Wood In Architecture Issue 2, 2018

BIFA WOOD
VIETNAM 2018
Date: 24-27 October 2018
Venue: Binh Duong Convention
& Exhibition Centre (open ground)
Duong Hung Vuong,
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34
14
46
CONTENTS
04
Editor’s Note: Building up
BIG PICTURE
14
Flights of fancy
ENGINEERED WOOD
24
A grounded presence for a new era
28
A somewhat convoluted collaboration
52
IN PERSON
30
Francis Yan: A tribute
34
Russia finds promise in the Middle East
FIT-OUTS
38
TMT Oak offers new opportunities
2 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

24
56
MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
40
Interview with Phil Fenwick on Red Oak
42
Living on water
46
Sound science
52
Much ado about saunas
FLOORING
56
Opening a new world
59 SHOW PREVIEWS
63 SHOW REVIEWS
68 CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND
ADVERTISER’S INDEX
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
3

EDITOR’ S
N O T E
Singapore MICA (P) No. 123/05/2018
panelsfurnitureasia.com
Sarah | Assistant Editor
BUILDING UP
Editor | Pang Yanrong
yanrong@pabloasia.com
Assistant Editor | Sarah Si
sarahsi@pabloasia.com
Assistant Editor | Szeto Hiu Yan
hiuyan@pabloasia.com
Deputy Executive Editor (Chinese Edition)
Wendy Wei | pabloshanghai@163.net
With this second biannual issue of Wood in Architecture, 2018 feels like it has
flown past quickly – almost too quickly. It’s almost hard to believe we are coming
to the third quarter of the year.
As we look forward, we also look back to the moment how to build stairs, moving irrevocably
upward and onward with stairs of stone, stairs of steel, stairs of wood (p. 14). Similarly,
with knowledge and wood technology built up over the years, architect Kengo Kuma finally
pushed through the controversies surrounding the Tokyo Olympic Stadium with Japanese
cedar and cross-laminated timber (p. 24).
Meanwhile, Russia seeks to expand on its trading ties to the Middle East, and made its
presence felt at the Dubai Woodshow earlier this year (p. 18), and oak inspires awe in us,
forcing us to appreciate it in its warmth and glory (p. 38 & p. 40).
Wood also continues to add to its portfolio, so to speak, providing the high life in Dubai (p.
42) and showing just why it is nigh indispensable for healthy living (p. 52), culture (p. 46),
and even education and (if need be) contemplation (p. 28) – or simply just flooring (p. 56).
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Wood in Architecture is a member of
But even as we continue on, reaching for ever greater heights, we stop and remember those
who helped us along the way, whether as a mentor or valued colleague, such as Mr Francis
Yan, a gifted architect from Revery Architecture who was based in Hong Kong (p. 30). He
had been behind projects such as Arena Stage in Washington D.C., U.S.
And in this era of great growth and change, we look at what is ahead, what we are building
up to, and never forget where we came from, or the wood that we originally built with.
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4 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

NEWS
STYLISH AND FORWARD
GREENPANEL, INDIA’S largest
manufacturer of wood panels, is now
offering pre-laminated medium-density
fibreboards as well as Club Grade highdensity
fibreboards.
Medium-density fibreboards and highdensity
fibreboards, much like crosslaminated
timber, are engineered wood
products created by crushing hardwood
or softwood and binding it before
applying high temperatures and pressure
to form panels.
Though consisting of separate fibres,
MDF and HDF are typically denser than
plywood, stronger than particleboards,
and can also be used as a building
material.
GreenPanel’s MDF products, coming in
a wide range of stylish and decorative
designs, offer plain solid colours, wood
grains, and even textured finishes
laminated with melamine impregnated
base papers under heat and pressure to
give a super smooth decorative finish. In
fact, they come in 48 shades and designs,
and textures such as suede and matt are
also available.
Resistant to stains and scratches, the
pre-laminated MDF provides maximum
convenience and saves time with its easy
installation and maintenance. Moreover,
the pre-laminated MDF is impervious to
moisture and climatic changes, and is
thus also highly suitable for applications
where dimensional stability is a vital
factor.
A first choice for applications in areas
prone to moisture such as kitchens and
bathrooms, GreenPanel’s Club Grade
HDF is water resistant, perfect for humid
places, and manufactured in cuttingedge
plants using German technology.
6 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

NEWS
The choice of raw materials coupled
with quality checks at every stage of
manufacturing has resulted in boards
that are heavy-duty, extremely strong
and compact, as well as more easily
profiled, carved, moulded and routed than
plywood, making it a perfect substitute.
Where plywood is vulnerable to
woodworm, GreenPanel’s Club Grade HDF
is anti-fungal, termite and borer resistant,
and denser than plywood. Moreover, the
Grade HDF is extremely cost-effective and
comes at half the price of plywood. | WIA
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
7

NEWS
WINNERS OF THE ARCHITIZER ANNUAL
A+AWARDS ANNOUNCED
CityLife Shopping District by Zaha Hadid Architects.
Image credited to Zaha Hadid Architects
ARCHITIZER, the world’s leading online
resource for architecture and building
products, has announced the winners of
the 6 th Annual Architizer A+Awards.
The A+Awards honour the best
architecture, spaces, and products from
across the globe, and this year’s winners
include CityLife Shopping District by
Zaha Hadid Architects, in Milan, Italy,
and Chicago’s Apple Flagship Store by
Foster + Partners; and Confluence Park by
Lake|Flato, in San Antonio, Texas, United
States (U.S.) among many others.
The Gardens by Marge Arkitekter AB.
Image credited to Marge Arkitekter AB
This year, the A+Awards received over
5,000 entries from over 100 countries. A
jury-selected winner and a popular choice
winner were awarded in each of the 98
categories, with popular choice winners
determined by more than 400,000 public
votes cast from around the world.
With projects from the Netherlands,
Mexico, the U.S., China and Denmark, these
Honourees demonstrated extraordinary
contributions to the profession across the
globe, highlighting projects that champion
architecture’s potential to positively
impact everyday life.
In addition to the Jury and Popular Choice
winners, Special Honouree Awards for
achievement were awarded to five key
influencers, including MVRDV for Firm of
the Year and the Waterside Buddhist Shrine
by ARCHSTUDIO for Project of the year.
“The Award is an incredible honour. Every
project we undertake excites us, either
because it allows us to rethink standard
typologies or because it offers new modes
of engagement with communities. To
be recognised for work that you deeply
Invisible Studio - Trailer by Jim Stephenson
Architectural Photography + Films.
Image credited to Jim Stephenson Architectural
Photography + Films
8 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

NEWS
The Stable, designed by Studio Farris Architects.
Image credited to Studio Farris Architects
believe in is incredibly rewarding,” said
2017 Honouree, Sir David Adjaye.
The Conversation Plinth, the first hardwood cross-laminated timber structure built in the U.S.
Image credited to IKD
Back for its fourth edition, Phaidon’s
annual compendium ARCHITIZER: The
World’s Greatest Architecture will feature
2018 winners from the Typology and Plus
Categories. This stunning hardbound
book will be released in early 2019 and
is the definitive guide to the year’s best
buildings and spaces. | WIA
Embodied Computation
Lab, an interdisciplinary
research facility.
Image credited to The
Living
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
9

NEWS
SINGAPOREAN STUDENTS AT KTH ROYAL
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IDENTIFY NEW
APPLICATIONS FOR SWEDISH PINE
IN collaboration with industry
organisation Swedish Wood, 27 students
on the Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Management programme at KTH, most of
them Singaporean, were asked to develop
applications for Swedish pine. Creative
solutions to social problems and strong
ties to both nature and health can be seen
in what the students produced.
Tasked with identifying and developing
new products in Swedish pine for the
interior and lifestyle sector, they worked
in teams of three or four, and were given
around three months to complete the
project.
“The students demonstrated great interest
in, and curiosity, about pine, which was
a new material to most of them. They
were particularly interested in the fact
that Swedish pine is a renewable and
natural material that contributes to a
more sustainable lifestyle. It’s clear that
environmental issues are important to
this generation,” said Charlotte Dedye
Apelgren, Director of Interior & Design at
Swedish Wood.
“Building the course around a concrete
challenge from Swedish industry really
engaged both the students and Swedish
Wood, and that translated into very
exciting end results,” Professor Björn
Berggren of KTH explained.
Swedish Wood has seen the students’
presentations, which range from smart
office solutions and musical instruments to
window glass made from wood fibre. | WIA
Wood3 by Pine Nordic, a group which presented a smart interior solution for offices in China.
Image credited to Swedish Wood
RUSSIAN PLYWOOD USED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION
OF GAS TANKERS FOR THE FIRST TIME
VEZA Company, the world leader
in birch plywood production, has
completed shipments of products for
the construction of a gas super tanker
in Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in China.
Russian plywood was used for the
manufacturing of gas carriers for the
first time.
The shipments were carried out as a part
of Yamal LNG Project, and there are plans
to construct one more tanker with the use
of SVEZA’s products within that project.
A specialised product, SVEZA Gas NO96,
was provided for the construction of
the carrier. Plywood acted as the main
structural element of the LNG tankers,
taking most of the load from the movement
of liquefied gas during transportation.
Characterised by low thermal conductivity
and, as a consequence, the ability to
withstand extreme temperatures from
+80 ° C to -163 ° C, SVEZA Gas NO96
is made of 100 per cent birch veneer in
accordance with the BB/BB criteria.
Produced on SVEZA’s production
site in Saint Petersburg, SVEZA Ust-
Izhora Combine passed the necessary
certification of Gaztransport & Technigaz
(GTT) that implies strict requirements not
only towards product performance, but
also towards technological processes,
diversification of production and quality
of raw materials.
It was the first time Hudong-Zhonghua
shipyard manufactured a vessel for Yamal
LNG Project. | WIA
10 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

NEWS
MORE CHINESE WOOD PRODUCTS ADDED
TO TRUMP’S FUTURE MASSIVE TARIFF LIST
AS the trade war between the United
States and China heats up, U.S. President
Donald Trump has listed more than
US$200 billion worth of Chinese
exports to the U.S. that may be
subjected to new tariffs come end of
August.
Figures from China’s Customs Department
shows the value of wood products trade
between China and the U.S. fell 16 per
cent in March 2018. China’s imports fell
by five per cent, though first quarter data
showed a nine per cent rise in Chinese
exports of wood products. China's imports
rose six per cent to US$2.28 billion in the
first quarter of 2018, while its exports
to the U.S. rose 10 per cent to US$3.98
billion. | WIA
The list is massive and includes industrial
goods and chemicals, consumer
products, and wood products, and if
it comes into effect, tariffs would be
imposed on just under 50 per cent of
all Chinese imports, according to the
Woodworking Network.
Wood products that will face duties
include oak, beech, maple, ash, cherry,
mouldings, particleboards, and even
various types of plywood.
The proposed tariffs would be on top
of 25 per cent tariffs that the Trump
administration has already implemented
on US$50 billion of Chinese goods:
US$34 billion of which took effect on July
6. China had vowed to retaliate.
Because China imported just US$130
billion worth of products from the U.S.
last year, it is an unequal fight to fire back
with matching tariffs.
U.S. companies in China have already
reported spikes in delayed product
approvals, worker visas, and licensing
applications. Cases of Chinese officers
ordering seemingly random products
have resulted in quarantines for certain
products, and a surge in random border
inspections was also reported.
The International Tropical Timber
Organisation has also reported that
trade of wood products between China
and the U.S. are declining.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
11

