Like most companies in the partitioning business, Invotek’s traditional material of choice has always been plasterboard. It’s cheap, fireproof and relatively soundproof.
But there’s a problem. Not only is the material not biodegradable, but gypsum-based products such as plasterboard can also be hazardous if combined with other unstable products in landfill. New regulations tackling this issue led Invotek to seek a better, more sustainable alternative.
For Simon Coleman, Commercial Director at Invotek, the change in regulations represented more of an opportunity than a threat to his business: ‘It gave us the chance to explore a potentially radical solution,’ he explains. ‘We could have chosen a mainstream alternative, such as chip board, ply or MDF, but since they all have environmentally unsound production processes, we didn’t feel we’d be making a significant impact to our own environmental footprint.’
Instead, after some intensive desk research, Coleman came across the possibility of using a by-product of wheat straw.
Coleman approached Compak UK, an agrifibre engineering business which manufactures solid compressed sheets from straw waste. The two companies began collaborating on the development of an entirely new partitioning solution.
Invotek’s five-strong team of designers was central to the development of the new solution, from the production process and manufacturing specifications to the appearance of the finished product. As with any groundbreaking innovation, there were a number of challenges to be overcome, but nothing the team couldn’t handle. ‘Over the years we have developed a culture of innovation and design,’ says Coleman. ‘It means we can respond better to customers’ needs, and we are agile enough to adapt our solutions and solve any problems as they arise.’
The resulting product – Strawboard – is biodegradable, easily recycled, produced from a sustainable source, structurally sound, easy to fit and secure, resistant to fire and high impacts and performs well in acoustic testing.
‘It wasn’t enough just to be environmentally friendly, Strawboard has to perform both practically and financially,’ says Coleman. ‘We have to be able to demonstrate to environmentally considerate architects and interior designers that Strawboard not only complies with long-term waste acceptance criteria, but provides a very adaptable alternative for plaster surfaces and partitioning.’
The first project using the new material went ahead in July 2006 with the refurbishment of school classrooms at Winton Primary School in Bournemouth. Shortly after, Invotek was short-listed for Most Innovative Product at the 100% Detail/RIBA Journal Innovations Awards.
