Special Projects

We're the ideal choice for your special project

At WH Skinner we like nothing better than to be challenged. Our core business is point-of-sale displays and corrugated packaging but the collective talents of all our partners and staff can be harnessed to undertake a variety of much more exotic projects.

Corrugated board is a very flexible medium and we can offer it in its natural state but also with a variety of special properties. These include fire resistance, water resistance, anti-static (usually for a Faraday cage), special textures, etc. Although the board is our main raw material, we have made composite structures/displays/packaging using wood, glass, steel and plastic.

If you are involved in an art or engineering project, or perhaps you have a rather unusual packaging requirement, give us a call.

You may be surprised at what we can do!

Xicato

Cardboard Exhibition Stand - Artists Impression Model Cardboard Exhibition Stand Cardboard Exhibition Stand - In Use in Madrid

Cardboard Pyramid Puzzle

A corporate events company was tasked with providing a puzzle that would form part of a team building exercise for a group of 150 bankers. We were asked to design the cardboard puzzle but were given a time target as to how long it should take the teams to complete the task.

We first calculated how many components were needed for each team and then had to make sure that each component would take a given number of minutes to make and then put together. Several visitors were given the puzzle and we timed them as they tried to solve it. As soon as we had the right design, we went on to manufacture the full-sized cardboard pyramid puzzle.

Polypropylene small scale aeroplane model 1

Polypropylene small scale aeroplane model 2

Model Promotional Aeroplane

An aerospace company required a promotional gimmick to raise their profile at major air shows but they needed it to be related specifically to a Grob training aircraft. They did not know how practical it would be to make a small aircraft with the budget they had. Our design team set about creating the small aircraft and different materials were trialled to find the most suitable. Polypropylene turned out to be ideal and so a first prototype was made. Further parts of the brief were that the model should be supplied in kit form and should be easy to assemble and that the plane should be able to fly.

The prototype did not fly at all because it was a fairly true replica of the original which is a powered aircraft and has an engine at the front. We had to make a number of subtle adjustments that would keep the true likeness and yet allow the plane to fly. We succeeded in making the plane fly straight and level for up to 20 metres which exceeded the original brief.

Cardboard Ceiling Display

Waugh Thistleton Architects were commissioned to design the interior of a London restaurant but with an unusual brief. The ethos of the restaurant is to use natural, recycled and recyclable products in its buildings and in its trade. With this in mind, the natural choice for the ceiling feature would be either timber or cardboard. Timber was ruled out because of weight and cost and so corrugated cardboard was selected.

W H Skinner were given this 3D picture to start from, together with drawings showing services and sprinklers that had to be avoided.

After test pieces were created and consultation with the client, the project was approved.

As you can see, this striking cardboard ceiling feature is certainly effective and novel and it lends the illusion that this is indeed a cardboard building!

Cardboard Art

Early in 2007 we were approached by Ph.D art student Miwa Takabayashi who had designed a concept for a freestanding cardboard structure. She had created a small-scale paper mock-up and was looking for someone to manufacture the full-sized version.

A structure like this had never before been made from corrugated board and so we had a number of technical matters that needed to be considered, such as the design of the panels, the fixing method and the structural integrity of the finished item. Health and safety also needed consideration because the public would be wandering inside the building.

The first stage was to make a 1:5 scale version from microflute board. This was duly completed, answering many questions but presenting a few more.

Funding was secured in the autumn and the project was given the green light. The first step was to create a full-sized version in brown board at our premises in Maidstone. As the structure was put together we made fine adjustments to the design to increase strength and to make all the panels fit accurately.

Once the full-sized mock-up was complete we set about manufacturing the final version. The specification was for a silver finish on the outside and brown on the inside. Additionally we had to include a fire retardant coating to satisfy the demands of the exhibition centre.

The project was constructed in 4 collapsed segments and packed for transport to the Baltic Mill in Gateshead. Contractors on site and a team from WH Skinner worked together to assemble and finish the project to a tight deadline.

The completed work was called 'Packaged' and was displayed for two weeks at the Baltic Gallery and then at the The Mall Shopping Centre (formerly Chequers Shopping Centre) in Maidstone.

Recyclable Cardboard Shop Window Display

We were approached by a client who wanted a giant heart shaped display to be made from recyclable cardboard for installation in a shop window.

The idea was to have 3 hearts with tails that should have a ribbon-like appearance and the front one needed to accommodate 250 lights protruding through the structure.

The units were made from laminated corrugated card and then covered with self-adhesive vinyl to match the client's colours.

D&AD Make it a Pencil

This is another project based on a concept created by artist Miwa Takabayashi on behalf of D&AD. The idea was to make a giant pencil out of corrugated board to be erected in Trafalgar Square so that a short film could be made of its design, manufacture and erection.

Cardboard Exhibition Display

We were asked to manufacture this display to fit within a shell scheme environment at a trade fair. The brief was that we should use recycled/recyclable materials where possible and that the whole thing should be easy to assemble and disassemble so that it can be moved to other shows.

The units were printed with water-based inks and we used self-adhesive vinyl to create the small mirrored areas. Corrugated packing cases were also supplied to facilitate easy and safe transport and storage.