To help students make the step from school to the job market even better, SintLucas works closely with organisations in the area. One of the collaborations, of which we are proud, is with MEDITE SMARTPLY.
MEDITE SMARTPLY has a wide range of sustainable MDF and OSB products within Europe. To increase brand awareness in the Netherlands, they are working with PR and marketing agency TEAM LEWIS. Together with SintLucas, this agency set up a nice project for the students. On the one hand to generate more brand awareness for MEDITE SMARTPLY and on the other to introduce students to this sustainable sheet material.
Connecting with the target audience
We speak to Danique van Zon, Senior Campaign Manager at TEAM LEWIS. “Sustainable wood is becoming the future. We wanted the real makers (students) to experience this. This year, students made special outdoor objects for Vitalis Woonzorg Groep for the indoor garden of a locations, for residents to enjoy. Extra special about this project: the residents were involved. For instance, residents attended the briefing with the students and visited the workshop at SintLucas where the students were working. Some even helped out. Students interacted with them and in this way received feedback from the target group itself. Very special to experience and see that connection.”
Varied outdoor objects
“The students worked with MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME. This material was chosen for its exceptional durability and resistance to moisture. This makes it one of the few wooden panels suitable for outdoor use. They all received the same board material, yet all objects are completely different. This is great to see, as is the enthusiasm of the residents when the students came to install the work. The professionalism really stood out: both in the process, where many substantive questions were asked, and the final result. We look forward to working more with SintLucas.”
Experience of student Sterre de Klein
An example of one of the final projects is “TWIST. Student Sterre developed a table particularly suitable for wheelchair users to play cards or a game together. Sterre explains: “I found it an incredibly fun challenge to work with this material and to work for a real client. I handled the material as sustainably as possible and used everything. I wanted to bring residents together and create cosiness for them in their own garden. TWIST allows wheelchair users to play a game without having to bend over the table to take or lay a card from the deck. The residents are very happy with the result. I am proud of that!”
Student experience Luuk Pouwels
Luuk made a ballerina inspired by ‘Swan Lake’. In the design, when the sun hits it, you can see both the white and black swan through the shadows. “I enjoyed this project and learnt a lot during the execution. The biggest challenge for me was to create a product that is not only aesthetically beautiful, but also tells its own story. A lot of research preceded this idea. Theatre and ballet are close to my heart, so I knew I wanted to do something with these classical art forms. The moment when everything fell into place was when I saw Marta Gonzalez, a former ballerina with dementia, blossom and dance in her wheelchair as soon as she heard the music of ‘Swan Lake’. I am very grateful to MEDITE SMARTPLY and TEAM LEWIS for this opportunity, which I was able to take advantage of with my fellow students.”
Experience from MEDITE SMARTPLY
Henny Henderson, sales manager at MEDITE SMARTPLY, says: “I am impressed by the way the students interpreted the assignment and the way they worked the sheet material. Because the material is extremely suitable for outdoor use and it has excellent machinability, it gave the students a lot of freedom. It is great to see how well all the designs fit into the garden.”
