Natural beauty in floors Bauwerk Parkett

For more than 70 years, Bauwerk Parkett has been producing high-quality parquet flooring and country home planking. Abigail Saltmarsh finds out more about its extensive product range.

NATURAL BEAUTY IN FLOORS

Design, technology and remaining one step ahead of trends – Bauwerk Parqkett has built its reputation on its high quality wooden flooring and two-layer parquet and is determined to carry on in the same vein. Paul Eberle, the head of marketing international sales, explains that the company has a solid history that will continue to serve as a platform as it grows, develops and innovates over the coming years.

“We strongly believe that it is important to stay a leader in terms of 2-layer quality, design and healthy living,” he explains. “This company is built on tradition and long experience.

“Its products are sustainable and get wider and wider, or are unique items. We have ongoing challenges with design to discover the trends that are likely to be occurring over the coming four to five years and to apply them to our own product range. And this is something we are experienced at doing and are confident that we can continue to do.”

Laying the foundations

The beginnings of Bauwerk as it is today were set in motion by Ernst Göhner in Seefeld, near Zurich, Switzerland, in 1935. He had already used his expertise in woodworking earlier in the manufacture of wooden bodywork for the German automobile industry. In 1935, however, a process for mosaic parquet was developed and, in 1944, Göhner moved parquet production from Altstätten to St Margrethen, in eastern Switzerland, where it is still based today.

It was in 1944 that Bauwerk Parkett was founded with the mission of manufacturing

parquet and developing modern parquet processing machines. Years of continued optimisation and innovation followed. Sites in Austria and Germany were set up, and in 1984, the one-millionth square metre of parquet left the production facility.

An extensive portfolio

Today, with around 600 employees in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy or Russia, Bauwerk Parkett produces and sells more than 400 different parquet floors and the corresponding range of accessories, Mr Eberle explains. From those that are designed to convey a natural sense of wellbeing to more architectural designs, the company prides itself in its broad spectrum of designs.

“One of our highlights at the moment is our Vintage Edition,” explains Mr Eberle. “This is where we have created a shabby chic look by colouring the product and then letting the raw wood show through again.”

Bauwerk Parkett developed the Vintage Edition in a collaborative effort with Virginia Maissen from the Gustave agency in Zurich. It was important for Bauwerk Parkett that Gustave symbolised and integrated the urban, artistic and creative side of Zurich. Whether laid as multi-colour or understated with small accents, through all the various combinations, some 2,047 different design possibilities are available. The idea is that Vintage Edition is where nostalgia meets modern design and offers something truly unique at the same time.

On the surface

Bauwerk has a presence in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Russia through country representative offices and showrooms and

works with professional installation partners throughout Europe.

“Currently, approximately 80 per cent of the product range is produced at the main facility in St Margrethen, where there is stateof-the-art equipment. Research, development and design are also carried out at the site,” he says. “Then we have a second site in Austria, where some selected high volume products are made.”

He continues: “We do upgrade our equipment on an ongoing basis but the most recent investment was in our machines for producing e.g. special surfaces. This has increased our flexibility and improved our ability for producing different surfaces.”

Studiopark Master Edition is one of the latest product launches in this area. This flooring is an exclusive co-production between Bauwerk and Schotten & Hansen. The surfaces of the limited Master Edition are worked in a series of meticulous, manual steps, with the result that the natural beauty, of the wood is brought out.

“The natural oak is washed and then it is given a special waxed/oiled surface,” he adds. Aesthetics and durability

Working with designers, installation professionals and architects, Bauwerk’s team of process engineers and developers aim to create the parquet flooring of the future from the best fresh-cut wood from responsibly maintained, sustainable forests.

“Other special products include Unopark Forte and Megapark Forte,” Mr Eberle explains. “This is where the floor has a top layer that is three times harder than usual.

“It might be ideal, for example, in a shop or somewhere else where the owner is looking for a natural wood look combined with high levels of wear. The beauty of this product is that the top layer can even be re-sanded and re-oiled if necessary after several years.”

Strengthening the brand

Bauwerk’s plans for the future include ongoing efforts to launch pioneering products such as these, and to ensure a strong presence at trade shows and promotional events where it can introduce its portfolio on behalf of itself and its customers.

“Our core markets are the German speaking areas – Switzerland, Germany and Austria,” he explains. “But we do also sell into France, the Netherlands and countries such as Italy, the UK and north-eastern Europe (like Romania, Poland or Russia).

“We have strong partners in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the Arab Emirates, the USA and Canada and we do want to increase our business in these places, as well as in some selected eastern European countries. However, it is also important for us not to lose our market share in our core markets as we try to increase business elsewhere.”

And he adds: “We want to increase awareness of our brand and to highlight where we are a leader. This means continuing to develop our technologies and to ensure that we always maintain our very high quality.” n