as themes of power, conflict and health.&nbsp;

This event was a great opportunity for our GH Commercial team to connect with the design community and be inspired by the phenomenal works of eX di Medici!

Image:&nbsp;eX de Medici, Australia b.1959 / The theory of everything (detail) 2005 / Watercolour and metallic&nbsp;pigment on Arches paper / 114.3 x 176.3cm / Purchased 2005 / Collection: QAGOMA / © eX de Medici

Proudly supporting DIA in this exclusive event.

Design Institute Of Australia eX de Medici Event Partnership

On-Country Pathways is committed to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment rates in Australia. The Indigenous owned and operated not-for-profit provides work experience, traineeships, job placement support, cadetships and a driver-mentor program for First Nations people aged 15-24 years. Here at GH Commercial we are proud to donate to On-Country Pathways to support their career and employment programs.

We recently had the opportunity to speak to Jebb Hutchison the General Manager of On-Country Pathways and find out about the fantastic work his organisation does to support First Nation youth in gaining stable employment within the community.

Jebb Hutchison is a proud Wiradjuri man who started his own commercial construction company - TVN On-Country – in 2017, with fellow founders Jonathon Whelan and Gareth VanNoort. 

<blockquote>
“We took on several young First Nations trainees in the Albury Wodonga area and started to show them the ropes, exposing them to all aspects of the business. There are more than 70 roles in the construction industry, it’s not just trades, there are management and project co-ordination jobs as well. We enrolled them in a Cert III Business Administration course at the local TAFE and ensured our senior staff were on hand as mentors.” - Jebb Hutchison, General Manager of On-Country Pathways
</blockquote>

Jebb explained how his original initiative through TVN On-Country to support and provide opportunity to First Nations youth within the construction industry grew to become a non-profit organisation that could more broadly support young Indigenous people.

<blockquote>
“It soon became apparent that TVN On-Country was limited in the number of employment opportunities we could provide to local Indigenous youth and so the need for a separate entity – a not-for-profit, was identified and On-Country Pathways was born. We officially launched in June 2022.” - Jebb Hutchison, General Manager of On-Country Pathways
</blockquote>

Supporting On-Country Pathways’ programs to assist future generations of First Nations People.

Q&A With Jebb Hutchison From On-Country Pathways

We were proud take part in the Carpet Baggers 2023 charity golf day again this year and provided a donation to support this year’s charity <a href="https://www.supertee.org.au/">Supertee</a> that operates under the Fair Fight Foundation. Supertee have created medical garments for hospitalised children in Australia that not only make medical care easier but brighten up the days of each child with their superhero patterns. Supertee have already delivered more than 8,000 tees to children in need across Australia and are supported by over 200 volunteers. The event was a great success and raised an overall $15,000 which will be donated to Supertee to continue to provide Supertees to children in need across Australia.

Here at GH Commercial supporting local charities, such as Supertees, is an important part of how we strive to do better and invest in local communities. As part of our Believe in Better® framework we challenge ourselves to continue to reinvest in our people and surrounding communities, and how we define what matters most as we work to deliver value for generations to come. In supporting local charities through donations, we strive to help grow local initiatives such as the important work that Supertees undertake to support sick children and their families, and to aid these programs in continuing to support those in need.

Carpet Baggers Charity Golf Day

Here at GH Commercial, our commitment to our planet extends beyond just products and processes: it’s how we challenge ourselves to do and be better every day, how we make decisions, how we reinvest in our people and our planet, and how we define what matters most as we work to deliver value for generations to come.

We are more specifically committed to the application of circular economy principles and the continual improvement in our environmental, quality, health and safety performance demonstrated by our externally accredited ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 management systems.

In 2022 we became a proud member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) a co-regulatory not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. As part of this membership, we are working to assess all of our packaging and how we can improve our processes surrounding this aspect of our operations.

Reinvesting in our people and our planet for future generations.

Plastic Packaging Initiatives

Here at GH Commercial, we are a proud partner of Dreamtime Flooring, bringing the work of their artists to life with our local manufacturing technology in Australia. Together, we work to support Dreamtimes vision of sharing Indigenous culture and artwork for future generations. Dreamtime Flooring was born in 2022 from a deep aspiration drawn from director, Josh Haddock’s connection to Indigenous culture, this is the essence of Dreamtime Flooring: the missing link connecting culture, artwork and flooring. This can only come from engaging with a 100% Indigenously owned business-like Dreamtime Flooring.

<blockquote>Partnering with GH Commercial has been an incredible journey, developing from two very different business dynamics that through time and understanding created the building blocks to paved the road towards a real partnership’. - Joshua Haddock, Managing Director of Dreamtime Flooring</blockquote>

Joshua Haddock is a proud Yorta Yorta man raised on Gunai Kurnai Country and is the sole Director of Dreamtime Flooring. Josh has 20 years of practical experience within the flooring industry, with many of these years through his own contactor-based company RJ Precision Flooring Installation. Josh has dedicated the last 7 years to then launch Dreamtime Flooring in 2022, utilising his experience and breadth of knowledge within the industry to create the missing link connecting culture, artwork and flooring. Dreamtime Flooring is proudly 100% indigenous owned business that offers a range flooring products. With a selection of standard designs available featuring contemporary indigenous designs, social impact carpet tiles, as well as offering of custom designs created by local indigenous artists.

Josh speaks to his pathway to establishing Dreamtime Flooring, his mission behind building this business and what this journey has looked like for himself personally.

<blockquote>‘I wanted to find a way to showcase Indigenous art in a way it hadn’t been seen before while creating culturally Safe places for mob. I also wanted to have our artwork protected while finding a way to Harrogate the stories of other people, displayed in a culturally respectful manner as an indigenous person our land, journey and stories are important to us and as such I want to protect and respect. I also wanted to find a way that I could make meaningful change by injecting income directly into the community with the intention to create economic equality.’ - Joshua Haddock, Managing Director of Dreamtime Flooring</blockquote>

Josh proudly speaks to his recent achievement of being awarded ‘The Best Collaboration Award’ at the Kinaway Chamber of Commerce Awards 2022. This fantastic achievement is something that we are proud to share with Dreamtime Flooring as well as BYNM Indigenous Designs as it reflects a manufacturing partnership that we are extremely proud to be a part of. Josh speaks to his greatest achievement being ‘the work we do behind the scenes, promoting culture, investing in our youth and the launching of our new ranges. I feel the best is yet to come.’

Josh touches on how important it is to share indigenous art through flooring and how sharing and installing these designs continues to ‘build culturally safe places and preserving the world’s oldest living culture, sharing the traditions of art which will help build understanding how we as Indigenous people would share our stories’. In the lead up to NAIDOC Week we had the chance to speak to Josh about what this week means to him.

<blockquote>‘NAIDOC week is a time to celebrate all Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders strength, resilience, and progression, providing space for us to showcase our achievements together. This year’s theme is significant to me with the theme being ‘For our Elders’. I will take time to reflect on the success I have had with the business, acknowledging the Elders in my life, past and present, who have been so generous with sharing their cultural knowledge, guiding me to where I am today, paving the way for Business Owners like myself.’ - Joshua Haddock, Director of Dreamtime Flooring</blockquote>

Josh lastly touched on what advice he would give to younger indigenous generations, ‘My advice to the younger Indigenous generation would be to work hard, stick to your values, speak to your elders, listen and be able to receive their advice and above all… Believe in yourself.’

<a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/collections/dreamtime-flooring">Learn more</a>

GH Commercial is a proud partner of Dreamtime Flooring.

Joshua Haddock - Dreamtime Flooring

<h3>A staple in our timber portfolio - Corsica range</h3>

We are committed to designing, manufacturing and supplying high quality floor coverings that contribute to a more beautiful and comfortable world.

Across GH Commercial, market-leading brands cover virtually every aspect of flooring. As a subsidiary of Mohawk Industries, we belong to a global network of the world’s largest flooring supplier, featuring products people trust. One trusted product is <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/products/corsica-oak">Corsica Oak</a>, a sublime engineered timber floor, boasting a real European oak surface, Corsica Oak provides a unique aesthetic with true-to-life knot and grain variations. The contemporary range of colours offers clean yet distinctive character in every board. Finished with a high-quality lacquer from Germany and a light brush veneer, Corsica Oak has a timeless appeal and the touch of luxury.

Due to Corsica Oak’s popularity, we have expanded the range to encompass <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/products/corsica-chevron">Corsica Chevron</a> and <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/products/corsica-herringbone">Corsica Herringbone</a> parquetry-style products. These new styles are an extension of the Corsica Oak range, with the four most popular colours (Coffee Oak, Natural Oak Brush, Coastal Oak and Weathered Oak) carrying over into the parquetry options. This allows for the use of Corsica Oak as their long board format, while also implementing Corsica Herringbone or Chevron in other areas of an interior for a refined and cohesive finish.

Flooring provides the foundational backdrop to all interiors, and it often has the largest footprint. Creating a luxurious environment is simple with our Corsica engineered timber ranges. The Oak, Chevron and Herringbone arms of the Corsica range all feature genuine French oak veneer and Wear Guard UV cured lacquer to protect against spills or general wear.

Corsica products are PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) Chain of Custody certified, so you can rest assured the wood has been sustainably sourced from responsibly managed forests that adhere to the highest ecological, cultural, ethical and environmental standards. The PEFC Chain of Custody certification accounts for every log, from forest to floor, guaranteeing the timber in these products has been ethically produced.

Looking for something a little different for your next project? From carpets to hard flooring, we have the floor covering to suit any project space. Visit our website to view our full product offerings or <a href="https://dev.ghcommercial.com/contact">contact your local representative</a>.

We are driven to design, manufacture and supply high quality flooring.

Timeless Luxury - Corsica Oak

GH Commercial alongside Godfrey Hirst and Feltex are proud to be an official Trade Partner for Grand Designs Australia Magazine, House of the Year 2024 competition.  
The Grand Designs Australia Magazine House the of the Year Awards (HOTY) proudly puts the spotlight on residential architecture, showcasing some of the best projects created by Australian Architects. The HOTY Awards are designed to celebrate the brilliant outcomes created by Architects for their clients, resulting in an incredibly high standard of project submissions.