NEWS
STRONG EXHIBITOR LINE-UP FOR LIGNA 2019
THE next LIGNA may be staged only
from 27 to 31 May next year, but its
organisers, Deutsche Messe and the
German Woodworking Machinery
Manufacturers’ Association (VDMA
Holzbearbeitungsmaschinen), have
announced that exhibitor registrations
are coming in at a very pleasing pace.
While opening day is still more than half
a year away, exhibition space at the
world’s leading trade fair for machinery,
plant and tools for the woodworking and
timber processing industry is already
more than 80 per cent booked. To put
that in perspective, LIGNA 2017 featured
1,520 exhibitors and occupied 130,000
square meters (1,400,000sqft) of display
space.
“I'm pleased to say we’re getting lots
of first-time exhibitors, not to mention
plenty of repeat exhibitors, many of whom
are staging bigger displays this time
around. What’s more, the outstanding
response exhibitors are showing for the
event serves as confirmation that we
made the right move in 2017, at which
time when we completely revamped the
site, the layout of display categories
and thus the locations of virtually every
single exhibitor,” commented Christian
Pfeiffer, Deutsche Messe’s Global Director
LIGNA& Woodworking Events.
“Next year, the majority of the exhibitors
will be retaining the locations they had
in 2017 following the big change. The
Surface Technology display launched in
2017 will be home to a number of firsttime
exhibitors in 2019. Companies from
around the world are so eager to exhibit
at LIGNA because they know it is the very
best option when it comes to showcasing
new products, presenting full-fledged
plant and machinery in action, as well
as for networking and comparing notes
with industry peers.”
LIGNA, the leading trade fair for machinery, plant and tools for the woodworking.
Image credited to Deutsche Messe AG
One of the regular LIGNA features automation and digitisation in combining
is the Wood Industry Summit. Just the customer-centricity of product
looking at the summit's three focus individualisation with the economies of
themes – “Integrated Woodworking – scale of large-series production. As well
Customised Solutions”, “Smart Surface as enabling cost-effective batch-size-one
Technologies” and “Access to Resources production, these smart woodworking
and Technology” – it is clear that the and timber processing technologies are
upcoming show will be strong on hightech
highlights and innovations. From efficiency.
yielding gains in energy and resource
various angles, each of the show’s display
categories will explore digitisation as the There is a great deal of interest in these
engine and driving force of innovation in technologies at the moment, with the
the wood industry.
business climate looking very positive
and the German Woodworking Machinery
“Timber processing and woodworking Manufacturers’ Association reporting
are no longer just about standalone healthy order books for 2018. The
machines. Instead, what we have now United States and China – the two most
are digitally integrated processes and important export markets for high-tech
systems built around machines. LIGNA woodworking machinery – are forecasted
2019 will thus traverse a wealth of reallife
applications, with a strong focus digitisation, the main drivers of this
to grow 8 per cent this year. Apart from
on machine demonstrations and the boom for wood-industry technology
innovative power of digitisation and suppliers are the worldwide megatrends
automation,” Pfeiffer added.
of sustainable building and urbanisation.
In terms of attendance, the organisers are
Highly integrated, interconnected predicting a strong turnout, particularly
industrial processes pose a number from Germany, Poland and China –
of new challenges. These, too, will be countries which in 2017 ranked among
explored at LIGNA, because taking the show’s Top Five visiting nations.
digitisation seriously and spotting its | WIA
opportunities are vital to recognising and
adopting new business models. The show
will have a strong focus on the role of
12 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

NEWS
TIMBER SHORTAGE IS AFFECTING AUSTRALIAN BUILDERS
AUSTRALIAN builders and timber
suppliers looking to use local wood
products are finding that supply has been
running out recently, according to the
Naracoorte Herald.
Naracoorte-based builder Paul Russell
said that a shortage of local timber in
the region is believed to be a result of
excessive exporting of logs from Portland.
Now, builders and carpenters have to
make do with imported laminated timber
from Europe, and though the quality
is the same, Russell still prefers if it
is local.
“We went down to get some from one of
our suppliers and all we wanted was 30
lengths of timber and we couldn’t get it,”
Russell explained. “They just didn’t have
the 30 lengths of timber and they are all
back ordered.”
An anonymous local supplier said the
shortage is unusual with local mills
exporting logs, and businesses having to
import timber back into the country due
to shortages in supply.
Russell also questions whether supply
is fairly allocated: “Logs are being taken
straight out to Portland to be exported
and it is terrible that we have the supply
down here but my question is, is there
a certain amount left or allocated for
domestic use?”
The source of the timber stock has also
been reported to come from Western
Australia, yet this supply is only around 5
per cent of what is used.
“The quality of timber is the same,” said
Russell, “but we use local plumbers and
local electricians, so we would like to use
local timber as well.”
There are also reports there is about to
be a blanket nine per cent increase in the
cost of timber, which, according to Russell,
means prices of housing will also rise by
almost 10 per cent. The cost of jobs will
go up as well, and a large house will cost
an extra AUD$2,000 to AUD$2,500 just for
the framing and trusses. | WIA
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
13

BIG PICTURE
FLIGHTS OF
FANCY
As old as mankind, stairs are integral to
daily life. They can suggest journeys, link
two levels together, and can be constructed
in various ways, like a spiral shape or the
more traditional straightforward steps.
Found in today’s modern homes all the way
to ancient temples, these steps carry us all
somewhere. However, some architects have
decided on wood to heighten enjoyment,
making climbing stairs less of an arduous
journey and more of a pleasurable one.
14 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

BIG PICTURE
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
15

BIG PICTURE
16 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

BIG PICTURE
31 RUE
CAMBON IN
WOOD
Drawing inspiration from Coco Chanel’s famous
mirror staircase in her French home, ACME’s
staircase is twisting and dynamic.
ACME’s wooden staircase in its studio, located in London, is
everything but straightforward and conventional. Almost the
complete opposite, the stairs are instead wildly twisting, and
was specifically designed to give people a lively, convivial place
to stop, interact, and engage with others.
But one incredibly unique aspect of the staircase is that its shape
provides its own structural integrity, with no reliance on either
the top or bottom of the stairs. Instead, it is a freestanding, selfsupporting
structure built of layers of cross-laminated timber
and fixed with screws.
The project, more than showing wood’s capability, also shows
that a simple, single material can be used to produce a space
that is practical, yet still beguiling and exquisite.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
17

BIG PICTURE
SPROUTING
UP LIKE A
STALK
In Mayfair, London, laminated oak
gives the impression of growing out
of the ground to take centre stage.
Dramatic and unfurling, the main staircase at the HIDE restaurant
in 85 Piccadilly, London, is reminiscent of a tamed tree curling
upwards. Built around a plywood core and structural steel with
laminated veneer lumber and timber treads, the scalloped steps
on the coiling structure seems to emerge like leaves from a stalk
to form the shape. Steel plates embedded into the wood offer the
stairs additional support.
Each intricately designed step slowly and gradually transforms
from one shape to another, from a slightly concave step that
gradually morphs into a protruding curve, welcoming visitors and
encouraging them onward.
Organic and capable of making a statement, the main handrail,
made out of solid timber and multiple fibres, rises gracefully from
the floor in a series of vertical S-curved structures that end at the
lift wall at the top of the stairs.
18 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

BIG PICTURE
OPENING
POSSIBILITIES
WITH PLYWOOD
When designers were not able to build outwards
due to set walls, they simply built inwards,
creating planes and pockets.
Designed by Atmos Studio and built out of Latvian birch plywood,
American black walnut and even oak staved kitchen worktops,
RoominaRoom was declared the Wood Awards’ Small Project
Winner in 2013. Judges for the 2013 Wood Award described it
as “the extraordinary translation of a huge idea into a functional
product…deliciously mad and completely refreshing.”
Timber ribs hold up the structure. and plywood sheets carved
by CNC show off their unique grain patterns while still remaining
compact and efficient.
The stairs, timber floorstrips lipped with oak, grow from a corner
of the room, flowing and fluid, with a filigree handrail that loops
and traces the journey upward with carved contoured topography.
It is easy to compare RoominaRoom to Gaudi and Art Nouveau,
but it is still pragmatic and functional.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
19

BIG PICTURE
20 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

BIG PICTURE
COMPLEX
AND
RADICAL
Unique and fluid, the Organic Staircase in Amot
Atrium Tower is as richly detailed and dynamic
as the city it calls home.
In the entrance hall of the Amot Atrium Tower in Tel Aviv, Israel,
is an extraordinary sculptural staircase made out of American
tulipwood. Designed by Oded Halaf and built by master craftsman
Tomer Gelfand, the staircase is based on a radical idea to
construct a tornado-like structure free of all visible support,
highlighting the mix of knowledge, experience and immense
creativity that went into this seemingly impossible project.
Intricate and complex, stiff and stable where it looks to be fluid
and flexible, the stairs begin at the reception desk and rise into
an expressive tornado.
“The entire structure includes the spiralling stairs and a tornadolike
element, which seems to emerge from the reflecting walls of
the entrance lobby. The stairs and the tornado elements merge
at the top of the first floor, and the round top acts as a viewing
balcony to the impressive hall below,” said Gelfand.
The final result is a paradox of contemporary creation: What
appears to be a flexible, artistic, hand-drawn work of art is
really a completely unmoveable product of algorithmic data
processing and utter computerisation – all held together by
masterful craftsmanship.
“Navigating it isn’t meant to be as simple as taking a functional
set of stairs to get from one level of a building to the next, it’s
an experience in itself, taking in the whole structure from a new
angle with every step,” Gelfand concluded.
But more than just a work of art, the stairs is also an example
of how high-tech design and traditional woodworking can come
together for modern usage.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
21

BIG PICTURE
WAVY AND
WOODSY,
SCULPTURAL
AND PRACTICAL
As much a sculpture as a staircase, these
stairs fulfil its dual functions magnificently.
Designed and created by Arquitctura en Movimiento Workshop, a
studio based in Mexico, the stunning Wavy Wood Staircase serves
to link two levels of an apartment together.
Doubling as a big sculpture in the middle of the room, the
u-shaped staircase is built of engineered walnut to contrast with
the other materials used. And as the staircase rises, the steps
slowly become narrower, and the connecting sections, less steep.
With the exception of the first three steps – which rest
independently on the ground like benches – the staircase is secured
to either the wall or the ground, the fourth step onwards flowing
in a graceful slope into a higher step. The top part of the structure
also has additional support in the form of vertical steel cables that
alternate as a balustrade as well.
22 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

BIG PICTURE
PERVASIVE,
PENETRATING,
SOARING AND
STUNNING
Designed by Ora Ito and located in Paris, France,
the biomorphic staircase is a whirlwind in a
place of mindful serenity.
Soaring high and penetrating four floors of LVMH’s media
division, the staircase is exactly what designer Ora Ito wanted
it to be: Undoubtedly the centrepiece of the building.
A stunning visual surprise for visitors, the parametric sculpture
with a biomorphic structure, not unlike a tornado in the middle
of a serene, minimalistic environment. According to the designer,
“this huge half-whale and half-chimera snatches you, swallows
you up, and spits you out at the right floor.”
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
23

