2022, That’s a Wrap! This Year at a Glance
December 2022
It’s been a big year here at The Hammer. Thanks to every single one of you who has joined us on the journey, in both big and small ways.
Whether you worked with us to build your dream piece of furniture, browsed our timber racks to create your home projects, attended a workshop tour or an exhibition at the gallery, or simply followed along online, we appreciate your support and solidarity.
We got a lot done this year, and next year we hope to get even more done! Of course, it’s hard to talk about everything we’ve done in one email, but here are some highlights.
1 — Over 1,500 tons of timber salvaged from demolition sites
With the help of our demolition partners, we saved over 1,500 tons of timber from going to landfill. This is core to our mission so it’s a fact we’re incredibly proud of! Did you read about the huge haul of teak we got from CSIRO on Black Mountain? Or this Rock Maple flooring salvaged from the gym floor of Chevalier College in the Southern Highlands?
2 — Hundreds of pieces and products out of that salvaged timber
Out of all of that timber salvaged from demolitions, we made more than 400 pieces furniture and joinery for you guys, and processed around 11,000㎡ of flooring, cladding and decking, and another 25,000 lineal metres of posts, beams and other timbers.
Here are some of our pieces and projects using our timber:
3 — Five exhibitions at The Mixing Room Gallery
We welcomed thousands of art and culture lovers through our doors for our five exhibitions in The Mixing Room Gallery, including:
I gathered all your ashes and planted seeds on your grave by Emma Rani Hodges, Lachlan Richardson and Shosuke Suzuki
Between You and Me by Eggpicnic
Carved, a collaborative exhibition project with Megalo Print Studio
Contour 556 with works by Joanna Lamb & Ruth Waller
A private exhibition with friends of Thor’s Hammer
4 — 12 new staff members welcomed
We welcomed another 12 legendary humans into the Thor’s Hammer team, in the recycling, dressing, and office teams. Welcome to Jasper, Daniel, Gemma, Bengt, Katrina, Ngqula, Ellie, Cameron, Aiden, Bridget, Michael and Joel.
5 — A big investment in new machinery from Italy
We invested in a new 5-axis CNC machine, and have been working extremely hard since its delivery in upskilling and programming our designs ready for next year.
6 — Commitment to our 10% for Not-for–Profits program unwavered
We have finalised and tallied our profits for the 2021-2022 financial year and early next year will make our donation as part of our 10% for Not-for–Profits program.
7— Featured in ACT Government’s Circular Economy Strategy
We were featured in the ACT Government’s 2022-25 Circular Economy Strategy and participated in the Conservation Council ACT’s CBR360 Circular Economy Symposium.
8— Invested in our infrastructure
We invested in a major landscaping project with Lachlan Richardson on the side street verge outside Thor’s Hammer, creating public green space filled with hundreds of natives and an eye-catching arrangement of poles recycled from an old shearing shed.
9— Showed hundreds of people through our workshop and processes
Over 100 people came to our Open Workshop Tours as part of DESIGN Canberra Festival 2022. We also showed students from the Institute Federal Landscape Architects (IFLA) and the Taiwan Institute of Landscape Architects (TILA) around the workshop, and we recently showed a team from the Canberra Glassworks through our facility as well.
We could go on but we won’t. It’s been a great year and we’re looking forward to building on all of this next year, saving as much timber from landfill as we possibly can. See you in 2023!
Written by Ellie Keft. Photo by Rohan Thomson.