The Grand Designs Australia Magazine HOTY Awards is now open for nominations! The team at Grand Designs are calling on Australian architects to enter their best residential projects to win this prestigious award and huge exposure through Grand Designs Australia Magazine and associated social media channels. The awards are judged by a panel of architect professionals and are presented in April each year.

Within the Awards program, there are 8 categories including Large New Home, Small New Home, Large Renovation, Small Renovation and the speciality categories of Best Interior Award (presented by Cosh Living), Best Energy Efficient Home Award (presented by Rylock Windows &amp; Doors) and Best Outdoor Integrated Living in addition there is also the People’s Choice Awards which allows readers and architecture enthusiasts to vote for their favourite project! 

If you are an architect that works on residential projects, this could be for you. This Award calls for brilliant outcomes in residential buildings – both new homes and renovations large and small.

Entering is easy:

<ol><li>Visit <a href="https://hoty-3.us.launchpad6.com/gda-hoty3">http://houseoftheyear.com.au/ </a></li>
	<li>Upload images of your project</li>
	<li>Fill in the form with a few design details</li>
</ol> 

We can't wait to see what Australians have been building!

HOTY Awards celebrate the brilliant the best projects created by Australian Architects

Grand Designs Australia Magazine: House Of The Year Awards 2024

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with the team from <a href="https://www.designpartnership.com.au/">Design Partnership</a>. They have previously worked with us on bespoke projects such as the Meat &amp; Wine Co Bella Vista and multiple other projects where our Designer Jet® custom carpet provided the ideal flooring solution for their design brief. Design Partnership specializes in design for behaviour. They have learned that in order to design successful venues, they needed to place predictive human behaviour at the heart of what they do.

Callie van der Merwe, Principal Architect at Design Partnership identifies the critical aspect that flooring plays in his design process and the range of considerations that must be contemplated when selecting a flooring solution for each project to “meet both aesthetic and functional requirements”. He identifies the essential considerations to be design, colour scheme, functionality, safety, acoustics and sustainability. 

<blockquote>
“In terms of aesthetics, flooring can add visual interest and texture to a room, complementing the overall design style and colour scheme. We carefully consider the design intent and the mood we want to convey, selecting appropriate materials to achieve the desired effect. This may be the use of timber to carpeting, or even pairing it back to a raw polished concrete slate if it allows. It really depends on the design intent of the hospitality space we are conceptualising and bringing to life.” Calvin Janse van Vuuren, Senior Associate at Design Partnership
</blockquote>

Calvin further touches on alternate considerations required when selecting flooring for each individual space and design. Acoustic performance, safety features and sustainable materials are all key points in this consideration. Calvin explains his commitment to sustainability as a designer and how both company operations as well as product materials are considered when looking at sustainability.

On top of the range of considerations flooring play within the design process Roberto identifies both ‘functional and aesthetic’ challenges he faces when contemplating the ideal flooring solution for each project. Roberto highlights budget constraints as the most common challenge as a range of price factors must be considered such as materials and installation. Durability is also noted as a ‘crucial consideration’ by Calvin as he highlights the need for the flooring to be able to ‘withstand the demands of the space’ and can cause a challenge when design opportunities are limited by required flooring performance. 

Roberto further identifies the increased significance of sustainable considerations within their design process due to the increased importance of sustainability initiatives by clients and further global awareness. Further identifying how this consideration still must meet relevant ‘aesthetic and functional requirements’, they highlight this challenge as being an essential for designers.

We speak to Design Partnership, specialists in design behaviour.

Design Partnership

Ask anyone in the architecture, construction, and design industries about certifications and they’ll tell you the same thing: certifications are essential, but not all certifications are created equal. In fact, one of the better measures of a company’s commitment to sustainability is to look at their certifications with an understanding of how rigorous and involved the processes for each are. One particularly well-respected certification is Declare.

<blockquote>
“The Declare program provides us a platform to screen our product ingredients, identify and eliminate, or flag chemicals known to pose serious risks to human health and the environment - known as Red listed chemicals,” says Jamuna Sivathasan, Environment &amp; Sustainability Manager at GH Commercial.
</blockquote>

The Red Listed chemicals mentioned by Jamuna are essentially the “worst in class” chemicals, elements and materials that are prevalent in some building products. They are collated within the Living Building Challenge (LBC) Red List, and include substances like asbestos, cadmium, lead and phthalates. Declare enables manufacturers to disclose verified product information on an easy-to-read nutrition label, providing transparency on the product ingredients in relation to the Red List in just a glance. It’s part of the Living Future Institute of Australia's (LFIA) suite of programs that endeavors to drive sustainable change in the Australian built environment. “The Declare program essentially requires you to answer three key questions,” says Jamuna. “First, where does the product come from? Second, what is it made of? Third, where does it go at the end of its life?”

The program gets serious when it comes to answering those three questions. “We have to identify every single chemical ingredient at – or above – 0.01% in the final product by weight, then assess all the ingredients against Red Listed chemicals on the Toxnot verification platform to identify them,” says Jamuna. “If any Red Listed chemicals are identified, we work with suppliers to eliminate them, or find alternative suppliers to ensure the delivery of products free of potentially harmful chemicals to our customers.” They then have to complete VOC (volatile organic compound) identification tests to ensure the emissions are within the threshold, before submitting all the details and test results to the Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) for assessment, approval and publication.

The compliance with the Red List is expressed through the product’s Declaration status, which is then visible on the Declare label. There are three levels: Declared, Red List Approved and Red List Free. Declared is the most basic out of the three, and it’s applicable to products that disclose 100% of ingredients, but contain one or more Red List chemicals that are not covered by an approved exception. A level up, the Red List Approved products disclose a minimum of 99% of ingredients present in the final product, while meeting the Red List imperative requirements through one or more approved exceptions. Lastly, the highest level a product can obtain is the Red List Free status. These products disclose 100% of ingredients present at or above 100 ppm (0.01%) in the final product and do not contain any Red List chemicals.

GH Commercial was the first floor covering manufacturer in Australia to achieve the Red List Free accreditation, and they’ve certainly taken to it with gusto since then. Today, they are proud to hold more Declare labels than any other Australian manufacturer, with 27 Declare Red List Free labels that cover over 70 standard products and extensive range of custom products.

As demand for transparency and specifier interest in the makeup of products increases, so does the movement towards stronger attestation up the supply chain - and transparency programs like Declare are integral to that shift, a fact that’s not lost on Jamuna. “We feel it’s an important certification because buildings have a direct impact on our health and wellbeing,” she says. “That means it’s essential to supply better products for use in our built environments, and our Declare certification shows that we guarantee the quality of our products to the market.”

Driving sustainable change in the Australian built environment.

A Sustainability Declaration: Our Most Important Certifications

Lachlan Howell our Corporate Strategic Account Manager had the opportunity to speak to Architecture &amp; Design recently as part of the Sustainability Awards 2023 in which GH Commercial sponsor the Interior Design Awards. Architecture &amp; Design are Australia’s largest design media network sharing valuable resources across architecture, design and construction industries.&nbsp;

A&amp;D: What is your background and what does your current role in the business entail? 
LH: I grew up alongside the Great Ocean coastline, arguably one of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world, and those childhood experiences certainly created foundations for my passion towards sustainability – both in personal and professional capacity.

Later on, I completed a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts, specialising in Marketing, Design and Sustainability. It was a pivotal experience that further strengthened my perspective of – and commitment to – the principles of sustainability. It expanded my awareness of existing and future problems our world faces, the simple changes we can make in daily life to affect real change – and what I can do in my professional roles, to support the success of our organisation.

In terms of my career trajectory, I started in the sporting industry, and worked with a pioneering global surfing organisation in events management. The role helped me grasp the connection between the organisation and the natural environment, and the capacity of that organisation to empower stakeholders by adopting sustainable and regenerative practices.

I certainly took this experience with me when I made a somewhat unexpected move into the flooring industry as a Marketing Graduate with Godfrey Hirst. From there, I naturally transitioned to a hybrid role as a Corporate Sales &amp; Sustainability Coordinator, and I think that promotion really highlighted the importance of having a sustainability professional in our commercial sales team – and being able to drive that notion through and support our commercial customer base as well. That role was really about understanding what sustainability efforts we needed to support, and the pillars we needed to focus on as an organisation to provide critical information and drive supply chain value for our corporate customers every day.

Now, I’m GH Commercial’s Strategic Account Manager – Corporate, and look after all of our corporate customers across Australia and New Zealand.

A&amp;D: Is sustainability still a big part of your day-to-day at GH Commercial? 
LH: Sustainability is a critical component of what my day looks like, and a large part of it involves contributing to the organisation's sustainability strategy, with a focus on our commercial division.

As a sustainability and sales professional, I need to understand the complexities and challenges of not just the tangible flooring solutions that our customers are seeking. Even more importantly, understanding of their organisation as a whole, including their procurement frameworks, their goals, their values, ESG strategies – and those critical touchpoints they’re trying to achieve – is a critical element of how we, as a local manufacturer and supplier, can provide solutions that lift organisations to achieve their own goals.

A&amp;D: We spoke to your team about GH Commercial’s sustainability framework last year. Is “Believe in Better” still an important concept underpinning the company's sustainability efforts? 
LH: At GH Commercial we understand the imperative that we must seek and develop new technologies, products, processes now to ensure that our people, planet and our performance thrive for decades to come. We understand we’re not perfect, and certainly believe that in order to improve we have to understand where our opportunities lie. “Believe in Better” is still very much GH Commercial’s philosophy, and it underpins everything we do and we stand for. We’re proud to announce the evolution of our “Believe in Better” framework, to assist how our stakeholders and the broader public understand three driving pillars to our strategy: “Better for People”, “Better for Planet” and “Better for Performance”.

A&amp;D: Can you describe each pillar in more detail, and tell us how they bolster GH Commercial’s holistic approach to ESG? 
LH: As the Oceanic subsidiary of Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring company, we belong to a global network of leading products, brands and world-class manufacturing and we know that our future depends on the work we do today. Our commitment to our planet extends beyond just products and processes: it’s how we challenge ourselves to do and be better every day, how we make decisions, how we reinvest in our people and our planet, and how we define what matters most as we work to deliver value for generations to come. The three pillars encompass a selection of goals – some of which we have already achieved – that centre around people, planet, and performance, and that continuously guide the journey we’re on.