ENGINEERED WOOD
A GROUNDED PRESENCE FOR
A NEW ERA
CATCHING UP WITH THE TOKYO OLYMPIC STADIUM 2020
Despite a rocky start marred with numerous controversies, in a dramatic turn of events, the
construction of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium 2020 is has finally pushed through with full steam
ahead with a final understated design – a restrained three-level arena stadium featuring the
innovative use of wood.
The stadium’s architect – globally acclaimed Kengo Kuma – is himself an advocate of using
natural materials, especially Japanese cedar, mixed with architectural designs that relate
harmoniously to its surrounding.
The new Japan Olympic Stadium is currently 40 per cent completed

ENGINEERED WOOD
He might have produced an
ostensibly simple design that
rejects flashy forms, but like
his other visually deceptive works,
it is a return to values of traditional
Japanese architecture for Kengo Kuma,
packing a thoughtful punch with a more
humane, grounded approach to stadium
architecture.
The construction of the stadium was
delayed for more than a year as the
late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid’s
earlier chosen design was abandoned.
In fact, construction only began in
December 2016 after Kengo Kuma’s
stadium design emerged as the winner of
a hastily arranged second competition. In
the most recent update in July from the
Japan Times, Takeo Takahashi, general
manager of the stadium project, told
reporters attending their first media tour
of the stadium that “roughly four-tenths”
of the construction has been completed,
and going “as planned”.
Since construction started, as reported
by StadiumDB.com, all excavation work
had been finished in May last year;
construction of the primary concrete and
steel structure commenced in September;
installation of the roof and the initial
furnishing works on the stadium's vast
floor space started in February this year;
and in April, the first exterior works and
the pedestrian decks – a key aesthetic
feature, was underway.
MOST CHALLENGING PHASE
Perhaps the most challenging phase will
be the construction of its roof, made up
mainly of steel for strength and lumber
to suppress deformation in case of an
earthquake or strong wind.
The stadium will have a partial roof
which will open in the centre, with an
overhang of approximately 60 metres
circling the venue. The roof’s frame will
be a hybrid structure integrating steel
and lumber from cedar and larch from all
47 prefectures of Japan.
Pressure injection processing will be
added to increase the durability of the
laminated lumber as well as as antiseptic
and anti-termite measure.
The total weight of the metal and
wooden frame is expected to exceed
19,000 tonnes including the weight of
all equipment in place. The structure is
thus divided into 108 segments, each 15
metres wide and 60 metres long. Every
segment could weigh as much as 180
tonnes including equipment and only 14
segments can be assembled at one time
due to lack of space.
The stadium is expected to open in early
2020, following two months of inspections
and handover proceedings, so that it will
be ready for the Olympic Games opening
ceremony in July.
MODEST DESIGN, EXPENSIVE
STADIUM
The new stadium with its seating capacity
of 68,000 is being built with an estimated
cost of ¥153 billion (US$1.27 billion),
half of which will be paid by the central
government. It is to become the most
expensive stadium in Japan's history and
one of the costliest worldwide.
Zaha Hadid’s futuristic creation was
scrapped as cost estimates ballooned
to ¥252 billion (US$2.1 billion) and
faced disapproval from both Japanese
architects and the public over its massive
size at 78,100 square metres and height
of 75 metres, which they felt would
neither blend in with nor respect its
environment, among other criticism.
Kuma’s design, at 72,400 square metres
and 47.4 metres high, is more restrained.
It is an open-air stadium with a huge
oculus above the track, a latticed wood
and steel canopy shelters with sitting
stands underneath. Terraces with eaves
on each level will feature plants and trees,
structured in such a way that it minimises
costs for heating and cooling while also
allowing the building to blend in with the
surrounding parkland.
Moreover, the stadium has adopted high
durability specifications and finishing
materials so that the main structure will
require no major repair for 100 years.
USING WOOD TO BUILD
One characteristic that stands out in
Kuma’s design is the extensive use of
wooden materials, leveraging on wood’s
warm texture and quiet charm to create
a very Japanese stadium.
In an interview with Nippon.com, Kuma
explained that wooden construction is
now a major trend on the international
building scene, and though Japanese
people were badly traumatised by the
Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 when
fire consumed the wood-built capital of
Tokyo, leading to a clear preference of
concrete, major technological strides
in the past two decades placed wooden
materials on par with concrete in terms
of fire resistance.
The alleged higher cost of using wood
may not necessarily hold true as well. The
stadium heavily features both Japanese
cedar and larch, domestically grown
and readily available, keeping prices
low. Moreover, transporting domestic
wood generates a much lower carbon
footprint.
Kuma also stated his desire to include
wood from regions hit by the 2011
earthquake and tsunami – as well as from
almost every Japanese prefecture – to
display them in a way that makes visitors
understand where they come from.
Additionally, Japanese cross-laminated
timber (CLT) will be used for lockers
in the athletes’ dressing rooms,
outdoor information boards and other
independent boards.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
25

ENGINEERED WOOD
The roof’s frame will be a hybrid structure integrating steel and
lumber from cedar and larch from all 47 prefectures of Japan
“
Rejecting the
need for architecture
to be constantly at
the leading edge of
technology, wasting
taxpayers' money
and destroying
the surrounding
environment, he hopes
the stadium comes to
represent a "kinder"
architecture.
”
EVOKING THE SENSES
An architect with a great focus on evoking
the senses through detail rather than
form, Kuma designed the stadium as
a sensuous experience that kicks off
once visitors approach the building, with
Japanese wood playing a key role.
Describing his fondness of wood in an
interview with NHK, he said: “When you’re
close to wood…you can smell it. It smells
great. As people approach the stadium,
they will experience a sensation they’ve
never felt before going to a stadium, or
any large-scale public facility.”
Envisioning its visual impact, Kuma
conjured up an imaginary visual tour in
his own words – as people step inside,
they can feel the wood architecture,
their gazes resting on the centre of the
stadium, taking in the track and athletics
field, the fresh grass and right above that
will be wood.
“Athletes will feel like they are really out in
nature. You will have all these top athletes
gathering from around the world, but it
will feel like they are competing out on
the open ground.”
A KINDER ARCHITECTURE
With modern technology providing
robust solutions to the maintenance,
flexibility and flammability of many natural
materials, Kuma believes architects need
to re-embrace the use of wood, stone and
rice paper, and think beyond concrete.
It is his belief that people want a softer,
warmer, and more humane architecture.
Creating sustainable architecture for
future generations is therefore of the
utmost importance. Or perhaps many
external forces such as the boom and bust
of the Japanese economy as well as the
earthquake and tsunami of 2011 have left
their mark upon him. But Kuma’s brand
of “defeat architecture” often speaks of

ENGINEERED WOOD
humility towards nature, and he thinks of
architecture as one big part of the cycle
of nature and life. In the NHK interview,
he pointed out that the Meiji Shrine was
constructed from wood taken from forests,
and after many decades or even centuries,
the wood will decompose and return once
more to the forest. The same cannot be
said for concrete buildings.
Taking the lead in a transformation which
he believes is happening in architecture
– rejecting the need for architecture
to be constantly at the leading edge of
technology, wasting taxpayers’ money and
destroying the surrounding environment,
he hopes the stadium comes to represent
a “kinder” architecture. | WIA
All images are credited to the Japan Sport
Council
268 WOODEN SEATS TO BE INSTALLED
Less than one per cent, or 268 out of 60,579 of Tokyo's Olympic Stadium
seats will be wooden, according to The Asahi Shimbun. Domestically grown
lumber will be used for the armrests and backs. But these luxury seats will
be set aside for the VVIPs and the remaining chairs will be plastic.
Since 2016, the country's timber industry has been advocating for the
installation of wooden seats for all spectators as a symbol of Japan's
craftsmanship as well as to promote the forestry industry. However, wooden
seats probably cost twice more than plastic seats.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
27

ENGINEERED WOOD
A SOMEWHAT
CONVOLUTED
COLLABORATION
MultiPly, with its interconnected spaces that overlap and
intertwine, represent more than a collaboration between
Waugh Thistleton Architects, Arup, and the American
Hardwood Export Council: It represents the re-evaluation
of affordability and the use of wood in construction.
View of the structure looking out of the
Blavatnik Hall into Sackler Courtyard.
Image credit: Forbes Massie
28 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

ENGINEERED WOOD
The result of a collaboration
between Waugh Thistleton
Architects, Arup and the American
Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), MultiPly
is a modular cross-laminated tulipwood
pavilion, located at the V&A Museum’s
Sackler Courtyard in London, United
Kingdom. Comprised of a series of
maze-like interconnected spaces that
overlap and intertwine, the structure will
encourage visitors to re-examine how to
design and build.
The flexible three-dimensional structure
will be made out of 17 modules of
American tulipwood cross-laminated
timber with digitally fabricated joints.
Owing to its modular structure, the pavilion
can be taken apart and reassembled
relatively easily.
But on a deeper level, MultiPly faces the
two biggest challenges we face today –
housing and the effects of climate change,
and presents the fusion of modular
systems and sustainable construction
materials as a solution.
“The main ambition of this project is
to publicly debate how environmental
challenges can be addressed through
innovative, affordable construction,”
Andrew Waugh, co-founder of Waugh
Thistleton Architects, said. “We are at
a crisis point in terms of both housing
and CO₂ emissions and we believe that
building in a versatile, sustainable material
such as tulipwood is an important way of
addressing these issues.”
TWO SIDES, SAME COIN
In the day, the structure will offer promises
of fun and play, labyrinths ushering
visitors through stairs, corridors, over
bridges, and open spaces in a merry
dance, encouraging them to explore the
potential of wood in architecture.
The permeability of the space will also
allow visitors to explore the concepts of
space and light, drawing them in even
as they peek through the façade and
experience new and carefully considered
views around them.
But in the evenings, as day gives way
to dusk, MultiPly turns in a quiet space,
extending an invitation for peaceful
contemplation and showing off the beauty
of its natural material.
At the bottom of it all, however, MultiPly
explores a new, more sustainable way of
building, and pioneers an innovative use
of wood in architecture as it combines a
modular design with a readily available
carbon-negative material to demonstrate
the aesthetic, structural and environmental
properties of wood.
MATERIALS
Engineered wood, CLT can be used to build
walls and floors, and even the structure
of entire buildings. A layered construction
with the wooden planks turned at right
angles with each successive layer, the
resulting panel boasts strength in both
directions, similar to plywood. As it can
be machined to incredibly high tolerances,
CLT has been proven to be stronger
than steel and concrete, making it ideal
for prefabrication and rapid assembly,
as it can lower construction time by an
estimated 30 per cent.
“Continuing our exploration of hardwood
CLT on installations such as Endless Stair
and The Smile, MultiPly provides a playful
opportunity to experiment and innovate
with this tactile and adaptable material,”
concluded Carolina Bartram, project
director of Arup.
“CLT is usually made of softwood trees.
Together with Arup, AHEC started a process
of experimenting with CLT made from
fast-grown North American tulipwood.
The planks are imported from the United
States, but the panels themselves will be
manufactured in the United Kingdom’s own
fledging CLT factory in Scotland,” Roderick
Wiles, AHEC regional director, concluded.
“Testing has shown that the tulipwood
is considerably stronger than spruce; it
also has a superior appearance. We are
positive that MultiPly will prove to be
another great learning experience for us
and a unique story that will serve as an
inspiration for anyone wanting to design
with wood.” | WIA
Scale model of the pavilion
Sketch of the render from above
Sketch of the render looking into the Sackler
Courtyard from Exhibition Road
Unless otherwise stated, all images are
credited to Waugh Thistleton Architects
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
29

