Architect Spotlight
As WCCI celebrates 25 years, we’re continuing our conversations with the architects and designers who have helped shape our journey.
Carl Ko
Associate at Mode Design
What architects need from manufacturers, from specification to delivery
As WCCI celebrates 25 years, we’re reflecting on the architects, designers and industry professionals who have helped shape our journey.
In this Architect Spotlight, we speak with Carl Ko, Associate at Mode Design, about more than a decade working across community and local government projects in Western Australia. Carl shares his experience specifying Aqualoo, what makes a supplier valuable during the design process, and how manufacturers can better support the next generation of architects.
From graduate architect to Associate
Carl joined Mode Design around 11 years ago as a graduate architect and has since progressed to his current role as Associate.
During that time, he has worked across a diverse range of projects throughout Perth and Western Australia, with a particular focus on community and local government facilities. His experience includes the Blue Gum Community Centre, as well as projects for local governments including Melville, Rockingham, Kwinana and Rottnest Island Authority.
Working across these types of projects has given Carl a strong understanding of the practical considerations that sit behind architectural specification, from durability and material selection through to procurement, documentation and delivery.
It has also given him a long-standing familiarity with Aqualoo.
“Most of the time, we do specify Aqualoo for the partitions because we know that you guys can deliver and we’re familiar with the products and system.”
For Carl, that familiarity is reinforced by the support available when questions arise during a project.
“It has been great and very helpful with the queries that I’ve asked. You’re also very responsive, very quick, and that’s very much appreciated.”
For architects, particularly when working to project deadlines, that responsiveness can be just as important as the product itself.
What makes a product worth specifying?
For manufacturers and suppliers, being included in a specification is only part of the relationship. Architects also need confidence that the product can be sourced, documented and supported through the project.
That becomes particularly important across community and local government projects, where procurement requirements, project budgets, durability and long-term performance can all influence material selection.
Carl’s experience is that familiarity plays an important role.
When a product and its system are well understood, architects can specify with greater confidence, knowing what they are getting and who they can turn to when technical questions arise.
For WCCI, this reinforces the importance of supporting architects beyond the initial product selection, with technical assistance, samples, specification guidance and project support available throughout the process.
More choice within the colour palette
While familiarity and performance are important, design flexibility remains a key consideration.
One area where Carl sees an opportunity is in the range of available colours, particularly within individual colour families.
He singled out Fundermax as a material range that has caught his attention.
“I do like the solid colours, but I’d like to see more range and more tones. Even with yellow, if you had four shades, we’d have more flexibility.”
It is a simple observation, but an important one for designers. A broader range of tones within a colour family can give architects greater control when developing palettes across a project, particularly where colour is being used to define spaces, create visual identity or complement other materials.
It is also useful feedback for WCCI as we continue to develop our stocked ranges.
Where a project calls for something outside the standard offering, custom colours and patterns can also be sourced for suitable applications, subject to minimum quantities and manufacturing lead times. Early consideration during the design process can create further opportunities for material customisation.
Looking beyond the standard product
The conversation also highlighted the importance of architects understanding what is possible beyond a traditional product specification.
Aqualoo is one part of WCCI’s broader offering, alongside Maica, Fundermax and Cut to Size.
Carl was particularly interested in learning more about WCCI’s Cut to Size capabilities—an area that can open up possibilities for architects looking beyond proprietary furniture systems or standard component dimensions.
WCCI has supplied precision-cut components to furniture manufacturers and cabinetmakers for many years, including tabletops, bench seating, cabinet doors and alfresco applications.
For architectural projects, the same capability can be applied to applications such as outdoor seating, benches, fencing and other custom elements, using materials suited to the intended environment.
The benefit is flexibility: components can be manufactured to projct-specific dimensions, shapes, colours and detailing rather than requiring the design to work around an existing system.
For architects, that can create another layer of freedom between the initial concept and the finished product.
Helping the next generation specify with confidence
Perhaps one of the most important observations from Carl’s experience is that specification knowledge needs to be shared.
Having worked with Aqualoo for many years, Carl is familiar with the systems and materials. For graduates and architects encountering them for the first time, however, the range of options can be less familiar.
“Some of the new graduates need a bit more training. They need to be exposed more to your systems and understand the ranges, materials, colour selection and thicknesses of the board.”
It is a challenge that extends beyond any one manufacturer. As product ranges become more diverse and digital documentation becomes increasingly important, architects need access to clear technical information that helps them make confident decisions. Accessible detailing, Revit families, BIM resources, product information and technical guidance can all make the specification process easier—particularly for those early in their careers.
For WCCI, this is an area of ongoing development, supported by CPD presentations, technical assistance, samples, specification guidance and digital resources.
A partnership built around the specification process
Carl’s feedback reflects an important part of WCCI’s approach after 25 years in the industry: supplying a product is only one part of supporting a project. For architects and designers, the relationship with a manufacturer can begin long before a product is specified and continue through documentation, technical queries, shop drawings and installation. The better that process works, the easier it is for everyone involved. Carl’s insights also provide useful direction for the future—from expanding colour choices and improving digital resources to helping graduates and emerging architects become more familiar with materials and systems.
As WCCI celebrates 25 years, it is these ongoing conversations with the architectural community that help us understand what is working, where there are opportunities to improve, and how we can continue to support better specification outcomes across Western Australia and beyond.
We thank Carl Ko and the team at Mode Design for their continued support and collaboration over the years.