
Bouwinvest wants to generate both financial and social returns. We are aware of our social impact in everything we do. And that also applies to choosing a suitable business gift. The following gives you a little background to our gift with a story.
We like to leave behind a souvenir on various occasions. For instance, to thank the people involved following the delivery of a building, or if a business relation is celebrating an anniversary or is retiring. And it is sometimes difficult to find a suitable gift.
Of course, we want to give something that is original and that is preferably in line with our strategy and purpose. During the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, Bas Jochims and Michiel de Bruine found themselves inspired by the projects of graduating students at the Design Academy. What impressed them the most were the opportunities new and unknown designers were given to develop their skills and creativity. And that marked the start of a wonderful and unique project!
The winner designed a gift produced from the salvaged material released during the renovation of WTC Rotterdam.
How did you come up with the idea for the gift?
I wanted to design a gift that reflected Bouwinvest. Their green way of looking at buildings, the company’s mission and values and the connection to something that people love. I think it’s fun to give people an experience. Not just a gift that they can look at, but a gift that they can touch, break, taste and smell, and a gift with a story.
This is why I chose to melt down aluminium from the World Trade Center Rotterdam and forge this into the shape of a hammer. This stands for building, creating and renovating. The part of the gift that everyone loves is the chocolate tile. This was custom made by a local chocolatier, Wowcacao, beautifully decorated and with no cube deviations.
You can use the hammer to break the chocolate tile, so you can share this with everyone around you. Because it’s important to share experiences and happiness!
The gift is packed in slick, elegant packaging with very subtle branding, so you can use elsewhere once it been opened.
How do you look back on the past year?
It was a real pleasure from beginning to end to work with Bouwinvest. I had an outstanding team of people, who helped me to gain a better understanding of the company and with whom I shared my ideas. We encountered a few difficulties during the process, but that was never a problem. It was an amazing learning experience for me.
I thought it was wonderful to design this gift and to bring it to life and I hope we’ll have other opportunities to work together in the future!
For more information, check out Julia’s website