IN PERSON
FRANCIS YAN:
A TRIBUTE
A major force, an undeniable talent.
Francis Yan was more than a director
of Revery Architecture – he was
an inspiration, a mentor, a friend.
A
gifted and talented architect,
especially in the area of design
and construction administration,
in Hong Kong, Francis Yan was a force
to be reckoned with for some of Revery
Architecture’s most impactful projects,
including the University of Chicago
Francis and Rose Yuen Campus and
Xiqu Centre opera house, which is to
be featured on Hong Kong’s new $100
banknotes for 2019 to 2020.
“I had the pleasure to work alongside
and be mentored by Francis for over
12 years, and we worked together on
several projects when he was still working
in our Vancouver office,” Amirali Javidan,
associate director of Revery Architecture,
said.
“Many of our senior architects at Revery
Architecture were very honoured and
lucky to have learned so much from him,
which we will take with us throughout
our careers.”
Though Yan passed away in May 2018,
during his life, he was recognised for
his dedication, knowledge, tremendous
patience and uncanny understanding of
what it took to realise large-scale cultural
and institutional projects. In addition,
Yan played a key role in contract reviews,
specifications, and quality control for
30 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

IN PERSON
Mr Francis Yan (left) and Arena Stage in Washington D.C., United States, designed by Venelin Kokalov and with which Yan was also involved
many of Revery’s projects that were later
constructed.
REVERY ARCHITECTURE
Established in 1982 by Canadian architect
Bing Wing Thom, the award-winning firm,
Revery Architecture (formerly Bing Thom
Architects), is led by design principal
Venelin Kokalov, technical principal
Shinobu Homma, and a team of directors
who bring additional experience in
urban planning, engineering, sustainable
buildings, construction, and much more
with an emphasis on both design and
building execution. Until his passing,
Francis Yan held a prominent position at
Revery as managing director of its Hong
Kong office.
Based in Vancouver, Canada, with an
office in Hong Kong, directors and staff
all share one fundamental belief:
“We believe that great architecture
has the transformative power to uplift
– not only the physical, but also the
economic and social conditions of a
community,” Yan had said. “The firm’s
belief in this power has become the
grounding philosophy for the office,
and has resulted in memorable
architecture around the world that
consistently taps into something beyond
aesthetics.”
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
31

IN PERSON
Xiqu Centre opera house, designed by Revery's design principal, Venelin Kokalov, is to be featured on Hong Kong's new $100 banknote
Passionate about the positive social and
economic value architectural excellence
can bring to communities, allowing them
to thrive, Revery Architecture more often
than not integrates a wide range of uses
into the buildings they design, crafting
structures that are both vibrant and
sustainable.
LED TO SINGAPORE
Throughout Revery’s history, the firm has
stood out as a strong proponent for the
use of wood and other natural materials
in construction, regarding it as all but
second nature.
“When we were approached to participate
in a design competition for the new
Academic Building South at Nanyang
Technological University in Hong
Kong, which called for a building to
be constructed with an Engineered
Wood System, we agreed without
hesitation,” Yan had recalled. “But it
was working on the competition entry
that introduced us to Singapore’s
recent push for a renaissance in wood
construction.”
Soon after, Yan and his team of
architects met up with Mr Ang Kian
Siang, Group Director of the Building
and Construction Authority (BCA)
Environmental Sustainability Group to
familiarise themselves with the driving
forces behind the push.
“The main driving force was to
raise construction productivity and
fundamentally change the design and
construction processes where as much
work may be done off-site in a controlled
manufacturing environment as possible,”
Yan continued.
“But as this initiative is still relatively
new to Singapore, the knowledge within
the local industry is still in its infancy.
We see opportunities to bring our
knowhow to Singapore in a time where
designers are leveraging on the strength,
stability and design flexibility of mass
timber products to push beyond wood’s
perceived boundaries, achieving building
heights and spans that would have once
required concrete, steel, or masonry for
structural support.”
Presently, Revery Architecture has
begun sharing information with the
BCA, helping them better understand
what the Canadian wood industry can
bring to Singapore and started dialogue
with various local stakeholders and
manufacturers regarding partnership
opportunities.
Along with the more commonly known
glue-laminated timber and crosslaminated
timber, according to Yan, the
Canadian wood industry can now offer a
wider range of products, including naillaminated
timber, structural composite
lumber like laminated veneer lumber as
well as laminated strand lumber.
Most engineered wood products are
produced from pre-seasoned wood in wellconditioned
fabrication facilities. For a
difference in climates, Canadian wood has
been exported for use in other countries
with varying climatic conditions, and the
timber structures would be protected
within the building envelope designed to
shelter the materials from the elements.
Moreover, for mass timber structures
meant to be outside building envelopes,
there are coating systems which were
developed specially to protect them. On
top of that, there is also the option of
choosing a timber species more resistant
to weather.
“Transfer of wood technology from
Canada to other countries is not new,”
32 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

IN PERSON
Yan had pointed out. “The Canadian Wood Council has had a
successful history of helping China set up fabrication facilities in
various cities, and we are working to bring the same technology
transfer to Singapore.”
A TRIBUTE
Respected and loved at Revery, Yan had spent almost half of his
40-year career with the company, having joined in 1999, and
proving his brilliance in project management and construction
administration. Having moved to Hong Kong more recently, Yan
then enjoyed a further string of architectural successes.
Significantly, Yan had managed to sow the seeds of bringing
engineered wood into Singapore before his passing.
well suited for use as interior structural elements.”
As a passionate advocate of Revery’s approach to architecture,
Yan was admired for his deep knowledge of design, management,
and specifications. Articulate, professional, and a perfectionist, he
was also disciplined and generous, his mentorship inspiring many
young architects and enriching the lives of those around him.
Remembered fondly as a gentleman, a gentle and helpful soul,
and a well of kindness by his friends, colleagues and mentees, Yan
never viewed architecture as a job, instead living and breathing
the process, applying the same rules and creativity to the many
goals he achieved in his life.
“We met up with some local manufacturers and were excited to
learn of their capability in producing glulam with hard wood,” he
had enthused. “These products are well suited for use as external
structural members and will work well in combination with the
various mass wood products produced with soft woods that are
Revery Architecture takes great pride in sharing its passion for
unique, transformative architecture, and the entire team – in
Vancouver and Hong Kong – remains steadfast in its commitment
to upholding the exceptional service, attentiveness, and creative
design excellence upon which the firm is founded.| WIA
Surrey Central City, British
Columbia, Canada, which
uses plywood, also
designed by Venelin Kokalov
All images are credited to Nic Lehoux
and Revery Architecture
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
33

IN PERSON
RUSSIA FINDS
PROMISE
IN THE
MIDDLE EAST
For the first time, Russian timber companies were represented
under a Russian pavilion at the Dubai WoodShow. Victor
Evtukhov, State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Trade and
Industry of the Russian Federation, talks about the promise
of the Middle East.
34 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

IN PERSON
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
35

IN PERSON
Russian wood products are in high demand in the Middle East
Russian wood products are in high demand in the Middle
East, a region that is experiencing expansion across
industries such as energy, construction, infrastructure
and telecommunications. It is considered a market of infinite
potential, which is why Russian timber companies participated
in the Dubai WoodShow in March to reach out to the market.
Victor Evtukhov, State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Trade
and Industry of the Russian Federation, said the region is
“very promising,” and that there are plans to expand existing
partnerships and to conclude new ones.
One of the strategies to advance in this market is to participate
in international exhibitions such as the Dubai WoodShow.
Victor Evtukhov,
State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry
of the Russian Federation
“It was quite rewarding for us since we managed to demonstrate
our wood processing advantages and find new partners this
region and elsewhere,” Evtukhov said.
The United Russian stand received over 1,000 visitors from
30 countries and all showed interest in wood-based products
such as plywood, particleboard, OSB, MDF, glulam, LVL, wall
panels, furniture boards and sawn timber. Over 150 negotiations
were conducted, one of which is the agreement with Utralam
to supply scaffold planks to Kuwait, a deal worth US$500,000.
“The relatively close proximity between Russia and Middle East
makes doing business with Russia a good choice for Middle
Eastern companies that want to buy high quality wooden
materials at a low price,” Evtukhov remarked. Furthermore, the
low cost of domestic wood and high manufacturing standards
give Russia an advantage, and is in high demand around the
world, not just the Middle East.
“Russian companies have experience in international
partnership and the necessary flexibility to agree on mutually
beneficial terms of cooperation,” Evtukhov added.
INCREASED TRADE INTEREST
In fact, Russia has been supplying wood-based products to
Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Oman for many years and trade
interest is growing. Saudi Arabia, for instance, is interested
to import more Russian wood products. It is also investing
in Russia’s wood processing sector. Last year, the Business
Partners Association for Cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia (RUSA) signed an MOU which will see Russia supplying
wooden products to partners in Saudi Arabia.
36 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

IN PERSON
Russia has increased its production
capacity of OSB and LVL in the
last few years
is often associated with country homes,
modern technology is showing us that
multi-storey buildings are possible in
wood as well,” Evtukhov said.
Multiple agreements have also been
reached with large wood companies
in Russia: Demidovo Plywood Mill and
Syktyvkar Wood Industry Complex have
clinched deals to export their products
to Saudi Arabia.
SVEZA company has also supplied birch
plywood for construction projects in
Abu-Dhabi, for the Park Hyatt hotel,
Rosewood Abu Dhabi hotel, Al Bahar
Tower office building and new airport
terminal. Some of these products were on
show in Dubai, including the SVEZA Laser,
a slab form plywood that complies with
industrial standards of manufacturers of
flat cutting dice and other goods using
laser cutting.
INCREASING MARKET SHARE
As Russia targets to increase its export
share of value-added goods, the ministry
is also studying global demand and
manufacturing goods that will be in high
demand in future. For example, Russia
has increased its production capacity of
OSB and LVL in the last few years.
Another area of growth is wood
construction. “While wood construction
Already, construction of modern ecoblocks
in Moscow and around have
been developed. For instance, the
Wood City residential block, a project
in Moscow that covers the territories
where old prefab concrete five-storey
buildings are currently located. Some
parts of these houses will be modernised
using technologies for wooden building
construction. In other words, the
buildings will be a combination of stone
and wood.
Another project is the Sokol Town
residential block in Moscow region,
located near the natural forest. The
priorities of the project are to make it
affordable for the middle class as well as
to have the block bled into the existing
landscape. For the construction, the
wood-framed panel technology will be
used along with three types of finishing
for the exterior: brick, metal and wooden.
A school and a kindergarten are also
planned to be constructed within the
block. | WIA
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
37

TMT OAK
OFFERS NEW
OPPORTUNITIES
FIT-OUTS
By Michael Buckley
Thermally Modified Timber (TMT) is not new but TMT oak
lumber is. Or at least it is new in Southeast Asia. The softwood
industry and the rubber wood processors have been working
with TMT for years to improve durability. But each has their
own limitations of strength and stability and in some cases
the process has been partially successful. Up until now the
American hardwood industry has provided TMT material
principally in ash and tulipwood to provide exterior solutions.
Previously almost all applications for U.S. hardwood
species have been restricted to interiors, but not anymore.
American TMT white oak
furniture and flooring
38 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