“Better for People” addresses the need to create a diverse, performance-driven workforce that can thrive in safe, hazard-free environments designed to support their health and wellbeing, as well as foster connected communities. In line with our Oceanic Collection, and its connection to Australian waterways, GH Commercial makes an annual donation to Take 3 for the Sea. Contributing to their clean-ups and education programs for schools and local communities, which has so far helped over 350,000 students learn about solutions to ocean pollution. We are proud to continue to support Take 3 for the Sea as we strive to preserve our oceans and waterways that inspired our Oceanic Collection. Take 3 from the Sea shows us how we can take simple actions to address the problem – like taking three pieces of rubbish when you leave a waterway. Our team has walked away from this annual day knowing every one of us can make a difference.

“Better for Planet” addresses our efforts as we strive towards a climate-positive future, by honouring our commitment to reduce our environmental impact. As part of the world's largest flooring manufacturer, we feel a profound sense of responsibility to advance our shared mission of a more sustainable future – that’s why we’re dedicated to responsible resource management and the continued investment in new technology to improve our processes. For example, being carbon responsible means taking real climate action and voluntarily going above and beyond current regulations to achieve net zero carbon emissions. At GH Commercial, we do. Godfrey Hirst Australia has proudly achieved Climate Active Carbon Neutral organisation status, making us the first Australian Carpet Manufacturer to achieve Climate Active. Furthermore, Godfrey Hirst New Zealand is also now a carbon neutral organisation1.

As leaders in our industry, “Better for Performance” is all about challenging ourselves to discover new opportunities to design, manufacture and distribute better products through continuous improvement to transparency and innovation. At GH Commercial, we recognise the powerful role design plays in impacting culture, productivity, state of mind, and long-term sustainability. We are committed to creating better interior spaces by using better materials in our products and avoiding chemicals of concern. Our products hold current and relevant certifications that illustrate our commitment to transparency, better indoor environments and meeting the criteria of leading green building standards – from the Living Future Institute of Australia’s, Declare® Red List Free certification on all of our carpet tiles, Designer Jet® sheet and wool broadloom ranges to our newly accredited Global Green Tag – Best Environmental Practice PVC on our Regent and Polaris Laminated Vinyl Plank products.

1Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd and Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd are ‘carbon neutral’ organisations. &nbsp;This means that those entities purchase and voluntarily retire carbon offsets equivalent to their annual carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources within their organisational boundary. &nbsp;For New Zealand, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for in accordance with ISO14064-3:2018. &nbsp;For Australia, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for, and carbon neutral status is certified, in accordance with the requirements of Climate Active.&nbsp;

Lachlan talks with Architecture & Design Magazine about sustainability.

Surfing To Flooring: Q&A With Lachlan Howell From GH Commercial

“Sustainability – that is, reducing our environmental impact – has always been important,” says Brendan Glen, Engineering Manager at GH Commercial. "But it’s gone from being something that’s seen as necessary, to a key focus point of every stakeholder; something which requires innovation, continued investment in new technology and demands progression.”&nbsp;

Brendan is right. At GH Commercial, as across the architecture and construction industry as a whole, properly understanding the environmental impact and taking concrete steps to reduce it across products, operations, and supply chains is no longer a nice-to-have – it's an essential.

Sustainability has always been part of the decision-making process at GH Commercial. The company’s major Australian manufacturing plant is located next to the Barwon River, and that - amongst other material and supply considerations - has necessitated a keen awareness and respect for the environment since day one. “These days sustainability has a significant presence all throughout the organisation,” says Brendan. “It’s very much a key consideration in everything we do. Internally, we’ve developed a Sustainability Steering Committee to determine and communicate our sustainability goals and actions, ensuring that we are all aware and aligned with our sustainability targets and initiatives.” In addition, the business is heavily focused on reducing waste, using resources more efficiently, and improving the lifecycle of their products. “We’re also validating our efforts through certification schemes like Declare Red List Free and the Australian Climate Active Carbon Neutral Organisation Certification,” adds Brendan1.

The innate ambition to improve the company’s energy efficiency is another crucial point of focus for GH Commercial, and the entire Mohawk Industries group. “It’s a key aspect of our sustainability journey,” says Lachlan Howell, Strategic Account Manager – Corporate. “Particularly over the last three to five years we have gained a much better understanding of our energy consumption and have considered and implemented an increasingly broad range of initiatives to improve our energy efficiency, and reduce our carbon footprint.”

Sustainability is a key consideration in everything we do.

Less Is More: Energy Efficiency At GH Commercial

GH Commercial is privileged to draw on over 150 years manufacturing experience in Australia and New Zealand through Godfrey Hirst operations. The Godfrey Hirst name is truly synonymous with Geelong, dating back to 1865 when the Victorian Woollen and Cloth Manufacturing company was established as one of Victoria’s first textile mills.

Godfrey Hirst was an Englishman, the son of Charles Hirst, a spinner, Godfrey Hirst trained as a weaver in his family business before arriving in Victoria in search of a warmer climate in the hopes to improve his health. He initially worked as an insurance agent, but soon challenged the Victorian Woollen &amp; Cloth Manufacturing Co, which was struggling to thrive in the declining market and was looking to chase imports, however Hirst believed there was a living to be made from quality local production.&nbsp;

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/v1/articles/f73d5f16-5ecd-4a05-a2a4-28706f3550bf/photography/about_us-news-img_001.jpg" width="500" />

Hirst launched his own business venture in 1888, renting a shed in Fyans street and building his own loom using yarn supplied by his former employers and the Albion mill, manufacturing flannels. Despite the lull in the industry, Hirst did well and moved to a larger premises in 1889 and in partnership with Charles Shannon, a woolbroker, and Charles Smith, a fellmonger, bought the derelict Barwon woollen factory in July 1890. The old factory was renamed the Excelsior Number One mill with Hirst in personal charge of its raw materials and sales, it employed about one hundred people by 1895. In 1899 the adjoining Victorian factory was added and refurbished as the Excelsior Number Two mill. Advantaged by interstate free trade after Federation and government contracts during World War I, the firm’s pay-roll increased to more than 300 in 1917. The company then evolved into manufacturing blankets, rugs, tweeds and worsteds as well as flannels. &nbsp;After the death of Charles Smith in 1908, the business was incorporated as Godfrey Hirst &amp; Co Pty Ltd in October 1909.

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/v1/articles/f73d5f16-5ecd-4a05-a2a4-28706f3550bf/photography/about_us-news-img_002.jpg" width="500" />

In 1911 and again after the Number One mill was destroyed by fire in March 1912 Hirst returned to England in search of the latest machinery. In Geelong he supported the Gordon Technical College as a centre of textile education and was its president in 1913-16. Hirst was a man of many hobbies, enjoying spending time at Belmont and Corio clubs and bowls. With a passion for music, Hirst was a self-taught musician, he was an organist at St Georgie’s Presbyterian Church from 1889 and a vice-president of the Geelong Musician Society. He also sponsored the Excelsior Mills choir and was active in the musical life of the Belmont Methodist Church. A man of strong principles and high expectations but reserved and lacking the common touch, he once stood unsuccessfully for the South Barwon Shire Council. He became a justice of the peace in 1908.

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Hirst passed in 1917, leaving behind him a rich and powerful contribution to the revival of the woollen industry in Geelong in the early 1900’s. In 1922, Charles Shannon’s passing saw Mrs Hirst open a new dining hall and the following year in 1923, seven additional looms and other plants were purchased. The mills, continued to operate under the leadership of Willie Hirst as Godfrey Hirst &amp; Co Pty Ltd, carpet manufacturers until Willie sadly passed in 1925, leaving Lewis Hirst as Managing Director. Cedric Hirst, Godfrey Hirst’s grandson took over the reigns in 1951 following the passing of his father Lewis Hirst and more than 15 years later in 1966 Godfrey Hirst Co was acquired with a clear focus on a carpet production versus others textiles..&nbsp;

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In 2006, 40 years later, Feltex Carpets Limited was acquired by Godfrey Hirst &amp; Co. Pty Ltd. &nbsp;A publicly listed company in New Zealand, it began operations in New Zealand in 1929 with the manufacture of felt slippers, and began producing carpets in the 1940s. &nbsp;Manufacturing operations that today, form part of Feltex’s Australian operations began production in Australia in the 1920s under a portfolio of well-known brand names such as Feltex Reserve, Feltex Classic, Feltex Commercial, Feltex Woven, Invicta, Kensington, Redbook, Minster and Tile modular carpet. &nbsp;The Feltex business in New Zealand also produced wool yarn, scoured wool for its own use and for other exporters. The Feltex name lives on as a heritage brand within the GH Commercial portfolio, offering a suite of products from carpet tiles and planks, woven carpets, solution dyed nylon carpets and wool carpets.&nbsp;

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In 2018, the Godfrey Hirst business was sold to Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring company. The sale allowed Godfrey Hirst to expand its product offering and capabilities to a global scale. It equally allowed the very best of Mohawk commercial product offerings to be introduced to the Australian market, as well as Mohawk’s European flooring business Unilin, with the IVC Commercial brand. In 2018 GH Commercial was born to house the now growing portfolio of local and global brands to it’s stable.&nbsp;

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In 2023, the residential Godfrey Hirst brand and the commercial GH Commercial brands continue growing from strength to strength. With a keen eye on innovation, listening to their customer and their strong holds in market make the business a powerhouse in the carpet and flooring world. 
&nbsp;

Over 150 years manufacturing experience in Australia and New Zealand through Godfrey Hirst operations.

Over 150 Years Of Local Manufacturing

As one of Australia’s largest manufacturers and exporters of residential and commercial carpets, Godfrey Hirst produces thousands of metres of carpet in state-of-the-art Australian facilities every day.

We proudly operate four carpet manufacturing facilities, three yarn processing facilities, 10 distribution centres, and 14 sales offices across Australia and New Zealand. Currently, Godfrey Hirst employs over 1,000 people, of which roughly half are employed in Australia and half in New Zealand.

Since 1865 – Celebrating Australian Made Week at Godfrey Hirst.