FIT-OUTS
Notable exterior projects promoted
by AHEC in recent years have
included “Room on a Hill” at
Chisenhale School in East London where
the outdoor play and learning structure
designed by renowned London-based
architect Asif Khan is made from TMT
tulipwood slats in a galvanised metal
frame and a TMT ash deck. The “Bostanli
footbridge” and “Bostanli sunset lounge”
project in Izmir Turkey, designed by
Studio Evren Basbug architects are made
of TMT ash boards in a series of wooden
platforms that recline on a wooded
hillside all the way down towards the sea.
The recently opened Maggie’s Centre for
cancer care, by architect Alex de Rijke in
UK unveiled the first commercial use of
TMT tulipwood cladding.
“The opportunities for decking, flooring,
cladding, exterior patio furniture and
other outdoor uses are very exciting,”
says AHEC Regional Director John Chan
as the response to the pavilion was so
positive. In the case of red oak which
represents about 30 per cent of the
American sustainable hardwood forest
resource, any new market is significant
in AHEC’s efforts to balance demand with
what is growing in the forest.
In this edition of the annual American
hardwood supplement we have sought
out the views of both oak sawmillers
and TMT processors to provide a real
understanding on the material and its
pros and cons. But the photos should
provide inspiration to those looking for
a new angle on oak – one of the world’s
most popular of all hardwoods. | WIA
Reproduced with permission.
However TMT red and white oak, recently
launched in Asia, is opening up a new
perspective in that it offers a hardwood
that looks like walnut – at a fraction
of the cost and in specifications that
walnut buyers can only dream of.
Furthermore the treated lumber is
available direct from the USA or locally
in the region. AHEC’s pavilion at the
International Furniture Fair Singapore
demonstrated the point well.
TMT American red oak furniture by Jarrod Lim
TMT white oak
after a fivemonth
test in
Indonesian rain
in Java

MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
Interview with
PHIL FENWICK
ON RED OAK
Phil Fenwick
has been Baillie Lumber’s Director
of Asia Sales for many years.
Q: As a producer of red oak lumber
what do you see as the main differences
to white oak?
A: The difference between red oak and
white oak is that it comes down to texture
and colour. The tubules of white oak are
closed, whereas the red oak tubules are
open – giving a little bit more of a rougher
appearance of the grain. In general the
other main difference is there are typically
ranges of colour in red oak, such as tan or
wheat all the way to a deep red. White oak
tends to be mostly tan or almost brown in
colour. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish
white oak from red oak, especially if the
red oak is more northern due to the very
light colour and appearance.
Q: How does red oak perform in flooring
and furniture?
A: Red oak performs extremely well in
flooring and furniture. In the U.S. this
has been one of the main species used
for flooring for many generations. It
is very common that in older homes in
the U.S. owners find numerous different
styles and widths of red oak flooring.
Often when a home owner pulls up an
old carpet in a house they are pleased to
find red oak floors that they can refinish.
Other aspects of red oak are that it tends
to be very steady and sands and finishes
well. Also, since red oak is an open grain
species, when finish is applied it seems to
be a little bit more forgiving and blemishes
appear to blend because of the open grain
appearance.
Q: In those export markets where you
sell red oak, what is the main reason your
customers prefer red to white oak?
A: In most cases, we sell red oak into
the markets we do because it is a species
requested. The end products factories are
producing specify red oak as the material
of choice. Many times it is because the
products produced are intended for a
customer segment that prefers the look
and feel of red oak. For example, the red oak
furniture manufactured in Asia matches up
nicely with the red oak cabinets and floors
one would find in many homes in the U.S.,
therefore creating more demand. Another
reason that some markets, such as China,
tend to buy red oak is because they like
the flexibility the open grain appearance
provides in manufacturing because it is
similar to some of the northern white ash
and white oak species that they tend to
work with as well.
Q: In terms of the resource what are
the pressure on northern red oak?
A: Red oak grows more abundantly than
any other species in North America. It
is the predominant species in the entire
Appalachian region. Additionally, it is
not under attack by any invasive bugs
(at the moment). Unlike white ash, white
oak, and walnut – which are all battling
challenges.
Q: Can you say something about the
grades of red oak and how they might
differ from the grades of other species
– if at all?
A: With regard to the grading of red oak
compared to other species, there really
is limited to no difference – the grades
are all the same. However, what can be a
consideration for customers is the special
sorts that can be requested. We work
with many customers that will request a
certain colour sort, width sort or even a
length sort that works particularly well in
their manufacturing process.
Q: What is the lowest grade you export?
A: We find that the grades we export
are no different from those we offer in
North America. The standard industry
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
grades of FAS/1F (prime), 1C and 2C are
all regularly requested. Occasionally we
will export 3C or a Frame Stock grade,
but that is not very common.
Q: What percentage of FAS grade
comes from a sawmill run?
A: The amount of FAS is completely
dependent on the quality of the logs being
sawn at the mill. However, in general,
about one-third of a log goes to industrial
lumber products – such as pallets, cants
and rail road ties. The remaining twothirds
is developed into grade lumber with
about 15 to 20 per cent qualifying to be
the FAS/1F grade.
Q: What are the main differences
between northern and southern red
oak?
A: The main differences between
Northern and Southern red oak, from my
perspective, are the texture and colour.
The texture is much finer on the Northern
red oak. This is because the material
grows slower and has a higher number
of growth rings per inch compared to
the Southern material. Southern red
oak, which has a longer growing season,
results in fewer growth rings per inch and
a much larger chance of mineral in the
boards and a darker red colour.
Something that I think is important to
mention about the current U.S. lumber
business is the strength of demand for
industrial lumber products. This would
be products such as timbers, cants,
railroad ties (rail sleepers) or crane
mat material. We are starting to see a
shortage in supply for green lumber
since industrial lumber product sales
are extremely strong at this time. When
industrial lumber products are strong it
results in less lumber being manufactured
into grade lumber that the sawmill ends
up producing, drying and exporting. If
you talk to manufacturers you will find
that it is becoming a challenge to get as
much material as they normally have in
the past since which is a situation to keep
an eye on. | WIA
Reproduced with permission.
Red oak featured in Sir Terence Conran’s study desk for The Wish List. Image credit: Petr Krejci Photography.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
41

MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
living on
water
Dubai’s
new floating
villas give a whole
new meaning to
waterfront living.
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
If you have tons of money and
nowhere else to spend on, why not
consider buying a home on water?
The Marasi Business Bay in Dubai
features the UAE’s first floating villas,
exclusive pods on water with only 10
of them up for grabs alongside two
restaurants and a private yacht club. And
they are beautiful.
These architectural structures are also
unique in that they were manufactured in
Rauma, Finland, by Finnish construction
company ADMARES, before being
transported to Dubai and finally towed
to Marasi Business Bay.
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
43

MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
Finland for the project team to choose
from, ADMARES eventually worked
with Lunawood “as their methods
of production are the most natural.
(They offer) a non-toxic, natural product
which is easy to machine and install,”
Rantasalo said.
One of the project’s biggest challenges was
engineering the villas. They had to endure
the long journey from Finland to Dubai and
be as stable on water as it is on land.
State-of-the-art technology meets the high life
One of the must-haves on the client’s
list is that the villas had to have natural
elements to provide shade for people and
protection for the villas. Dubai’s erratic
weather conditions meant that thermally
modified wood would be the best possible
choice in its construction.
Thermal modification improves the wood's
properties, thereby expanding the wood’s
range of applications. Thermowood is also
dimensionally stable, resistant to decay
and resin-free. It can be used indoors or
outdoors, in any climate.
“It’s durable, sustainably grown and
produced using just heat and steam,
no chemicals,” Joni Rantasalo from
ADMARES commented of the material.
Although there are several sawmills in
Thankfully, the units did not sink. ADMARES
combined centuries of shipbuilding
heritage with cutting-edge designs which
it says will forever transform waterfront
living in the Emirates.
The entire technical design, management
and manufacturing were completed in
ADMARES' purpose-built production
facility in Finland with a workforce that
specialises in the construction of floating
properties.
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
FINLAND’S SOFTWOOD TRADE
WITH THE MIDDLE EAST
Finland is 78 per cent forest and has over 400 years of practice in sustainable forestry. It is
one of the largest softwood suppliers in the world.
The Middle East has always been an important region for the country’s exporters, which
ship hundreds of thousands
of cubic metres of timber per
year to Egypt and the Persian
Gulf regions. Saudi Arabia for
instance, has, for years been a
key buyer of timber for packaging
and concrete forming, as well as
pine for doors and windows.
In 2017, Finnish softwood
exports to Middle East totalled
2.25 million cbm, a slight drop
from 2.33 million cbm in 2016.
Jyrki Mantere, Program director
of Wood from Finland, the
programme that promotes Finnish
sawn timber to international
markets, says robust sales is due
to an upbeat property market
as well as an appreciation for a
strong, beautiful material. Now,
he says the market is starting
to show interest in thermally
modified softwood.
Jyrki Mantere (left) and Outi Varis from Wood from Finland
“It can be used for decorative purposes, in exterior cladding and decking. It is easy to machine
and paint… Construction companies can also specify what kinds of wood they want and our
companies process accordingly,” Mr Mantere says.
He stressed that the process does not involve chemicals, only heat and steam.
Thermally modified wood, developed in the late 1980s, has gone around the world. It is a
popular material in the construction of holiday resorts in Turkey, Iran, UAE and some Persian
Gulf countries, Mr Mantere says.
Marasi Business Bay is a grand
showcase of Finnish quality material
and technology in the Middle East. It
will certainly not be the last. | WIA
And with demand going up, the question remains: Can Finnish forests supply?
“Taking protected forests into account, we still have a lot to harvest. Our aim is to find new
potential markets, such as Asia and Middle East,” Mr Mantere says.
It was one of the reasons the Finland pavilion was back at the Dubai Woodshow in March.
Images credited to
The ADMARES Business Bay
Water Homes Development
“Dubai is the place we have to be. There are many visitors from North Africa and South Asia. Our
companies provide a sustainable resource and offer reliable deliveries,” Mr Mantere says. “We
have beautiful wood for export.”
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
45

MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
Sound
science
Elbphilharmonie’s greatest performance
to date may be the display of the artscience
conundrum in its construction.
By Lee Zhuomin
Thies Raetzke
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47

MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
From computer to concert hall: Over 10,000 panels were installed for the freeform, amorphous cultural space.
Image: Michael Zapf.
When the conductor taps his baton, you know to sit
up and listen. And listen you must, to the clear,
transparent sound reverberating throughout the
Hamburg Philharmonic Concert Hall. What do you hear?
Music of course. But observe also, the organic grey matter on
the walls of the 2200-seat grand hall that made this ‘organised
chaos’—as German composer Hans Zimmer put it—possible.
Music lover Benjamin Koren wrote, not the scores, but the scores
of codes that generated these grey panels. (The sizes, patterns,
the what-goes-where are technically possible by paper and pen,
but it would take decades to accomplish.)
Herzog de Meuron’s prestigious cultural project, he said, was
“easy to put together” because the computer did everything. But
engineering the software programme to placate everyone was
not: The architects had to solve sound diffusion; the engineers
had to make it work; it should be music to the acousticians; the
clients must be pleased.
The task was made more complicated by a freeform, amorphous
space to work with. In the end it pointed to 6,000sqm of surface
area to be plastered with 10,000 different panels… and a heartstopping
999,698 cells—each the size of a coffee cup—that
needed to be individually defined.
Add to that, gypsum fibre, a very dense material chosen for the
grand hall, had to hold.
Fabrication was another problem: As the manufacturing unit was
located near Munich, the panels had to be resilient enough to
endure changes in humidity as they traversed the long journey
up north.
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
“You also had to ensure the software was flexible enough to
accommodate sudden changes in the design process,” Koren
said. “But once all of that was solved, it was just build and
install.”
The 550-seat recital hall was built using the same technique
but clad with solid oak panels instead.
Some sound doctors would insist on a wood-clad interior for a
music venue. It makes sense, since most classical instruments
are made of wood. However, the acousticians for the Hamburg
Concert hall (or Elbphilharmonie) did not have a preference for
the Hall as long as it was dense.
“Sound is energy, so you need a heavy material for it
to bounce off otherwise it gets swallowed up,” Koren
rationalised.
On January 11, 2017, the first note was performed under
the baton of Thomas Hengelbrock in front of a star-studded
audience that included German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Koren worked on Elbphilharmonie from 2010 to 2017, but it
had taken more than seven years for the iconic structure to
realise: The building was due to open in 2009 but was stalled
by funding and legal issues.
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC
Koren read architecture at school. He also plays several
instruments and had enough passion for music to go
professional. He played the electronic keyboard when he was
studying in London, “with headphones on so it wouldn’t annoy
my flatmates,” Koren stressed.
So no one actually heard him play, no one knew how good or
bad he was, and no brawl broke out over the noise.
But he should be a connoisseur of sound. After all,
Herzog de Meuron roped him in for this innate talent and
more: He could develop digital tools for complex acoustic
spaces.
Koren taught himself programming at Arup’s Advanced
Geometric Unit during his internship. He rubbed shoulders with
a computer scientist, mathematician and structural engineer.
A close-up of the acoustic panels made for Elbphilharmonie.
Image: One to One.
“I found pure mathematical forms interesting and how
they could be applied to concert halls. It is a very different
perspective,” Koren said.
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
When he presented his school project on acoustic
surfaces, a partner from Herzog de Meuron on the jury panel
was so impressed that he made an offer Koren couldn’t
say no to. He joined the Swiss architecture firm in 2005,
around the time blueprints for the concert hall were
relooked into.
He continued with it again when he left to set up his firm
One to One in 2009.
Compared to 10 years ago, accessibility to tools and computeraided
manufacturing is much more readily available now, he
said. Laser cutting and three-axes milling machines existed
but workshops were not very creative with them. It was also
difficult to find a fabricator willing to take risks on a project of
certain complexity.
“ The task was complicated…
A freeform, amorphous space
to work with, 6,000sqm of
surface area to be plastered
with 10,000 different panels and
a heart-stopping 999,698 cells
that needed to be individually
defined. ”
Opened on January 11, 2017, Hamburg now has a world-class concert hall to be proud of.
Image: Michael Zapf.
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
Top to bottom: The Dow Jones Industrial and Frankfurt Stock Exchange
(Deutscher Aktienindex) sinking into the red as it happened in 2008.
Image: Benjamin Koren.
Kubrick exhibited at the German Museum of Film in Frankfurt, Germany.
Image: Benjamin Koren.
The know-how is also more widespread now as myriad resources
like Grasshopper help designers and architects simplify work.
The future will be one of robots and its use is expected to
accelerate in the next five years.
“I learnt everything the old-school way but I don’t regret it
because I have all the basics now.”
Architecture and computer science, Koren reflects, exist like
a match made in heaven; art provides the vision, science
achieves it.
FROM DATA TO DIABELLI
Koren still uses his self-invented computer software tools for
practical and personal projects.
He made a pair of murals in honour of Beethoven and Bach. Each
note was colour coded and the series of codes were transposed
onto paper. He called them the Diabelli and Goldberg variations.
He also documented the stock market crash as it happened
in 2008. Each stock had a colour code and the eventual piece
delivered a mesmerising water colour tapestry. He did the same
for Shakespeare and Poe; and Hitchcock and Kubrik, which now
hangs in the German Museum of Film.
Hamburg finally has a cultural venue it can be proud of. Its
opulence is what the 19 th century proletariat would consider
shameful, its cost, catastrophic. So what is highbrow, avantgarde
architecture or art trying to achieve?
“Maybe it is a sign of our times… That there is a certain prestige
attached to the architects and clients that lay claim to it,” Koren
reflected.
I said they exist without any real purpose, but the same can be
said of any kind of cultural production. And yet Elbphilharmonie
is special. It was here by the Elbe River that two star-crossed
lovers met, where art married science. | WIA
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51

MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
MUCH
ADO
ABOUT
SAUNAS
Saunas have been
around almost as long
as mankind have walked
the earth. But what are
their benefits? Why are
they made of wood, and
not any other material?
For millennia, man have always used
sweat baths, though they may
not have understood the bodily
processes that made it so beneficial for
health. Remains of Roman Thermae have
been excavated as far from Italy as Bath,
England, the Japanese still subscribe
to their traditional Onsens today, and
perhaps most famously, in World War
II, Finnish soldiers were capable of
building and getting a sauna smoking and
warm in no less than eight hours. Even
now, Finnish soldiers on peacekeeping
missions are famed for their saunas.
Meaning “room of wood” in Finnish,
a sauna is essentially a small room or
building where people gather to perspire
with either dry or wet heat, using the skin
to eliminate toxins or chemicals from
the body.
The skin, the largest organ of the human
body, with the accompanying pores,
plays a major role in the detoxification
of the body. When the body produces a
sweat to regulate its temperature, it is
the skin which transforms toxins from
its oil-based form into water-soluble
forms in order to flush them out through
the pores.
Thus, saunas not only aid in the removal
of toxins and chemicals, but it also
improves a person’s blood circulation
and healing, speeds up metabolism, and
allows physical and mental relaxation.
HISTORY
The sauna originated from Finland, the
Land of a Thousand Lakes (though there
are really more than 187,000 lakes in
the country), around 7000BC, which,
until it was caught up in a whirlwind of
industrialisation, was a poor and rugged
country. Back then, the sauna was already
a central part of society, but not only vital
in maintaining personal hygiene.
Life often ended and began in the saunas,
with childbirths often taking place in
the almost sterile environment and the
deceased occasionally prepared for
burial there.
For centuries, the Finnish cleaned,
socialised, and even cooked in saunas,
and it remains a major and integral part
of Finnish culture and society up to today.
And the knowledge of the positive
benefits of saunas are now spreading
rapidly around the world with the advent
of the Internet.
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
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53

MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
“Customers have become more educated
about sauna culture and are aware of its
positive effects on health,” Ville Rintala,
International Sales Executive of SAWO,
a sauna company based in Finland,
explained.
WOOD IN SAUNAS
Using wood to construct saunas in Finland
was both a practical as well as traditional
decision, with the supply of wood never
being an issue in the heavily-forested
country.
Wood, for instance, is a far better heat
insulator than stone, and if one touched
a hot wooden surface, it would sting far
less severely than if one laid a hand on a
hot stone surface.
In addition, wood is more hygienic and
easier to keep and maintain with its
antibacterial and antiseptic properties,
whereas stone would run the risk of mould
in a sauna’s humid environs. On top of
that, the heat and humidity in a sauna may
destroy plaster or drywall, which lacks the
resilience and durability of wood.
Typically, saunas are built out of four
types of wood, namely aspen, pine,
spruce, and western red cedar.
“Cedar has a pleasant and natural scent,
and its tone is also different in every piece
of panel, which makes saunas made from
cedar look unique with its lively colours,”
explained Rintala. “And it is also the best
choice for tropical climates as insects tend
to avoid the taste and scent of cedar.”
But aspen, with its plain white colour and
no distinctive scent whatsoever, is almost
the complete opposite of cedar, giving a
sauna an open and broad appearance.
Spruce, the most traditional sauna material
in Finland, can be easily recognised by
with its visible, healthy knots, capable
of giving saunas a completely different
appearance as compared to cedar, aspen,
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MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
and pine. However, is usually only used in some accessories.
“But there are so many combinations saunas can take on!” Rintala added excitedly.
“For example, aspen wall panels can be used with spruce benches, and accessories
around the sauna can be made of pine.”
THE FUTURE
Sauna projects have steadily grown ever more sophisticated and innovative over the
past few years, moving from standardised to customised, with a rise in more distinctive
solutions and products.
“Customers want to stand out from others, and they want to be more involved in
the process and the design of the sauna. They want to make their mark and make a
difference with their preferences. It is exciting not only for the customers, but for our
engineers too, as they can be more creative than before,” Rintala said.
“But this is part of a larger trend where the manufacturer is shifting closer to the
customers – they are not, and can no longer be, just some faceless entity far away
anymore.”
And this is becoming ever more obvious with SAWO’s and PARTISAN’s ever more
unique saunas. | WIA
All images are credited to PARTISAN and SAWO
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
55

FLOORING
OPENING A
NEW WORLD
Though young, World of Wood is looking to make their mark
as they continue to promote wood flooring and look to grow
the industry.
Tampines Hub sports stadium, the largest high-grade wood flooring in Singapore
Though considered relatively
young, having been on the market
for about eight years, World
of Wood has managed to cultivate
a reputation among architects and
designers for not being a conventional
flooring company, seeking to make a
statement through their wood flooring.
While the company does not manufacture
its own products, preferring OEM and
getting factories to do it for them in a
certain style or manner depending on
project requirements, they still keep a
sense of singularity and appeal about
their products.
“We try to bring in interesting products
because architects want something
new, like this curved floor from Estonia,”
Mohammed Zain Bin Abdul Hamid,
general manager of World of Wood,
explained. “We always look for new
products, and we travel around and
source for new products all the time and
bring it into the market here.”
And in a time when other flooring
materials such as luxury vinyl flooring are
slowly gaining popularity over hardwood
flooring, World of Wood has found its
niche in the industry.
WORLD OF WOOD
Considered a market leader, World of
Wood is no stranger to the wood industry
– in fact, they are working to expand it.
Specialising only in hardwood flooring,
the company usually turns to American
walnut and oak for its products, and also
brings in maple hardwood for sports
flooring – in fact, they were the company
to do the flooring in the newly-opened
Tampines Hub sports stadium.
“It was the first high-grade flooring of
this size in Singapore, and we used firstgrade
maple,” Zain said with a tinge of
pride.
But when Zain had first founded World
of Wood, it was as an answer to the
dwindling number of companies and
people in the industry.
“But now, you can see the next generation
of people taking over and reshaping
and rebranding the business. It’s quite
promising now, actually, as compared to
a decade ago,” Zain elaborated.
“People come in and join us, become part
of the team, and learn the ropes on how
to go about the industry. And after some
time, they will leave us and set up their
own business. We are perfectly fine with
that – we teach them everything, and then
we let them venture out and continue
growing the industry.”
And even as hardwood flooring increases
in price and becomes more of a high-end
product, World of Wood is not worried.
“We actually don’t intend to increase our
customer pool. Rather, we just maintain
or downsize our pool a little bit,” Zain
explained further. “All along, we have
concentrated on the niche market, and
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FLOORING
we have never been on the mass market because our products
are considered high-end grade.”
FLOORING
A huge percentage of what the company does is in flooring,
though they occasionally venture to walls or ceilings as well.
“Even then, we only do customised flooring in small quantities,
not big quantities. So we do have a specialised team to do create
different kinds of finishes for the wood, and on top of that, we also
have different types of treatment for the wood itself,” Zain said.
Though usually an indoor wood,
thermally modified ash World of
Wood brings in can be used for
the outdoors
“And by using engineered wood as well as thermally treated wood,
we help the wood to be more stable and less prone to warping.”
In fact, World of Wood brought in thermoash – thermally
treated ash – for outdoor use in deckings, though ash is usually
considered an indoor wood.
“But unfortunately, typical outdoor woods for a tropical climate
like teak, balau and chengal are now coming from trees that are
getting increasingly younger, degrading the quality and limiting
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57

FLOORING
“On top of that, unlike materials such as
metals and granite, which are irreplaceable
once taken from the quarries, wood, with
proper cultivation, can be quickly regrown.”
The curved floor from Estonia World of Wood brought in
supply, so hardwood flooring is becoming
more expensive, slowly moving to the
upmarket segment as the raw material
becomes pricier,” Zain continued.
Moreover, World of Wood only brings in
sustainably sourced wood with FSC and
PEFC labels.
“All our products, American walnut,
oak, all the wood we use, come with the
green labels. For projects in Singapore,
even homeowners, they want to see the
certification, and if they don’t see it, they
don’t want to use the wood. But that’s
actually a good thing, because the buyer
dictates the industry,” Zain stated.
THE FUTURE
Although pre-finished products are more
common now in the market than ever
before, having the opportunity to work
with top architectural and designer firms
in Singapore has allowed World of Wood
to exert an influence on the use of wood
for flooring materials even as the country
moves to using more wood in architecture.
“Using wood is a relatively new concept
here, but with the government pushing
this, we can see more projects using wood
in construction in the coming years,” Zain
concluded with a small grin. | WIA
All images are credited to World of Wood
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SHOW PREVIEW
As the dust settles for the 28 th INDEX in
March, dmg events is now returning
with a bang for its second show in
September.
September will see INDEX offering a twist in
their traditional show and an exploration of
one of the most significant design journeys of
all time. With the theme “The Silk Road”, it will
take visitors on journey from east to west as
the show celebrates the Silk
Road, and the colours and
patterns that represent the
historical trade route that
lives on to this day.
“We have chosen a
theme that offers a direct
representation of where
our September exhibitors
will come from. The Silk
Road takes its name from
The show celebrates 'The Silk the trade route that started
Road' along with the colours
over 2,000 years ago and
and patterns that represent the
historical trade route that lives still exists today, joining
on to this day
Europe to Asia, through
the deserts of the Middle
East,” explained Samantha Macdonald, INDEX
event director.
EAST
MEETS
WEST
“The show will focus on individual designs
and value driven products from Asia, sat
alongside premium products from Europe.
Together, they will allow the show to present
a wide selection of interior products that
should suit the taste and budgets of all our
visitors, covering their sourcing needs this
autumn,” she added.
With a central focus on a cross-continental
marriage between value driven product and
premium brands, September's INDEX - held
in Dubai - will welcome more than 400
exhibitors from across the two continents.
Visitors will also see the event come to live
with colours patterns and textures that
encapsulated the Silk Road when it was its
most densely trodden. Join the momentous
journey from 16 to 18 September 2018 at the
Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE. | WIA
The 28 th edition of INDEX will take place from 16 to 18 September 2018
Images are courtesy of dmg events.
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59

DMG’S NEW FURNITURE
COMPONENT AND MATERIALS
EVENT AIMS TO OFFER THE
ULTIMATE DESIGN TOOLKIT
Set to take place for the first time in September, FIM will take the needs of those
specialising in the furniture manufacture and supply chain into account.
dmg events has announced a brand
new interiors event for 2018,
aimed at offering Middle East
interior design buyers and manufacturers
direct access to a massive pool of
specialist material and component
suppliers.
Announced for September, FIM will
seek to account for the needs of those
specialising in every stage of the
furniture manufacture and supply chain
by showcasing all the materials, fittings
and technology required to bring any
interiors product from concept to reality.
The first of its kind in the region, the threeday
event will present base materials and
parts, rather than finished products. And
by gathering hundreds of international
suppliers, the show will create a unique
one-stop shop for interior professionals
looking to obtain every fabric, crafting
component or digital solution required
to advance their manufacturing process.
“The furniture market has, over the last
decade, grown exponentially across
the UAE and the Gulf region. A strong
economy, considerable governmental
support and a young population base,
coupled with other secondary factors
– centrally large-scale developments in
infrastructural, economical, industrial
and educational projects – have created
a strong platform for the industry to
grow to new horizons. Domestic furniture
manufacturers are also expanding their
capacity to fulfil premium household
furniture demand, thus driving the overall
furniture market further forward,” Event
manager Alaa Al Ush, who is behind the
FIM concept, explained.
“In our eyes, a furniture in, industry of
that size and influence should be able to
cater to itself; manufacturers shouldn’t
be forced to travel abroad to get a hold
of the resources they need. It makes
sense to bring the world of components,
materials, fixtures and fittings to them,
streamlining their procurement process,
and that’s exactly what FIM will do.”
The new event will unite local furnituremakers,
interior designers and architects
with international providers of materials,
tools and components who are looking to
expand their reach across the Gulf.
Co-located alongside The Hotel Show, the
Leisure Show and INDEX, FIM will take
place at the Dubai World Trade Centre
from the 16 th to the 18 th of September,
2018. | WIA
Images are credited to dmg events
60 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

SHOW REVIEW
BEX AND MCE ASIA LOOK TO
A DIGITAL-FIRST FUTURE
image credited to BEX Asia
As smart cities continue to take centre stage, BEX Asia highlights the importance of technology
with new features.
Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia, Southeast
Asia’s leading trade exhibition for
the region’s green building market,
and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE)
Asia, is set to return in September.
Held as part of the Singapore Green
Building Week (SGBW), BEX Asia, together
with co-located events MCE Asia as well
as the annual International Green Building
Conference (IGBC), will to welcome over
12,000 professionals, thought leaders
and policymakers from across the built
industry.
TECHNOLOGY AND
ACCELERATION
Technology will be a main highlight this
year, with BEX and MCE Asia incorporating
a new feature on Smart Buildings &
Automation, and will showcase prominent
brands as smart cities take centre stage
in Southeast Asia’s development with the
Internet of Things, among others.
“The path to sustainable development
is a multi-concerted effort that requires
industry players to come together to
develop complete solutions interfacing
major disciplines that will truly impact
society. Technology will amplify the
efforts of all players, big and small, and
make it easier for anyone to take part in
the sustainability movement,” said Peter
Latscha, General Manager, Glutz.
Following a successful feature of the
Future Home last year, Surbana Jurong
Consultants will be returning to the show
floor this year with a curated exhibit titled
“City of ___.” that aims to highlight how
new technologies can shape the future
of city-making and influence lifestyles
in the city, moving people towards an
environmentally-resilient future.
Lending an international outlook to
the shows, BEX and MCE Asia will also
incorporate pavilions that highlight
cutting-edge innovations from China,
Germany, Italy, Japan and Taiwan.
In all, BEX Asia, together with its colocated
event, MCE Asia will host over
450 exhibiting companies from across the
globe, all striving to advance the region’s
climate change agenda.
DISCUSSIONS AND
INNOVATION
Running concurrently with BEX Asia is
the complimentary three-day Green View
seminar that showcases best practices,
latest research and deep insights around
sustainable building innovations.
The curated seminars will help industry
practitioners gain a more nuanced
understanding of topics such as
architectural and façade solutions, smart
building applications and systems, as well
as green building design and innovative
features. | WIA
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
61

SHOW REVIEW
All images are credited to WMF 2018
WMF
2018
Shanghai
returns with
latest furniture
and woodworking
technologies
The most established woodworking machinery trading
platform in Asia will be returning in September in collaboration
with CIFF Shanghai for the very first time.
Perceived by the industry as the most established, not-to-be-missed woodworking machinery
trading platform in Asia, International Exhibition on Woodworking Manufacturing Equipment
(WMF 2018) will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Hongqiao, Shanghai,
China from the 10th to the 13 th of September 2018.
Moreover, for the very first time, the show will be held in collaboration with CIFF Shanghai. By
integrating wooden products and furniture production chain in the fair, enterprises from the upstream
and downstream segments will be able to come together under the same roof to explore business
opportunities and share market insights.
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
Rising market demand for customised and green furniture has been driving an environmentally-friendly
and flexible production cycle with shorter lead time even as regulations and requirements on processing
and production of wood furniture become more stringent.
In response to the prevalent trends of Industry 4.0 and green production, WMF 2018, spanning across
Hall 7.1 and Hall 8.1 with a total area of 53,000sqm, is expected to draw in more than 550 international
exhibitors eager to show off their sustainable yet effective woodworking machinery and technologies
from woodworking primary processing to finishing production.
HOT ISSUES
WMF 2018 has always been highly acclaimed for its conferences, and this year, with hot issues including
Industry 4.0, The Belt & Road Initiative, and Customisation and Green Production will be covered.
Industry leaders and experts will share the latest and most vital information from researches and
technologies in the sessions of Industry 4.0 and the Belt and Road Initiative: The Smarter Future
for Wood & Furniture, Custom Design for the Elderly and Children, Adjustable Furniture Design and
Production Safety Forum and Green Furniture Forum, which will allow enterprises to keep abreast of
the latest industry trends and market news. | WIA

DUBAI WOODSHOW A SUCCESS
WITH 300 EXHIBITORS FROM
55 COUNTRIES
Growing demand for wood in Dubai leaves
officials positive and upbeat.
SHOW REVIEW
His Excellency Dr Abdullah bin
Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi
Cabinet Member and Minister
of Infrastructure Development officially
inaugurated the 13 th edition of the Dubai
Woodshow at the Dubai World Trade
Centre on Monday, March 12, 2018, in
the presence of H.E. Pacome Moubelet
Bouyeba, Gabonese Minister of Forest,
Vira Khmerova, Vice President of the
Department of Chemical Engineering and
Wood Processing, Ministry of Industry
and Trade of Russia, along with other key
international dignitaries and officials from
the UAE and Dubai governments.
The three-day international trade show
showcased the latest wood products,
woodworking, machine tools and new
technology, saw more than 300 exhibitors
from 55 countries, including six country
pavilions – Canada, China, Finland,
Russian Federation, Turkey and the United
States – sprawl across 17,000sqm of
exhibition space.
Organised by Strategic Marketing and
Exhibitions, the event doubles as an
industry barometer on the overall
woodworking market and the induction
of new concepts, ideas, accessories
and technologies. In all, more than
10,000 trade visitors participated in the
international event to source the latest
products, services, machineries as well
as renew their existing trade relations.
“A surge in oil price which is trading over
US$60 a barrel brings back optimism and
as investor sentiment rides high, we have
seen a string of project announcements
from the beginning of this year that
will later create demand for interior
décor, wood products and woodworking
machineries,” Dawood Al Shezawi,
president of Strategic Marketing and
Exhibitions, said.
“The massive construction activities in
the GCC, especially in Dubai that is driven
by Expo 2020-related infrastructure and
projects – will continue to drive demand
for wood products and we expect to see
the wood import and export value to
exceed Dh4 billion recorded in 2016 – in
the following years.”
Dubai WoodShow ran along with Dubai
International Furniture, Accessories
and Components (DIFAC), specialised
in the field of furniture and machines for
the manufacture of wood products and
accessories. | WIA
All images credited to
Dubai Woodshow