Celebrating Australian Made Week

In the hospitality sector, just as every business competes on price, so are these businesses competing in terms of innovating and providing a unique experience to the customer. Customising the interior design is one of these bets for innovation. However, customising a product, particularly one with a large footprint like a floor, can be perceived as risky, extravagant, time-consuming, or out of reach. With modern technology, a leading flooring manufacturer is making it a viable, cost-effective option for modern hospitality builds.

Why the Future of Hospitality Flooring is Bespoke: Exploring the Benefits and Opportunities of Customisation looks at why customisation is an essential tool in the designer’s toolbox and the cultural shift to bespoke, authentic spaces in the hospitality sector. In the first section, we discuss why design authenticity matters in hospitality design, and how it is linked with customised interior design elements. In the second section, we focus on the role of flooring, highlighting common misconceptions surrounding custom flooring and how a leading flooring manufacturer is making it a viable, cost-effective option for modern hospitality projects.

Why The Future of Hospitality Flooring Is Bespoke: Exploring The Benefits And Opportunities Of Customisation

Taking real climate action as an organisation means voluntarily going above and beyond current regulations to achieve net zero carbon emissions. At GH Commercial, we do. Godfrey Hirst Australia has achieved Climate Active Carbon Neutral organisation status and are proud to be the first Australian carpet manufacturer to do so. Furthermore, Godfrey Hirst New Zealand is also now a carbon neutral organisation1. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Australian government program Climate Active recognises businesses that take voluntary climate action to measure, reduce and offset carbon emissions. Godfrey Hirst Australia’s Climate Active membership and certified carbon neutral organisation status demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and industry leadership to drive genuine change.

One carbon offsetting project we have supported is the Yunnan Yuanjiang Lutong Hydropower Station is located in Yunnan Province, China2. &nbsp;A factor in our decision to support this project was the fact that several of our hard flooring suppliers are located in China. The project is a diversion-type run-of-river hydropower station with an installed capacity of 10MW generating approximately 52,920MWh of electricity annually. The project reduces the emission of greenhouse gases by replacing equivalent electricity from the China Southern Power Grid, which is dominated by fossil fuel-fired power plants. 

1&nbsp;Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd and Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd are ‘carbon neutral’ organisations. &nbsp;This means that those entities purchase and voluntarily retire carbon offsets equivalent to their annual carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources within their organisational boundary. &nbsp;For New Zealand, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for in accordance with ISO14064-3:2018. &nbsp;For Australia, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for, and carbon neutral status is certified, in accordance with the requirements of Climate Active. 

2&nbsp;https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/TUEV-SUED1205493996.04/view

Yunnan Yuanjiang Lutong Hydropower Station Offsetting Project

We are excited to sponsor <a href="https://podcast.architectureanddesign.com.au/episode-151-laura-hamilton-ohara-ceo-of-the-living-future-institute-of-australia-talks-about-biophilia-fractals/">Talking Architecture &amp; Design Podcast</a> in 2023 as the commercial category sponsor. Our second podcast in 2023 speaks with Laura Hamilton-O’Hara, the CEO of Living Future Institute Australia, about biophilia, fractals and why the Living Building Challenge is important to the built environment.

The Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) is an environmental not-for-profit known for its work with The Living Building Challenge (the world’s most stringent sustainability standard). The standard was developed over a decade ago by architect Jason McLennan.

LFIA helps run The Living Building Challenge in Australia through contextualisation, education, advocacy, advisory services and running transparency labels for building materials known as Declare labels. LFIA works with a number of strategic partners including GH Commercial.

<blockquote>
“What makes the strategic partner particularly special is that they are organisations that are in their own right trying to build a regenerative living future. GH Commercial actually holds the highest number of Declare labels in Australia. I think they’re on like 27 or something now, and aiming to do their whole range and I just think that’s such a commitment to transparency and transparency in materials and transforming the material supply chain,” LFIA’s CEO Laura Hamilton-O’Hara said.
</blockquote>

We speak with Laura Hamilton-O'Hara about the importance of biophilia in the built environment.

Talking Architecture & Design Podcast With Laura Hamilton-O’Hara

GH Commercial are proud to be an official award partner of the Architecture and Design 2023 Sustainability Awards for a second year, in the Interior Design category. This category champions projects that features a renovation or fit out of the interior of an existing building where the sustainable design is involved with such factors as determining the efficient and effective use of space, selecting construction materials that offer low environmental impact and lowering pollution, waste, and the lowering of the overall energy consumption.

The Interior Design category recognises projects that have undergone a refurbishment or a re-fit. These projects hold sustainability at the core of their design and carefully consider efficient use of space, low environmental impact of construction materials, and a reduction in pollution, waste, and overall energy consumption are central.

The Sustainability Awards is Australia’s longest running and most prestigious awards program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating excellence in sustainable design and architecture. Entries for the 2023 Sustainability Awards open May 11th, 2023, and winners will be announced at the annual gala event in Sydney on Thursday November 9th at Sydney Cricket Ground. The Sustainability Summit will be hosted earlier that day at Allianz Stadium, where Joel Williamson our National Commercial Sales Manager will provide his industry knowledge and insights on the Sustainability Certifications and Compliance panel. 2023 marks the 17th year of the program and we look forward to viewing all the amazing projects featured throughout the awards.

Proud to be a platinum partner with Architecture and Design’s Sustainability Awards again in 202.

Sustainability Awards 2023

Established in 2012, the Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) is an affiliate of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), an environmental NGO and hub for visionary programs offering global solutions for a socially just, culturally rich and ecologically regenerative world. 

The role of LFIA is to navigate and propel change in the Australian built environment through the rapid integration of design practices that, beyond merely doing less harm, contribute positively to the environment. Their initiatives include overseeing Zero Carbon Certification, the Biophilic Design Initiative, Declare® program, industry education, regular training events and technical advisory services.

GH Commercial have been a major sponsor of the LFIA since 2019, where we were the first floor covering manufacturer in Australia to achieve Declare Red List Free accreditation. Today, we hold the most Declare Red List Free labels in Australia among our various product ranges and relevant product brands, and the portfolio continues to grow.  With 21 Declare Red List Free labels held by GH Commercial that covers over 80 standard products and an extensive range of custom products.

Our continued partnership with LFIA underscores our Believe in Better® sustainability framework under our Better for Performance pillar ensuring many of our products now and into the future, display Declare Red List free certification.

Declare® Certification 
The LIFA Declare® program reveals clear information about material specifications via a ‘nutrition’ label of ingredients for building products. This trusted public database and product labelling program answers three key questions; where does the product come from? What is it made of? And where does it go at the end of its life? As a manufacturer we are required to disclose a product’s entire constituent chemical composition to a threshold of 100-parts-per-million. Each label is compared against a list of worst-in-class materials, also known as the Red List.  These Red List chemicals pollute the environment, bio-accumulate up the food chain until they reach toxic concentration and create health problems for construction and factory personnel.

Once assessed the product is then allocated one of three label types; LBC Red List Free, LBC Red List Approved and Declared. We are proud to announce that all of our products that hold a Declare® label have achieved LBC Red List Free status. This means that our products have been identified to be clear of any harmful chemical that is present on the Red List.  
Working across our entire supply chain, GH Commercial have been able to identify, source and utilise the healthiest possible manufacturing components to meet LFIA’s exacting standards. GH Commercial hold current Declare Red List Free labels for our Australian Made Solution Dyed Nylon (SDN) and Designer Jet ® products, as well as for a large range of wool broadloom carpets and carpet tiles.

The use and implementation of Declare labels enables our clients to make more informed decisions when making flooring selections and further ensuring that we are working towards creating healthier built environments.

Our continued partnership with LFIA underscores our Believe in Better

GH Commercial’s Declare Journey

Doing Better Together is a fundamental pillar of GH Commercial’s sustainable practices. Through a raft of company and staff enterprises, both big and small, our commitment to support our planet and ‘Believe in Better®’ is a practice that we are constantly striving towards. 

We are proud to have partnered with Take 3 For the Sea in tandem with the launch of our premium Oceanic Collection. This global organisation promotes the simple activism of removing three pieces of rubbish from our beaches, waterways and greens spaces to assist with cleaning up our oceans. Their education programs have inspired a global movement of people invested in a healthier planet.  

On the 17th of March 2023 GH Commercial and the wider Godfrey Hirst organisation held our largest Take 3 for the Sea beach clean up event to date! This now being our third beach clean-up event in as many years, as well as continuing to be an official supporter of Take 3 for the Sea, we are proud to get behind such an important organisation.  
In only one hour, our 31-person strong GH Commercial team along with Take 3 for the Sea representatives collected 1,657 litter items weighing 7kg altogether. Working to remove this litter from our environment helps to protect our animals, ecosystems, and oceans. 

Take 3 from the Sea shows us how we can take simple actions to address the problem – like taking three pieces of rubbish when you leave a waterway. Our team has walked away from this annual day knowing every one of us can make a difference.

Doing Better Together is a fundamental pillar of GH Commercial’s sustainable practices.

Better Together Take 3 For The Sea Clean Up

At GH Commercial, we are committed to safeguarding the planet for generations to come. As part of our mission, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with <a href="https://treesthatcount.co.nz/">Trees That Count</a>.

This incredible environment charity is helping to plant millions of native trees throughout New Zealand.

By supporting Trees That Count, we are proud to play our part in the restoration of native bush, waterways, and combatting climate change. Through our <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.co.nz/collections/native">Native Collection</a>, we donate a portion of our proceeds to help plant more native trees across Aotearoa. Join us in our efforts to protect the future of our planet. <a href="https://treesthatcount.co.nz/profiles/godfreyhirst">Check out our current projects and the impact your support can make</a>.

To date GH Commercial has donated 500 native trees estimated to remove approximately 114 tonnes of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere over 50 years.

<a href="https://treesthatcount.co.nz/">Join the Trees That Count Movement</a>

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Trees That Count. This incredible environment charity is helping to plant millions of native trees throughout New Zealand.

Funding Native Trees

As an Australian and New Zealand manufacturer, we actively work towards reducing our environmental footprint across our infrastructure and facilities. We strive to improve processes and seek to source and develop local solutions to this global issue under our sustainability vision, Believe in Better.

Large factory and warehouse facilities generally require a sizeable system for lighting. These systems can result in a significant energy drain so, with that in mind, we upgraded our lighting systems to energy-efficient LED lights.

Between late 2021 and early 2023, we have replaced approximately 75% of the lights at our Plant 5 and Melbourne Logistics sites and our South Geelong and Breakwater sites with higher-efficiency LED models. This was achieved through the LED Light Replacement/Upgrade under the Victorian Energy Upgrades rebate program.

The light fittings replaced included high-bay units in production and warehousing areas, as well as 4-foot battens, some oyster-style lights in bathrooms and small offices, and some panel-style fittings in office areas. Exit lights were also replaced at Plant 5 with an LED version.

The new fittings include programable features such as motion sensors, light level sensors and automatic timer-off functions to allow us to configure the operation of the light fittings to suit the environment and application – maximising energy savings.

Updating our lighting systems to energy-efficient LED lights.

Providing Energy Efficient Lighting

Talking Architecture &amp; Design offers fortnightly podcasts run by the Architecture &amp; Design Magazine, Australia’s leading online and print publication for the building, design and construction sectors. Hosted by Branko Miletic, who has 25 years of journalism experience, as a journalist, editor and Talking Architecture &amp; Design host. Branko Miletic brings a wealth of diverse knowledge and rich experience that allows him to quickly get to the heart of the issues being discussed.

We are excited to sponsor <a href="https://podcast.architectureanddesign.com.au/episode-148-joel-williamson-from-gh-commercial-talks-about-why-flooring-and-biophilic-design-go-hand-in-hand/">Talking Architecture &amp; Design Podcast</a> in 2023 as the commercial category sponsor. Launching our first podcast for 2023, speaking to Joel Williamson our National Commercial Sales Manager speaks our commitment to biophilic principles in the design department – and why Lichen Community, a forest floor-inspired carpet product, fits so well with the shifting needs of a commercial workplace.

<blockquote>
“Lichen Community is such a fantastic example of a biophilic concept. To design the product, we literally sent biologists into the field to study lichen blooms, and then we translated that into carpet using our custom Pattern Perfect® Technology,” Joel describes. “The original collection was a product that Mohawk put out around eight years ago, and it quickly became the most popular product globally in the Mohawk Group brand library. It also became the first flooring product to be certified as a Living Product, much in line with the Living Future Institute and Living Building Certifications.” 
</blockquote>

Mimicking lichen’s organic forms, the Lichen Community Collection – which was originally created as a stone-look carpet surface – enables architects and designers to fade the blooms in and out, to zone out specific sections of the floor, creating spatial definition. But while the original concept was predominantly colour-driven, the latest iteration of the product leans into a warmer, more pared back palette, further augmenting the carpet’s biophilic properties. 

<blockquote>
“On top of the cooler stone shades, we wanted to introduce a warmer colour selection, as well as enhance the realism of the pattern by introducing some bark texture,” Joel explains. “We named the product ‘Lichen Community' partly because our commercial spaces have been used differently since the pandemic. We're seeing more of that ‘hotelisation’ of the workplace where you're booking rooms and you're using the office buildings as event space, which is then complimented by hybrid work which sees people working from home. The range has been designed specifically for that trend, and the name ‘community’ also reflects the fact that lichens are not singular organisms. It's about symbiosis between multiple organisms, and we think that that's reflective of the new era of the workplace and how we work with each other.”
</blockquote>

Joel adds that from a design point of view, the company hopes that Lichen Community can help create adaptive buildings that bring the sense of neutral environment indoors – and this notion encapsulates both GH Commercial’s broader sustainability strategy as well as their commitment to biophilic design. 

“We have really embraced biophilia from a design point of view,” Joel explains. “It’s an underlying aspect for most of our products. Fractals are another element we have been exploring, for example. They can influence our brains, and our eyes, and actually help alleviate stress. So taking the biophilic elements of fractals can help create products that are unique, that have very specific patterns, and – at the same time – are actually good for us.” He adds that creating products that are useful, and not just beautiful or recognisable, is the ultimate goal for GH Commercial. 

“We want our products to help people feel like they're in a natural environment, they can be more productive and feel less stress,” he says, and this notion definitely ties in with the company’s guiding motto – ‘Believe in Better’ – which underpins the company’s broader strategy, as well as sustainability ethos. 

<blockquote>
“When we say, ‘believe in better’, we want to talk about being better for people – both for our customers, people who are using the product, but also for the people who handle it while it’s being manufactured in our factories. We want to ensure the product is made healthy for them,” he adds. “We also want to manufacture products that have more recycled content – and recycle well – and we are working on that journey. That goes hand in hand with performance, which is why our focus is on always finding ways that allow our products to perform better – and be used for longer. Ideally, the goal is to create products using less materials that can perform for longer, and are better for both people and planet,” Joel summarises. “It all ties together.”
</blockquote>

If you’d like to find out more about our sustainability journey, and hear more about our custom manufacturing technologies – like Pattern Perfect® – <a href="https://podcast.architectureanddesign.com.au/episode-148-joel-williamson-from-gh-commercial-talks-about-why-flooring-and-biophilic-design-go-hand-in-hand/">listen to the whole episode of the podcast</a>.

Our first podcast for 2023, our commitment to biophilic principles in design.

Talking Architecture & Design Podcast

Sustainability is a business approach designed to create long-term value by taking into consideration how organisations operate in the ecological, social, and economic environments. Hear from Joel Williamson, our National Commercial Sales Manager as he explores why GH Commercial looks beyond flooring to tackle Australia’s waste problem. Learn from Lachlan Howell, our Corporate Sales &amp; Sustainability Coordinator why certifications are much more than just a tick box. And explore the future of local manufacturing with Aaron Dawson, our Commercial Carpet Manager.

Download this whitepaper today.

Sustainability eBook

Take 3 For The Sea Beach Clean Up 2023!

GH Commercial, proud to be flooring supporting partners of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2023. 

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2023 x GH Commercial

Celebrating International Women’s Day, Wednesday 8th March 2023, Lee Carney our Chief People Officer, speaks about what International Women’s Day means to her.

<blockquote>
"I kind of see this as twofold. I see International Women’s Day as not only an important opportunity to celebrate the awesome achievements of women across community, Government, corporate or sport but probably of greater interest, is the chance to reflect on our progress to date.  How do we stack up against our commitments to improving gender equity or promoting women in sport or addressing violence and abuse against women." - Lee Carney, Chief People Officer
</blockquote>

Lee can be seen wearing a limited edition HIGH TEES print t-shirt featuring a hand drawn design by HIGH TEES Founder Jess of Vivienne Westwood. HIGH TEES is a local business in Melbourne close to where Lee is located that also manufactures locally. These t-shirts are made of 100% traceable organic cotton and are certified Child Labour Free. Lee spoke to the importance of supporting local businesses and celebrating female icons.

Lee speaks about her journey of raising two kids, whilst also building a fantastic career. Her previous leaders have advocated for a great home life with family and friends whilst also nurturing her to flourish professionally. She highlights how she sees the most important quality in a leader is ‘keeping it real’ and how this authenticity and vulnerability can make an excellent leader. Lee discusses how impactful it is to share mutual experiences of vulnerability with other women in her life, inspiring them to break down habits of self-criticism.

In relation to gender equity in the workplace, Lee outlines the significant shift that see has seen in her career. 

“Organisational leaders, not just HR folk, are driving the change they want to see, which is exciting.”

Lee speaks about the importance of a continual focus on gender equity in the workplace. 

“It’s about businesses getting better at appointing people who understand the benefits of a culturally rich and diverse workforce, regardless of gender, that is the key to bringing these changes to life.”

Although there is a tendency to introduce large sweeping change, Lee believes simple adjustments can be just as meaningful. 

“For example, do your policies and procedures use gender neutral language? Do you have a flexible work options? Do you pay people equally for the same work, regardless of gender? These are fairly simple but instrumental ways in which an organisation can demonstrate their support for gender equity.”

Our Chief People Officer Lee Carney and what International Women's Day means to her.

International Women's Day

Understand the effects of floor colour on the productivity, health and wellbeing of individuals.

In this webinar, you will learn:

•    Understand the effects of floor colour on the productivity, health and wellbeing of individuals. 
•    Have a methodical approach on colour for each specific  environment, from healthcare to education. 
•    Make better decisions when choosing floor colours for different spaces to suit the purpose for which they are designed and increase the functionality of that space. 
•    Understand the key principles of way finding  
 

New Zealand: <a href="https://teulo.co/events/the-physiology-and-psychology-of-floor-colours/">Watch webinar via partner Teulo</a> and claim formal CPD Points. 
 

CPD points: 

<ul><li>10 NZRAB Points</li>
	<li>1 ADNZ Points</li>
	<li>1 Australian informal CPD point (ACT, SA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC &amp; TAS)</li>
	<li>1 LBP - Design 2 + 3 Points 
	 </li>
</ul><a href="https://teulo.co/events/the-physiology-and-psychology-of-floor-colours/"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/teulo.jpg" /></a>

Continued Professional Development: The effect of floor colour on productivity, health and well-being.

Psychology Of Floor Colours

In this podcast, we discuss how GH Commercial is really delivering on virtually every aspect of flooring. Judy Lea talks about how they work with clients to specify the best flooring solution for their project. We also delve into how architects and designers complement and complete their building designs through the use of great flooring.

One of the techniques GH Commercial is using is the crafting of woven carpets. Judy Lea tells us about the production process and what kinds of results clients can expect from these products.GH Commercial works with a range of materials; among them, carpet yarn. Judy Lea tells us a bit about how carpet yarn has been used, traditionally, and how it has evolved into the material that you use today. 
 

New Zealand: <a href="https://teulo.co/events/teulo-pods-the-future-of-flooring/">Listen to podcast via partner Teulo</a> and claim formal CPD points.

 CPD points:

<ul><li>10 NZRAB Points</li>
	<li>1 ADNZ Points</li>
	<li>1 Australian informal CPD point (ACT, SA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC &amp; TAS)</li>
	<li>1 LBP - Design 2 + 3 Points 
	 </li>
</ul><a href="https://teulo.co/events/teulo-pods-the-future-of-flooring/"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/teulo.jpg" /></a>

Continued Professional Development: The Future of Flooring

The Future Of Flooring

Today’s seniors are seeking housing that permits a vibrant, active lifestyle, as well as assistance with daily living that supports next-level health. Residents and their families are also looking for modern amenities. Specifically, they want socialization, dining, and wellness with a sense of community. 

In all of these spaces, accessibility, comfort and safety play a large role in making good choices for aging seniors. And as we age, flooring becomes an even more critical component to design. As more senior living centres and communities are developed in New Zealand, interiors need to impress, perform, and last. We will provide up-to-date flooring design recommendations that will help new residents and their families feel safe, and, most importantly, at home.

New Zealand: <a href="https://teulo.co/events/upcoming-event-teulo-ed-assisted-living/">Watch webinar via partner Teulo </a>and claim formal CPD points.

 CPD Points:

<ul><li>10 NZRAB Points</li>
	<li>1 ADNZ Points</li>
	<li>1 Australian informal CPD point (ACT, SA, NT, QLD, NSW, VIC &amp; TAS)</li>
	<li>1 LBP - Design 2 + 3 Points 
	 </li>
</ul><a href="https://teulo.co/events/upcoming-event-teulo-ed-assisted-living/"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/teulo.jpg" /></a>

Continued Professional Development: Senior living and flooring - a critical component to design.

Better With Age - Balancing Senior Living Style And Safety

Fractals are the building blocks of many of nature’s patterns and have been scientifically proven to reduce stress and to provide benefits to physical health.

Utilising fractals gives our eyes a break from the digital world and delivers the essence of nature to the built environment. 

Discover the science founded over generations behind fractals, how they are found in nature and how to translate fractals in design and architecture.

Uncover the power of adopting fractals in human centred built environments and the positive affects it has on building occupants, and how combatting stress can be achieved through this methodology. 

 

Australia: <a href="https://www.archify.com/au/education/gh-commercial/detail/the-power-of-fractal-design-within-the-built-environment">Watch webinar via partner Archify</a> and claim formal CPD Points.

New Zealand: <a href="https://teulo.co/events/fractal-design/">Watch webinar via partner Teulo </a>and claim formal CPD Points.

<a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/contact">Contact us</a> to schedule an in person CPD presentation.

CPD Points:

<ul><li>1 Australian Formal CPD Point (Design competency)</li>
	<li>10 NZRAB Points</li>
	<li>1 ADNZ Points</li>
	<li>1 LBP - Design 2 + 3 Points   
	 </li>
</ul><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/archify.png" /> <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/nzia-approved.png" /> <a href="https://teulo.co/events/fractal-design/"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/gh/image/upload/c_scale,w_250/v1/apps/ghc-web/pages/cpd-images/teulo.jpg" /></a>

Continued Professional Development: Learn about Fractals, their uses and benefits.

The Power Of Fractal Design Within The Built Environment

In this current era of hybrid work, we are seeing the emergence of new workplace trends focused on the experience of the end users. Combining the comforts of home with adaptable spaces that cater to different working styles on demand, the “hotelisation” of the workplace is gaining pace.

Download this whitepaper and learn how biophilic design is turning today’s office spaces into engaging experiences that inspire productivity, promote good health and foster social connection.

Request a copy of this whitepaper for a closer look at the shift towards the hotelisation of the workplace.

Hotelisation Of Office Spaces: The Role Of Biophilic Design In Workplaces Of The Future

GH Commercial a proud supporting partner of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2023. 

PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2023 x GH Commercial

We’re doing better together, to recycle our metal waste. GH Commercial and Godfrey Hirst strive to recycle wherever possible to reduce the environmental impact of our manufacturing operations. We’re always looking for new ways to reduce what we send to landfill.

Sims Metal regularly collect metal scraps and old unused machinery from our manufacturing operations. With 36,900 kilograms of metal collected by Sims Metal from GH Commercial and Godfrey Hirst premises in 2022. All metal is then processed or broken down in order to be repurposed. All of the metal collected from our sites here in Geelong is reused and repurposed within Australia. 

Sims Metal is the leading collector, processor, and supplier of recycled metal in Australia. Servicing all states and territories across 30 physical locations. With over 100 years of experience in the metal recycling industry Sims Metal and significant investment in future growth of operations to continue to promote and provide recycling support worldwide.

GH Commercial are continually striving to Believe in Better under our sustainability framework. Ensuring that we are always trying to improve our sustainability efforts for our people, our performance, and the planet. Ensuring that we recycle our metal waste is another step that we take to ensure that we are striving to leave the planet better for future generations.

Reducing our environmental impact by finding new ways to recycle waste.

Sims Metal Recycling

<blockquote>
“Our company wholeheartedly believes that certifications are not just an intangible form of compliance, rather opportunistic value of the highest order,” “They provide integrity, transparency, and confidence for our customers and stakeholders alike. Today, certifications are much more than just a flashy piece of paper. It is the systematic change that is cultivated by the shifting significance of certifications and certifying partners, and the supplementary value that can be captured from an operational and commercial point of view.” -says Lachlan.
</blockquote>

Any architecture and design professional will be familiar with the layered landscape of building and construction schemes and certifications. But while the complexity in this space might be challenging to navigate, it also offers a great benefit. “Uncovering and aligning with the right certifications can be pivotal to the success of an organisation’s strategy and provide additional value to its customers and stakeholders,” Lachlan points out. “At GH Commercial, we are challenging ourselves to design, manufacture and distribute innovative products with reduced environmental and social impacts – and aligning ourselves with the right types of certifications will be pivotal to future success.”

The strategic role certifications can play in the architecture and design industry.

The Significance Of Certifications In Manufacturing

Joel Williamson our National Commercial Sales Manager had the opportunity to speak to Architecture &amp; Design recently as part of the Sustainability Awards 2022 in which GH Commercial presented the Interior Design Awards. Architecture &amp; Design are Australia’s largest design media network sharing valuable resources across architecture, design and construction industries. 

A&amp;D: What is your background and what does your current role in the business entail? Joel Williamson (JW): I started in the flooring industry on the installation side and steadily progressed to project management, to estimating and sales and then moved across to manufacturing. Before that, I was a musician and involved in leadership roles in various organisations. I have always felt that having a blend of creativity and pragmatic business experience has given me a unique approach to the way I go about things and that coupled with industry experience anchored in delivering solutions at the project level has helped me a lot over the years. Currently, I am the National Sales Manager at GH Commercial in Australia.

A&amp;D: Has focus on sustainability always been a part of your career trajectory? JW: Sustainability as a career path has changed so much over the years. I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and have always had a strong connection with nature. While some kids were playing video games, I was hiking through the woods identifying and counting birds to provide reports to various bird societies with my family. I’m not saying I was always happy about it, but it was ingrained in me and no matter what I have been doing, I have always been very aware that we are all part of this amazing ecosystem, and we have a responsibility to look after the world around us. As I have gotten older, I have become more and more excited about the concept that industry is and needs to be shifting from being part of the problem to being part of the solution. Marcus Aurelius famously said, “What stands in the way becomes the way.” I firmly believe that the industry is waking up to this now and in countless ways is looking to the very problem as the solution. I am excited to be a business leader that is part of this revolution.

A&amp;D: And how does sustainability show up in your day-to-day as GH Commercial’s National Sales Manager? JW: A lot of it boils down to communications and assisting with decision-making and prioritisation. It’s fantastic to have a focus on a certain area, but it’s important to ensure that it’s something our architecture and design community, and end consumers, care about as well. My team and I talk to our clients about the solutions that they need, and then we relay that back to our internal teams to inform how we do things. We see ourselves as part of our clients’ supply chain and if they have a goal to achieve – for example in terms of pursuing specific certification marks – those are the things we need to be able to interpret and say, “This is how we need to be thinking about it.” 
Another crucial element of my role is collaborating with various certification bodies to understand how our offering fits in with their requirements, and to be able to offer the architects, designers and specifiers more assistance with how our products can help them achieve their goals in the certification space. Constructing a building that ticks the relevant boxes is one thing, but having to figure out how every single product that they have to choose fits within that scheme is a huge task.

A&amp;D: How important is sustainability to your organisation? How does this commitment manifest through various stages of product development and company operations? JW: Our company fully believes that our success comes through what many would call the triple bottom line principles of people, planet and performance. We like to sum it all up in our “Believe in Better” concept. We’ve been proud to make PVC-free carpet tiles in Australia for years and have received multiple sustainability awards for our innovation and our ability to incorporate sustainability into our everyday processes. 
That’s why sustainability is not an independent factor in what we do – our sustainability steering committee is formed from most of the key leaders and individuals across each department to ensure that all decisions are balanced, that we can achieve our goals and that fresh ideas come from the places that are most aware of the issues. 
As part of Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring manufacturing company, we not only look inwardly at our own operations here in Australia or New Zealand, but we also take into account the global goals of the company. It’s important that the steering committee helps to drive the prioritisation and the coordination of projects, and to interpret reporting and provide oversight along with ensuring that positive outcomes are achieved, and that we meet the relevant timelines and goals as well. 
Because of this collaborative approach, there is often much better uptake in what we do across the entire organisation and it’s great to see the passion that many of our team have for the projects that affect them or their departments most. Where we can, we like to use external frameworks to help with benchmarking our own standards. For example, Declare Certification on products not only provides a benefit to our customers, but it also positively affects the people working in the manufacturing side who have to be around the raw materials we are using every day. It’s a win-win solution, but the process itself also helps us with driving better decision making from a procurement point of view and ensures that our change management processes are rigorous enough to maintain our certifications that get reviewed regularly.

A&amp;D: What are the company’s current priorities from a sustainability point of view? JW: We are working on a few fronts. Significant changes in the cost of energy mean that we need or have the opportunity to fast track many of our planned projects relating to increasing renewable energy production or use in our processes. In addition to this we are working on multiple ways to increase recycled content in all of the products that we manufacture along with creating real solutions to recycle pre and post-consumer waste into product lines that deliver better circularity for our industry here in Australia and New Zealand. 
Carpet sits on this cusp between textile and building products. So for us, it’s really interesting to be looking at how we can start to solve textile waste problems and start to create solutions for the products that are currently going to landfill in Australia, and be putting them into really key applications throughout commercial and residential buildings around Australia. 
And this isn’t limited to flooring, particularly because there aren’t many flooring brands that make their products in Australia. For instance, we collaborate with GT Recycling, here in Geelong, to help them create a product called FibreCrete which takes the recycled carbon fibre and incorporates it into concrete, allowing a major reduction in the use of reinforcement steel in applications like footpaths or driveways. So even though we’re not in the concrete business ourselves, we’re definitely happy to be part of that conversation and those kinds of collaborations. Because collaboration is going to be the solution moving forward.

A&amp;D: Speaking of the future, what are the company’s aspirations, goals and ambitions for the future from a sustainability point of view? JW: Globally, Mohawk Industries wants to remain a leader in sustainability and at GH Commercial, we intend to partner with our global counterparts within a greater company to achieve goals such as reducing our impact in order to keep warming below 1.5 degrees. Locally we want to lead our industry to innovate and create solutions that make a real impact in Australia and New Zealand. This is beyond a specific product category but is across all categories. 
We believe that as the largest flooring manufacturer across commercial and residential applications we are in a unique position to affect real change where the impacts are the greatest. We’ve already started the journey with Climate Active certified carbon neutral operations being achieved in 2021 and also now have a vast rollout of products that are Declare Certified to be Red List Free, PEFC certified timber products and more. 
We are working to reduce our absolute emissions across all scopes and have set ambitious goals in both the inclusion of recycled or biobased renewable content in our products and the ability to recycle all products by 2030.

Architecture & Design Magazine catch up with our National Commercial Sales Manager Joel Williamson. 

Q&A With Joel Williamson

The company which forms the Oceanic division of the world’s largest flooring manufacturer, Mohawk Industries, was first established in Geelong in 1865. Founded under the name of Godfrey Hirst, the establishment was Victoria’s very first textile mill. With time, the shape of the facility – and the brand itself – has evolved, but this rich local heritage continues to inform the outstanding quality of the GH Commercial products, and the company’s strategic and operational trajectory.

Today, GH Commercial’s large local network spans three manufacturing plants and two distribution centres in Australia, as well as four world-class production facilities in New Zealand. “Having such a robust local manufacturing capability, we are able to have full control over how the products are made,” explains Aaron Dawson, Commercial Carpet Manager at GH Commercial. Not only that – thanks to its strong local presence, the company was able to continue offering its high-quality products to Australian clients throughout the pandemic.

<blockquote>
“Generally, a lot of our raw materials are sourced from offshore so we were impacted by the logistical challenges of the pandemic," "However, in the midst of COVID, we were able to construct a large facility at our North Geelong manufacturing plant which became our raw material warehouse. Having all the material already in the country and on site, our exposure to what happened globally was dramatically reduced. In addition, being a local manufacturer with a bigger local logistical imprint, we were able to get around some of the hurdles that a lot of the importers faced through that time.”
</blockquote>

GH Commercial’s local manufacturing facilities play a crucial role in advancing the organisation’s sustainability, too. “The company is investing heavily in its sustainability journey with resources, training and knowledge,” Aaron explains. “And with carpet manufacturing relying so heavily on electricity and gas, everything we can do in the renewable energy sector will help us maintain a viable and sustainable product portfolio.”

Reducing the company’s carbon footprint through solar energy.

Shine On: The Future Of Local Manufacturing

As the Oceanic subsidiary of Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring company, we belong to a global network of leading products, brands and world-class manufacturing and we know that our future depends on the work we do today.

Our Quickship® program offers a wide range of our best-selling carpet tile and plank designs, segmented by price meaning that you can find a suitable flooring solution to meet any project budget, without compromising on quality.

Supporting local industry and manufacturing is important, which is why we continue to manufacture our carpet tiles and planks locally in Geelong, Victoria. Through Godfrey Hirst operations, we draw upon over 150 years of local manufacturing experience, from both the heart of Geelong, Victoria and in New Zealand. Locally made products ensure no import time and therefore no import delays, meaning that we can get your desired flooring solutions to you faster, to meet your project deadlines

All carpet tiles and planks manufactured by us here at GH Commercial are Declare Red List Free as part of the Living Future Institute of Australia’s, Declare Program. The Declare program applies a Declare™ label to applicable products that shows a product’s entire ingredients to a threshold of 100-parts-per-million, creating a 'nutrition label'. The label addresses three key concerns: Where does a product originate? What is it made of? Where does it end up at the end of its life? All our carpet tiles and planks have proudly LBC Red List Approved meaning that these products do not contain any ingredients are marked on the Red List making them healthy for people, the environment, and communities.

View our <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/quickship">Quickship® range</a> or talk to your local GH Commercial representative today to learn more

Discover our <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/products">entire product portfolio</a> today.

* Subject to GH Commercial Terms and Conditions. Only available in Australia.

The GH Commercial Quickship® program is an extensive selection of Australian made and stocked carpet tiles available for dispatch in as little as 10 business days from placement of order*.

Need Flooring Fast? Look No Further Than Quickship®

GH Commercial, proudly sponsoring the Living Future Institute of Australia’s (LFIA), inaugural National Biophilic Design Awards, in the Interior and Renovation category in 2023. LFIA host the awards to recognise achievements in Australian buildings, interiors and communities that demonstrate the principles and benefits of biophilic design.

Established in 2012, The LFIA is an affiliate of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). ILFI is an environmental NGO committed to creating communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. It operates the Living Building Challenge, the built environment’s most ambitious performance standard, as well as many other visionary programs that support the transformation toward a living future.

We have been a major sponsor of the LIFA since 2019, where we were the first flooring manufacturer in Australia to achieve Declare Red List Free accreditation. Declare is a platform to share and find healthy building products. Manufacturers voluntarily disclose product information used by leading designs to specify products they know they can trust. Today, we hold most Declare Red List Free labels in Australia, and the portfolio continues to grow.

Successful projects within the awards will highlight the biophilic design process and notable outcomes. The biophilic design narrative should tie together key design strategies to intended and desired outcomes and should describe how these were achieved. National winners will automatically be entered into the International Living Future Institute’s Stephen R. Kellert Design Award in 2023. This award acknowledges Stephen Kellert’s legacy as a pioneer in articulating and applying biophilic design principles to the built environment. His publications and advocacy have had a profound impact on increasing awareness and encouraging widespread adoption of the practice of design for human-nature connection.

Many of our products are designed with biophilia in mind, purposefully incorporating colours, textures, and patterns found in the natural environment. We are thrilled to be sponsoring the very first LFIA’s National Biophilic Design Award, resonating closely with our Believe in Better philosophy as we are passionate about improving the health and well-being of occupants in the spaces that we live and work in.

We share our congratulations to the finalists for the Interior and Renovation category, Zyan House and Pavone House! These inspiring projects incorporate unique biophilic elements seamlessly into their designs. 

The Zyan House renovation required an extension of the envelope to the boundary on a small site adjacent to apartment blocks. To enhance the natural experience of the coastal site, bi-fold doors welcome the sea breeze and landscape space was maximised through the use of vertical gardens and green roofs with spaces for prospect. The building envelope was also orientated to block the views into the house to maintain a sense of refuge, sanctuary and a sense of home.

Pavone House is owned and occupied by Dr Pippa Soccio and her family - the fifth generation to reside at the address. Pippa is an architect and lecturer of Teaching and Learning (Built Environments) at the University of Melbourne School of Design. The renovation provided a testing ground for her PhD studies on indoor environment quality (IEQ), and leverages the synergies between biophilic design and IEQ to promote wellbeing and energy efficiency. Above all else, it is a family home designed for life; not to live, but to thrive.

GH Commercial, proudly sponsoring the Living Future Institute of Australia’s, inaugural National Biophilic Design Awards.

Biophilic Design Awards 2023

Reduced Water Consumption 
We Believe In Better® in everything we do, everyday. Join us on our sustainability journey to introduce new initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint, improve the energy and water consumption of our manufacturing processes and continue to improve our energy efficiency company wide.

Dye Washing 
With the introduction of a new dye washing line which has dramatically reduced our energy consumption and water consumption within this process which will save 500 Litres per minute of water during a production run. This new initiative is just one of the ways that we are becoming more sustainable for our planet and reducing our environmental footprint.

Latex Application 
Latex application during our manufacturing process utilises water to adhere a secondary backing to the carpet. We have recently introduced a new initiative that recycles the water utilised in our latex application process which is done weekly in large batches. This new initiative has resulted in significant water consumption savings with 600L less water being used every 14-tonne latex batch.

Improve the energy and water consumption everyday.

Reducing Water Usage

Our commitment to our planet extends beyond just products and processes: it’s how we challenge ourselves to do and be better every day, how we make decisions, how we reinvest in our people and our planet, and how we define what matters most as we work to deliver value for generations to come.

Drawing on over 150 years of manufacturing, backed by a strong heritage, we proudly operate four carpet manufacturing facilities, three yarn processing facilities, 10 distribution centres, and 14 sales offices across Australia and New Zealand where we are dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint through careful and responsible resource management and the continued investment in new technology to improve our processes. 
 

As a part of this manufacturing process, we are always looking for ways that we can continuously improve our operations, including to be more energy efficient. Consistent with this philosophy, we have recently taken steps to improve our compressed air usage onsite because the generation of compressed air requires significant amounts of energy. Compressed air is used throughout our manufacturing processes to power a range equipment from pneumatic cylinders to actuated valves and pumps throughout the plant. In order to improve the use of compressed air within our operations and ultimately reduce our energy consumption, we have commenced a project to better monitor the use of compressed air, identify and reduce leakages in air systems.

Dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint through careful and responsible resource management.

Compressor Efficiency Sustainability

Taking real climate action as an organisation means voluntarily going above and beyond current regulations to achieve net zero carbon emissions. At GH Commercial, we do. Godfrey Hirst Australia has achieved Climate Active Carbon Neutral organisation status and are proud to be the first Australian carpet manufacturer to do so. Furthermore, Godfrey Hirst New Zealand is also now a carbon neutral organisation1.

The Australian government program Climate Active recognises businesses that take voluntary climate action to measure, reduce and offset carbon emissions. Godfrey Hirst Australia’s Climate Active membership and certified carbon neutral organisation status demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and industry leadership to drive genuine change.

One carbon offsetting project we have supported is the Hubei Duhe Pankou Hydropower Plant in China, located on the Du River, in Zhushan Country, northwest of Hubei Province, China2. &nbsp;A factor in our decision to support this project was the fact that several of our hard flooring suppliers are&nbsp;located in China. Utilising water resources of the Du River and delivering an annual average of 1,105,800 MWh of electricity to the Central China Power Grid, this project upholds the UN Sustainability Development Goal of taking urgent climate action. Local electricity demand was previously supplied by the Hubei Grid, comprised predominantly of non-renewable coal power plants. This hydropower plant has a total installed capacity of 500MW and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases by replacing traditional thermal power with renewable hydropower.&nbsp;

1&nbsp;Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd and Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd are ‘carbon neutral’ organisations. &nbsp;This means that those entities purchase and voluntarily retire carbon offsets equivalent to their annual carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources within their organisational boundary. &nbsp;For New Zealand, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for in accordance with ISO14064-3:2018. &nbsp;For Australia, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for, and carbon neutral status is certified, in accordance with the requirements of Climate Active. 
2&nbsp;https://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/DB/JACO1340762224.99/view

Duhe Pankou Hydropower Plant Offsetting Project

Launched in early 2022, Josh Haddock created Dreamtime Flooring, an Indigenous carpet and vinyl company supplying Indigenous story enriched artisan carpets and crafted vinyl around Australia. For generations Indigenous people have shared their culture through stories and artwork and Dreamtime Flooring enables these stories and artwork to be celebrated and preserved through the flooring medium for future generations.

Josh Haddock is a proud Yorta Yorta man raised on Gunaikurnai land, who takes pride in giving back to the Indigenous community and working alongside Indigenous artists to create amazing vinyl and carpet flooring lines.  At GH Commercial, we have been collaborating with Josh from Dreamtime Flooring, manufacturing their carpet designs right here in Geelong, Victoria.  

We are proud to have won The Best Collaboration Award alongside Dreamtime Flooring and Bynm Flooring at the Kinaway Business Awards 2022. We are truly honoured to partner with Josh and the Dreamtime family and we look forward to continue our collaboration together. 

To view Dreamtime Flooring’s current carpet range, visit their <a href="https://www.dreamtimeflooring.com/carpets">website</a>.

Honoured to partner and win the Best Collaboration Award alongside Dreamtime Flooring and Bynm Flooring at the Kinaway Business Awards 2022.

Dreamtime Kinaway Awards

<h3>Established in 2012, the Living Future Institute of Australia (LFIA) is an affiliate of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), an environmental NGO and hub for visionary programs offering global solutions for a socially just, culturally rich and ecologically regenerative world. </h3>

The role of LFIA is to navigate and propel change in the Australian built environment through the rapid integration of design practices that, beyond merely doing less harm, contribute positively to the environment. Their initiatives include overseeing Zero Carbon Certification, the Biophilic Design Initiative, Declare® program, industry education, regular training events and technical advisory services.

GH Commercial have been a major sponsor of the LFIA since 2019, where we were the first floor covering manufacturer in Australia to achieve Declare Red List Free accreditation. Today, we hold the most Declare Red List Free labels in Australia, and the portfolio continues to grow.

Our continued partnership with LFIA underscores our Believe in Better® sustainability framework under our Better for Product pillar ensuring many of our products now and into the future, display Declare Red List free certification.

<h3>Declare® Certification</h3>

The LIFA Declare® program reveals clear and honest information about material specifications via a ‘nutritional’ label of ingredients. Each label is compared against a list of worst-in-class materials, also known as the Red List.  These Red List chemicals pollute the environment, bio-accumulate up the food chain until they reach toxic concentration and create health problems for construction and factory personnel.

Working across our entire supply chain, GH Commercial have been able to identify, source and utilise the healthiest possible manufacturing components to meet LFIA’s exacting standards. GH Commercial hold current Declare Red List Free labels for our Australian Made Solution Dyed Nylon (SDN) and Designer Jet ™ products, as well as for a large range of wool broadloom carpets and carpet tiles.

GH Commercial are proud to hold the most Declare labels in Australia, with 27 Declare Red List Free labels held by GH Commercial that cover 72 standard products and an extensive range of custom products.

<h3>GH Commercial – Believe in Better®</h3>

As the Oceanic subsidiary of Mohawk Industries, the world’s largest flooring company, we belong to a global network of leading products, brands and world-class manufacturing and we know that our future depends on the work we do today.

At GH Commercial, our commitment to our planet extends beyond just products and processes: it’s how we challenge ourselves to do and be better every day, how we make decisions, how we reinvest in our people and our planet, and how we define what matters most as we work to deliver value for generations to come.

More about GH Commercial and our <a href="https://www.ghcommercial.com/sustainability">sustainability journey</a>.

Renewing our commitment to climate action by supporting the Living Future Institute of Australia. 

Living Future Institute Of Australia Partnership 2023

Taking real climate action as an organisation means voluntarily going above and beyond current regulations to achieve net zero carbon emissions. At GH Commercial, we do. Godfrey Hirst Australia has achieved Climate Active Carbon Neutral organisation status and are proud to be the&nbsp;first Australian carpet manufacturer to do so. Furthermore, Godfrey Hirst New Zealand is also now a carbon neutral organisation1.

The Australian Government program Climate Active recognises businesses that take voluntary climate action to measure, reduce and offset carbon emissions. Godfrey Hirst Australia’s Climate Active membership and certified carbon neutral organisation status demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and industry leadership to drive genuine change.

One carbon offsetting project that we have supported is the ‘Carbon Conscious Carbon Capture Project 1’ which is a reforestation project across 14 properties totalling 5,700ha in the Central and Northern Agricultural Regions of Western Australia. We chose this project as a reflection of our Australian Made operations, with all of our soft floor coverings made in Australia and New Zealand. From 2009 to 2010 over 6 million native species Mallee trees planted on land previously cleared for dryland cropping and grazing. Registration as a Carbon Farming Initiative Project included commitment to maintaining the forest for a minimum of 100 years. This region in Western Australia was recognised as significantly over-cleared, and the reforestation is: providing protective habitat for native flora and fauna; reducing wind and water erosion; in some cases reducing soil salinity and some cases providing a useful environment for sheep and honey bees.

1 Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd and Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd are ‘carbon neutral’ organisations. &nbsp;This means that those entities purchase and voluntarily retirecarbon offsets equivalent to their annual carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from sources within their organisational boundary. &nbsp;For New Zealand, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for in accordance with ISO14064-3:2018. &nbsp;For Australia, organisational GHG emissions are accounted for, and carbon neutral status is certified, in accordance with the requirements of Climate Active.

The first Australian carpet manufacturer to achieve the Climate Active Carbon Neutral organisation status.

The Carbon Conscious Carbon Capture Offsetting Project 1

GH Commercial were proud to partner with Architecture and Design’s 2022 Sustainability Awards to present the Interior Design Award to finalist fjmt interiors for their SubStation No.164 project. fjmt interiors in collaboration with fjmt studio created a new Head Office for Built Sydney within the adaptive reuse development SubStation No.164. A heritage warehouse and electrical substation are seamlessly integrated through modern insertions and interconnecting stairs, providing multiple view lines and circulation paths that provide a modern, sustainable and healthy workplace.

Originally two adjacent heritage buildings, the Shelley Warehouse and Electrical Substation No.164, were integrated by way of penetrations through their adjoining walls. As the Substation and Warehouse levels have differing heights, a series of stairs were used to unify the floors. Above, a new curvilinear glass tower is supported by a core and columns that penetrate through the heritage structure.

fjmt Interiors worked together with Built to determine which floors of the new development would best suit their business needs and heritage Levels two to four were selected to create the 2410 square metre mix of client-facing and open plan workspace.

The two existing buildings are Heritage Listed along with the fit out targeting a 6 Star Green Star Interiors and WELL Platinum Rating. The combination of all three of these governing bodies and rating systems added an extra level of complexity and challenges to the project that were incorporated from the onset.

The design centres around respecting the heritage and celebrating the new, while incorporating an industrial aesthetic befitting a construction company. The introduction of biophilic elements and materiality for occupant comfort and well-coordinated technology inclusions compose the future-forward workplace.

GH Commercial partner with Architecture and Design’s 2022 Sustainability Awards.

Sustainability Awards 2022

GH Commercial, supporting Rone with his latest exhibition Time, in Flinders Street Station Melbourne.

Artist Rone x GH Commercial 

With funding for school infrastructure set to increase, there are growing opportunities in the education sector for designers and specifiers.

School builds, renovations and fit-outs must address a growing number of student needs and maximise learning opportunities.

Too often interior elements such as flooring are specified without a deep understanding as to how they can impact student health, wellbeing and academic performance. 
Download this whitepaper for a closer look at the connection between flooring design and the student learning experience.

Download the whitepaper for a closer look at the connection between flooring design and the student learning experience.

Best In Class: A Guide To Smarter Flooring Specification For Education Environments

<h3>Reducing Our Carbon Footprint Across Our Largest Facilities </h3>

At GH Commercial, efforts to advance our shared mission of a more sustainable future continue. Having already fitted 436 solar panels on our warehouses in Truganina and Laverton, we’ve now completed our largest ever installation. 

Plant 5, our north Geelong carpet tufting facility, is now the proud owner of a 500kW solar system. Covering 12,000m2 of the facility’s roof, the 1,088 460W panels generate up to 1.97MWh of clean energy per day, offsetting over 60% of daytime electricity.  

This will help to power the production of over 16,000 lineal metres of carpet each day and reduce electricity bills at the Plant by an average of 28%.

Thanks to our largest solar panel installation, we’re reducing our carbon footprint across our largest facilities.

Making Our Buildings Better With Solar

<h3>We’re doing better together, to turn waste into new products.</h3>

Striving for better, GH Commercial and Godfrey Hirst are on a journey to achieving a circular economy, by repurposing and recycling end-of-life flooring products. We’re always looking for new ways to reduce what we send to landfill.

Geelong based company GT Recycling, supported by Deakin University, approached Godfrey Hirst with the idea of recycling pre-consumer carpet waste and turning it into an innovative recycled reinforced concrete product. Eager to assist, we offered our carpet waste and industry knowledge to assist in the development of the concept product - FibreCrete.

GT FibreCrete, GH Commercial assist in the development of the innovative Carpet Fibre Reinforced Concrete 