SHOW REVIEW
RECOGNISING
AND
CELEBRATING
WOOD
Sylva Wood 2018 has
become the strategic
platform for industry experts
and professionals to come
together to discuss and
co-create solutions for the
wood materials industry,
focus on emerging trends,
and accelerate innovation

SHOW REVIEW
And so, once again, Sylva Wood
has ended on a high note. Since
its inauguration in 2015, the show
has grown significantly and has been
recognised and touted as Asia’s one and
only specialised wood materials show.
Sylva Wood 2018 has become the
strategic platform for industry experts and
professionals to come together to discuss
and co-create solutions for the wood
materials industry, focus on emerging
trends, and accelerate innovation.
This year, with the theme, “Bringing the
world of wood to Sylva Wood”, the threeday
event, which took place from the
25 th to 27 th of June 2018, saw a gathering
of high-level government officials, industry
and international organisations and
widely-recognised key players.
Sylva Wood 2018 took place from the 25 th to 27 th of June
William Pang, managing director and testament of how far Sylva Wood has
organiser of Sylva Wood.
come.”
“This is the fourth year we’ve hosted Sylva
Wood since the first event in 2015. This
edition celebrates the world of wood and is
a culmination of the last few years’ efforts
in driving industry growth and helping to
shape the wood materials industry,” said
“The depth of discussions here, the
highly-focused seminars, the innovative
solutions exchanged have paved the way
for industry acceleration. The event has
grown over the years and the continued
support from our members is a strong
“It is a very busy show, so busy that we
don’t have time for lunch. We have a lot
of visitors and according to one of the
industry members here, all the customers
are relevant and good visitors. The quality
is good as compared to other shows,” Tan
Ting Wai, director of MTC Guangzhou,
added.
The show continued to be endorsed by
American Hardwood Export Council, The
French Timber, Canada Wood, the Shanghai
Timber Trade Association, American
Softwoods, Malaysian Timber Council,
Quebec Wood Export Bureau, Smaland of
Sweden and Thai Timber Association.
In addition, the event also saw a delegation
from the Binh Duong Furniture Association
(BIFA) come down from Vietnam to grace
the show.
Sylva Wood 2018 also saw more than 100 exhibitors coming from countries as far
as Malaysia, Singapore, Sweden and more
“This is the fourth show that AHEC is
attending,” said John Chan, director,
Southeast Asia and Greater China of AHEC.
“The location of the AHEC Pavilion is good
and the traffic is quite heavy. The members
have received some potential buyers, so we
are happy with the show.”
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 • 2018
65

SHOW REVIEW
expo allows us to organise a lot of meetings
with our partners. Since last year, we have an
agent in China who helps us to communicate
with all our buyers, and with this strategy,
this exhibition was really rewarding for
us. The organiser is equally helpful too in
solving our difficulties this year as a lot of
useful meetings were held,” explained Galina
Andreeva, lead export manager of Co.Ltd.
WPM “Kalevala”.
The Russian Pavilion came back for the second time and was once again the largest
pavilion at the show
BEYOND DOMESTIC
Across the three days, Sylva Wood 2018
attracted more than 3,800 visitors –
including from countries such as U.S.,
Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay, Lithuania,
France, and many others.
“I knew about this show from the industry
association. I am a factory owner from
Shanghai. Though I have heard about
this show for some time, this is my first
time here. I have looked through the
boards and panels at the show, and I
find it a rewarding visit. The seminars
are so informative. Visitors need to pay
yet I see so many people here, it says
a lot about the show,” Hu Mingcai from
Shanghai Guan Mu International Trade
Pte Ltd, stated.
Wu Binhao from Jiangsu Mu Li Cultural
Investment Pte Ltd said, “I sell wood
materials on an online platform. I come
to this show every year to look for new
opportunities and find out about the latest
wood materials. This time round, I see
some new faces too. Sylva Wood is a good
platform, and I can always discover new
things and also chat with exhibitors here.”
Sylva Wood 2018 also saw more than 100
exhibitors coming from countries as far as
Singapore, Malaysia, Sweden and more.
The Russian Pavilion even returned for
the second time and was once again the
largest pavilion at the show.
“This is the second time we are
participating in this exhibition as this
“I think that it is a wonderful idea to come
here. Our manager came to Shanghai twice
as a visitor and now, we are back for the third
time as an exhibitor. This is very good for us
as we are able to know our real customers
and interact with the traders that we have
been working with. That is a nice attribute of
this show,” Daniel Aldini, marketing manager
of Haty Wood, added.
THE POTENTIAL OF CHINA
China is still the world’s largest importer
of wood fibre and the largest exporter of
plywood, flooring and wooden furniture
along with many other related products.
While rising labour costs and other factors
have been potential drags on growth, 2017
still saw record-high imports of logs and
lumber.
In fact, imports for the country’s timber and
forest products are expected to increase
by 60 million cubic metres by 2025, which
will eventually account for about 12 to
13 per cent of the global timber harvest.
Also, with the central government ‘s move
to aggressively reduce financial risk and
pollution in the country, wood content of
China’s primary forest products imports will
increase from an estimated 194 million cubic
metres in 2015 to 254 million cubic metres
by 2025, according to RISI, a company
specialising in providing information and
data for the global forest products industry.
The show continued to be endorsed by American Hardwood Export Council, The French Timber, Canada Wood,
the Shanghai Timber Trade Association, American Softwoods, Malaysian Timber Council, Quebec Wood Export
Bureau, Smaland of Sweden and Thai Timber Association
With this in mind, Sylva Wood 2018 had
successfully pulled together a premier
platform that allowed visitors and exhibitors
to explore and enhance productivity and
competitiveness at this dedicated businessto-business
event. | WIA
66 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE

What they saID…
This is the fourth show that AHEC is attending, and there are 32 AHEC member
companies exhibiting at the AHEC pavilion. The location of AHEC Pavilion is good and
the traffic is quite heavy. The members have received some potential buyers so, we
are happy with the show. The two grading seminars held in the first and second day
have also helped visitors to increase U.S. hardwood lumber grading knowledge. We will
certainly come back again next year.
John Chan, Director, Southeast Asia and Greater China of AHEC
Sylva Wood is very much like a gathering of old friends and of course, also a
place to meet many new ones. Because we are an association, and our objective is still
to promote Quebec’s hardwood – old and new customers are equally important to us.
But we have to say the stream of customers here is very pure in the sense that there
are no other kinds of products and distractions so, the show has good impact. We have
suppliers and manufacturers from the industry coming here simply because they need
our supplier’s resources.
Compared to other wood related shows in China, Sylva Wood places more on wood
materials. There are a lot of visitors and the types of visitors are mixed. What I like about this
show is that the visitors all come with the same intention – to buy wood materials.
Noah Li, Director- China, Quebec Wood Export Bureau
The fair itself is not very big, but the size doesn’t matter as the focus group
is more important. If I throw a stone at anybody in this show, he will be a buyer of
wood. That means I can immediately identify all the buyers, those who visit my booth
will be buyers of some kind of wood.
Jirawat Tangkijngamwong, Chairman, Thai Timber Association
My first impression is that I like it. It is a bit small but I like the organisation
because they are very involved, they help you with everything so it is really nice. We
made some good contacts here and saw some old friends.
We have plans to come back but we have to see how the situation will go for us next
year. Still, it is a great platform for us to introduce Gemini to the China market. We met a
lot of old friends and made a lot of new friends here as well. We met the kind of
customers that we wanted to – the right people are here. Even though the show is
mainly for the domestic market here, we were able to meet people from Vietnam
and Taiwan. We like the idea that only people who sell and buy wood will come to
this show because we have been to enough shows where everybody including those
from the machinery and furniture segment are together.
Tom De Reu and Mukesh Jain from Gemini
I have always been interested in Shanghai as it is the commercial centre of China
so if there is any show here, it should be of high quality because it can gather many
international companies. I am interested to seek cooperation with such companies. For
the past two days, we received many enquiries about our products and many people are
willing to do business. Our company has been working with some provinces in Northern
China, so it is great that most Chinese companies in this show are from the South like
Shanghai, Jiangsu and Guangdong. It allows us to meet clients from different regions
of China. Our factory, which is very close to Northern China, was set up two years ago
for wood processing. We also harvest timber as we have forests. We came to this show
hoping to find a partner to help us expand production, harvest and trade, and we found
a few. We are currently discussing the details of our contracts. So, we certainly have met
our objective of coming to this show. We hope to enter the China market soon.
Zorikto Bayronov, Italmac Timber Company (Russia)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2018 / 2019
2018
SEPTEMBER
10 – 13 China International Furniture Fair Shanghai, China www.ciff-sh.com
11 – 14 FMC 2018 Shanghai, China www.fmcchina.com.cn
OCTOBER
2 – 4 NHLA Convention Toronto, Canada www.nhla.com
10 – 13 Salone del Mobile Milano Moscow, Russia www.salonemilano.it
NOVEMBER
22 – 24 Salone del Mobile Milano Shanghai, China www.salonemilano.it
2019
JANUARY
11 – 14 DOMOTEX 2019 Hannover, Germany www.domotex.de
14 – 20 IMM Cologne Cologne, Germany www.imm-cologne.com
FEBRUARY
28 – 2 Mar DOMOTEX USA Atlanta, Georgia, USA domotexusa.com
MARCH
6 – 9 Vietnam Int’l Furniture &
Home Accessories Fair Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam www.vifafair.com
8 – 11 Malaysian Int’l Furniture Fair Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2019.miff.com.my
9 – 12 IFFS Singapore www.iffs.com.sg
9 – 12 Export Furniture Exhibition Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.efe.my
11 – 14 Indonesia Int’l Furniture Expo Jakarta, Indonesia www.ifexindonesia.com
13 – 16 Delhi Wood Greater Noida, India www.delhi-wood.com
12 – 14 Dubai Woodshow Dubai, UAE www.dubaiwoodshow.com
18 – 21 CIFF Guangzhou, China www.ciff-gz.com
26 – 28 Domotex Asia/ China Floor Shanghai, China www.domotexasiachinafloor.com
28 – 31 CIFM/ interzum guangzhou Guangzhou, China www.interzum-guangzhou.com
APRIL
9 – 14 Salone del Mobile Milano Milan, Italy www.salonemilano.it
MAY Qingdao Int’l Furniture Fair Qingdao, China www.qiff.net
27 – 31 LIGNA Hannover, Germany www.ligna.de
JUNE
TBA AHEC Annual Convention TBA www.americanhardwood.org
SEPTEMBER
TBA China International Furniture Fair Shanghai, China www.ciff-sh.com
TBA FMC 2018 Shanghai, China www.fmcchina.com.cn
OCTOBER
TBA NHLA Convention USA www.nhla.com
ADVERTISERS' INDEX
American Hardwood Export Council
OBC
American Lumber 09
Arden Precision Technology Co Ltd 01
Baillie Lumber 13
BIFA Wood Vietnam 2018
IFC
Chia Lung Machinery Ind Co Ltd 27
Extend Light Machinery Co Ltd 57
Hoon Hsiang Ind Co Ltd 55
Kuang Yung Machinery Co Ltd 11
Softwood Export Council 05
Technik Associates, Inc.
IBC
Wood in Architecture (Social Media) 07
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WIA Issue 2, 2018 eBook
68 ISSUE 2 • 2018 • WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE