WIA_ISSUE2_2023
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ISSUE 2, <strong>2023</strong><br />
Performing<br />
with wood<br />
Embracing nature in the city: The rise of<br />
wooden structures in urban landscapes<br />
Everything done right from an early stage
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Build<br />
Sustainably<br />
Build<br />
with Wood<br />
Every two minutes<br />
U.S. forests grow<br />
700 cubic meters<br />
enough to build a<br />
12-story building
CONTENTS<br />
14<br />
26 33<br />
2 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
CONTENTS<br />
04 Editor’s Note<br />
05 News<br />
THE BIG PICTURE<br />
14 Performing with wood<br />
MARKET REPORT<br />
24 CLT market to reach<br />
US$2.6bn by 2028:<br />
MarketsandMarkets<br />
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
26 Building green: Meeting<br />
the demand for sustainable<br />
solutions with sustainable<br />
design<br />
29 Embracing nature in the<br />
city: The rise of wooden<br />
structures in urban<br />
landscapes<br />
MATERIALS AND<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
33 Re-emerge pavilion:<br />
A collaboration between<br />
AA and Hassell<br />
36 Canadian wood elevates<br />
Nativ restaurant’s design in<br />
Pune, India<br />
38 Driving down the cost of<br />
entry into mass timber<br />
design<br />
ENGINEERED WOOD<br />
40 TurboHawk mini-finger<br />
cutterhead: Flexible and quality<br />
CLT production<br />
41 Everything done right from an<br />
early stage<br />
DESIGN<br />
44 Sanding with SCM<br />
46 New Innovus collection finds<br />
inspiration in nature<br />
48 Redefining luxury hospitality<br />
with Clint Nagata<br />
50 Japanese furniture: What sets its<br />
design and quality apart?<br />
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />
53 The PULO market<br />
FLOORING<br />
56 Digital printing technology for<br />
flooring<br />
58 Head-end profiling of<br />
floorboards with Marinus<br />
Powermax Endmatcher<br />
FIT-OUTS<br />
59 Sandra Weil store<br />
61 Villa MKZ<br />
63 Events Calendar<br />
64 Index of Advertisers<br />
41<br />
48<br />
53<br />
59<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 3
EDITOR’S NOTE<br />
Time for<br />
a wood renaissance<br />
Common detractors of wooden or<br />
mass timber buildings often cite their<br />
susceptibility to catching fire or their<br />
weakness towards harsh weather<br />
conditions as reasons for not pivoting<br />
away from steel or carbon structures. One<br />
cannot blame them: It has been instilled in<br />
us through popular culture — look at what<br />
happened to one of the three little pigs<br />
whose house was built with sticks — and<br />
images of rackety, old wooden houses that<br />
wood is weaker and more error-prone in<br />
comparison to its carbon-heavy cousins.<br />
Is that not why this magazine exists? We<br />
want readers out there to start getting<br />
familiarised with images of mass timber<br />
buildings, to get familiar with how wood<br />
technology has advanced to become better<br />
than steel or concrete.<br />
For instance, our column, The Big Picture,<br />
showcases wood in their varied and<br />
marvellous uses, how they can be erected<br />
as skyscrapers or as wide-spanning<br />
structures that can cover up to several<br />
football fields. The theme for this issue<br />
is Theatres, featuring theatre halls or<br />
buildings with the theatre itself made with<br />
mass timber or solid wood like cherry and<br />
oak (p.14). Wood is already known for its<br />
acoustic properties, long associated with<br />
string instruments, so how will it bolster the<br />
structural, aesthetic and technical qualities<br />
of theatres, auditoriums, and concert halls?<br />
We also hope to demystify the process of<br />
building or designing with wood. A case<br />
study by Dr Joaquim Mohr explores how<br />
automated technology for prefabricated<br />
wall elements from timber construction<br />
machine manufacturer WEINMANN has<br />
helped Haas Fertigbau to achieve more<br />
flexible production (p.41). Our interview with<br />
designer Clint Nagata from BLINK Design<br />
Group sheds light on hospitality design: How<br />
wood has played a part in lending a sense of<br />
sophistication to luxury resorts and hotels<br />
(p.48). Software solutions like CLT Toolbox<br />
also aim to help simplify mass timber design,<br />
lowering the barriers to entry (p.38).<br />
By 2028, the global cross-laminated timber<br />
(CLT) market is projected to hit US$2.6bn<br />
(p.24). It is a ripening market with lots of<br />
potential, even if housing and furniture<br />
markets across the world are not doing<br />
too great now. The vanguard of the<br />
construction industry is indisputably wood<br />
and mass timber, and we, together with the<br />
whole woodworking community, will help<br />
to enable that.<br />
EDITOR | YAP SHI QUAN<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE<br />
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4 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
NEWS<br />
PROTOTYPE AI METHOD FOR SUSTAINABLY<br />
PRODUCING CLT UNVEILED<br />
Maestro, a new constructiontechnology<br />
startup born out of the<br />
design and innovation office Carlo<br />
Ratti Associati (CRA), is unveiling the<br />
prototype for A.I. Timber, a new method<br />
for sustainable cross-laminated timber<br />
(CLT) production that uses artificial<br />
intelligence (AI) to preserve the original<br />
contour of each tree.<br />
A proof-of-concept structure,<br />
developed along with students and<br />
researchers from Massachusetts<br />
Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tongji<br />
University, was on display at the Digital<br />
Futures exhibition in Shanghai, China<br />
until the fall.<br />
As the construction industry works<br />
to reduce its emissions, with cement<br />
production alone responsible for 8% of<br />
global CO2, mass timber has emerged<br />
as an alternative for sustainable<br />
construction.<br />
However, the industrial sawing<br />
process of cutting unique trees into<br />
standardised panels generates a large<br />
amount of wood waste.<br />
Mykola Murashko, the 23-year-old<br />
Cambridge graduate who co-founded<br />
Maestro with Carlo Ratti, director of the<br />
MIT Senseable City Lab and founding<br />
partner at CRA.<br />
“Because engineered wood products<br />
are lightweight, renewable and<br />
dimensionally stable, we can design<br />
an entire building in our factory then<br />
ship the flatpack of its components to<br />
construction sites around the world.<br />
“Maestro wants to revolutionise how<br />
we build, and that dream is rooted in<br />
innovations like A.I. Timber.”<br />
Maestro is a newly-incorporated<br />
startup that aims to revolutionise the<br />
construction industry with bespoke<br />
prefabrication.<br />
After years of experiments in<br />
construction and building materials<br />
at CRA, Maestro uses technology to<br />
connect design and manufacturing,<br />
allowing a European supplier network<br />
to manufacture custom parts at a<br />
massive scale and create tailor-made,<br />
shippable buildings from scratch.<br />
“Wood is one of the oldest building<br />
materials we have, and A.I. Timber will<br />
let us use it more sustainably,” said Ratti.<br />
“AI could reduce wood waste in CLT<br />
production by up to 30%, but that is only<br />
one of the benefits. It is also beautiful: The<br />
irregular geometry celebrates the original<br />
shape of the tree. We are using the artificial<br />
to bring out the brilliance of the natural.”<br />
According to CRA, the first prototype of A.I.<br />
Timber was produced in Shanghai earlier<br />
this summer as part of the DigitalFUTURES<br />
conference organised by Tongji University<br />
professor Philip Yuan.<br />
During a one-week workshop Murashko<br />
and Nikita Klimenko of MIT instructed a<br />
team of international researchers<br />
on the use of A.I. Timber, building a<br />
proof-of-concept structure a small,<br />
triangular pavilion visitors can interact with.<br />
The exhibition was open at Tongji<br />
University’s gallery until 15 Sep <strong>2023</strong>. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
A.I. Timber therefore offers an<br />
alternative. Rather than reducing<br />
irregular trees into straight lines,<br />
Maestro uses AI and digital machining<br />
tools to scan a set of raw logs, flat<br />
saw them into boards, and identify the<br />
optimal sequence to fit them together.<br />
The process results in timber panels<br />
with tessellating boards which match<br />
one another like puzzle pieces, while<br />
shaving off as little of the tree as<br />
possible, according to a press release<br />
by CRA.<br />
“Timber is not just a substitute for<br />
concrete; it unlocks new possibilities<br />
for prefabricated construction,” said<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 5
NEWS<br />
SCHULER CONSULTING’S<br />
EXPERIENCE AT LIGNA <strong>2023</strong><br />
With many questions in their<br />
luggage, various representatives<br />
from the wood and furniture<br />
industry visited the Schuler<br />
Consulting team at LIGNA <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The central concern of furniture<br />
manufacturers was to successfully<br />
plan the next investment steps,<br />
while the wood construction<br />
industry was looking for concrete<br />
measures for the shortage of<br />
skilled workers.<br />
SHORTAGE OF SKILLED<br />
WORKERS<br />
Schuler Consulting was<br />
represented at LIGNA for the<br />
first time in <strong>2023</strong> with a team of<br />
experts for timber construction,<br />
and they received visitors from<br />
around 40 countries during the fair.<br />
The cross-section of visitors to<br />
the timber construction stand<br />
had all facets from small to large:<br />
Both the classic carpenter and<br />
investors planning to set up their<br />
own production facilities visited<br />
the trade fair to find out about new<br />
technologies, trends and services.<br />
As such, the timber construction<br />
team at Schuler offers its support<br />
for this challenge. The goal is to start<br />
exactly where things are getting tight<br />
in the day-to-day business and to<br />
create practical solutions so that the<br />
employees can work more efficiently.<br />
INVESTING IN THE<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
FURNITURE INDUSTRY<br />
The international furniture industry<br />
showed particular interest in<br />
the consulting service, Strategic<br />
Production Development — which is to<br />
say, the new construction, conversion<br />
or expansion of their production.<br />
According to Schuler, many<br />
companies want to continue to<br />
grow and are currently facing the<br />
next investment steps, but new or<br />
replacement investments must be<br />
planned more than ever for the long<br />
term and sustainably.<br />
Those who were reaching the capacity<br />
limits of their production usually<br />
brought with them many questions<br />
about the right strategy, which were<br />
discussed in one-to-one talks during<br />
LIGNA.<br />
Interactive best practice production<br />
layouts were used for this purpose,<br />
according to Schuler. The 3D renderings<br />
showed what options were available in<br />
production planning and development.<br />
A second focus was on the topics<br />
of digitalisation and production<br />
optimisation. The on-site installation<br />
of Schuler’s Digital Value Stream<br />
Optimization was met with lively<br />
interest among the visitors.<br />
Using a coffee machine as a simulation,<br />
Bastian Schulz, team leader Industry<br />
4.0 at Schuler, showed how the tool<br />
could be used to connect any machine<br />
to the digital value stream to obtain<br />
process data.<br />
In production, process data can thus<br />
be obtained that provide relevant KPIs<br />
such as throughput time, performance,<br />
availability and stocks.<br />
Together with other available<br />
production data, this data flows into<br />
a value stream dashboard so that<br />
manufacturers can gain transparency<br />
about their processes and optimise<br />
them in a targeted manner. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
Schuler Consulting<br />
specialises<br />
in optimising<br />
production<br />
processes for the<br />
wood construction<br />
and furniture<br />
industries<br />
The most frequent questions<br />
Schuler received revolved<br />
around the topic of optimisation.<br />
Currently, many companies are<br />
looking for concrete measures<br />
for digitalisation and automation<br />
to counter the shortage of skilled<br />
workers.<br />
However, there is often not enough<br />
time in the day-to-day business to<br />
develop and implement solutions.<br />
At the same time, the construction<br />
tasks are growing but not with the<br />
number of employees to manage<br />
these tasks in most cases.<br />
6 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
NEWS<br />
“WORLD’S LARGEST<br />
WOODEN CITY” TO BE BUILT<br />
IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN<br />
The “world’s largest wooden city”, as claimed<br />
by developer Atrium Ljungberg, is now<br />
currently in the works, slated to be built in city<br />
of Sickla, Stockholm, Sweden and designed by<br />
architecture studios Henning Larsen and White<br />
Arkitekter.<br />
Dubbed Stockholm Wood City, it will have<br />
7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes that<br />
cover around 250,000m 2 .<br />
According to Atrium Ljungberg, the city will<br />
offer a vibrant, urban environment with a mix<br />
of workplaces, housing, restaurants and shops.<br />
The real estate industry is crucial in the green<br />
transition, as buildings account for as much as<br />
40% of the world’s<br />
CO2 emissions.<br />
Modern wooden<br />
construction is a<br />
hot topic of discussion globally, but<br />
completed projects so far are often<br />
individual buildings or blocks.<br />
The advantages of wooden buildings<br />
are many, both for the environment<br />
and for people’s health and wellbeing.<br />
Among others, the New European<br />
Bauhaus have in recent years pushed<br />
for increased wooden construction, but<br />
old conventions and beliefs have slowed<br />
down development.<br />
Rendered image of what Stockholm Wood City might be like (Image: Atrium<br />
Ljungberg/Henning Larsen)<br />
In a country where energy supply and<br />
efficiency are high up on the national agenda,<br />
the project will focus on self-produced,<br />
stored and shared energy. By investing in<br />
resource-efficient construction methods and<br />
circular material flows, Atrium Ljungberg<br />
wants to change the role of the urban<br />
developer.<br />
The first sod is reportedly planned to be<br />
turned in 2025, and the first buildings are<br />
expected to be completed in 2027. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 7
NEWS<br />
CHINESE UNIVERSITY COMPLETES MODULAR<br />
CLT STRUCTURE SHAKING TABLE TEST<br />
According to Canada Wood China, Tongji<br />
University’s College of Civil Engineering, led<br />
by Prof Xiong Haibei, recently achieved a<br />
milestone with the completion of the shaking<br />
table test for a modular cross-laminated<br />
timber (CLT) structure.<br />
The shaking table test assesses the seismic<br />
performance of structures. Prof Xiong’s team<br />
introduced a structure system known as FaM<br />
(Fire and Movement), which is a hybrid building<br />
system that combines modular wood boxes<br />
with a concrete frame-and-core structure.<br />
This system allows for the incorporation of<br />
modular units, which can be constructed<br />
off-site using light wood frame, mass timber, or<br />
glue-laminated timber (glulam) post and beam<br />
structures, and placed on the concrete slab.<br />
The main concrete structure serves as the<br />
primary load-bearing element, supporting<br />
the overall structural weight. It possesses<br />
high stiffness in the vertical direction to carry<br />
the load and exhibits seismic resistance in the<br />
horizontal direction.<br />
The substructure provides load-bearing<br />
capacity and seismic resistance for the modular<br />
units themselves. A unique feature of the FaM<br />
system is the incorporation of a concrete floor<br />
slab with a concrete core on every third floor.<br />
This design ensures compliance with fire<br />
protection requirements and enables safe<br />
evacuation in high-rise wooden structures,<br />
as claimed by Canada Wood China. By<br />
implementing this approach, the FaM system<br />
not only enhances fire safety but also<br />
reduces the cost of fire protection in wooden<br />
constructions.<br />
The FaM system aims to provide a promising<br />
solution for achieving efficient, sustainable,<br />
and adaptable construction practices in various<br />
architectural projects.<br />
The team behind developing FaM (Image: Canada<br />
Wood China)<br />
Canada Wood China reported that the modular<br />
CLT structure performed “exceptionally”<br />
under the shaking table tests, especially<br />
when combined with new energy dissipating<br />
connectors. The modular CLT structures used<br />
in the test were constructed using Canadian<br />
lumber.<br />
Under varying seismic loads with different<br />
spectral characteristics, the system exceeded<br />
the team’s preset goals. The successful test<br />
showcased the structural integrity and stability<br />
of the modular CLT design, highlighting<br />
its potential for widespread adoption in<br />
seismic-prone regions. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
METSÄ GROUP TO EXPAND KERTO<br />
LVL PRODUCTION WITH NEW<br />
MILL IN ÄÄNEKOSKI, FINLAND<br />
Metsä Group has announced plans to build a<br />
new Kerto laminated veneer lumber (LVL) mill in<br />
Äänekoski, Finland, for the production of beam<br />
and panel products used in the construction<br />
industry.<br />
The value of the investment is €300m, and the<br />
mill is expected to begin production in late 2026.<br />
The mill’s annual production capacity is<br />
approximately 160,000m 3 , which represents a<br />
50% increase in the company’s total Kerto LVL<br />
capacity. Kerto LVL production primarily serves<br />
the construction industry in the European market.<br />
The new mill will use around 400,000m 3 of log<br />
procured from Finland. It will be on the Äänekoski<br />
integrated mill site, which harnesses synergies<br />
such as energy production, logistics and mill<br />
services.<br />
The integrated mills can reportedly utilise 100%<br />
of the side streams produced in the production<br />
of Kerto LVL, producing the maximum possible<br />
added value from the valuable raw material.<br />
Furthermore, the new mill will have a direct<br />
employment impact of around 150 new jobs.<br />
It will also add some 200 person-years to its<br />
direct value chain. The employment impact<br />
of the construction phase is estimated to be<br />
approximately 1,000 person-years.<br />
Kerto LVL is a construction material which<br />
combines material efficiency with the high added<br />
value of wood. Its technical performance makes<br />
it suitable for versatile construction uses such as<br />
elements and modular construction.<br />
“Most of the carbon footprint of construction<br />
comes from the building materials. The<br />
construction industry is now seeking more<br />
sustainable alternatives, so we are seeing<br />
growing interest in construction material based<br />
on renewable raw materials,” said Jaakko Anttila,<br />
executive vice-president, Metsä Wood.<br />
“Thanks to its material efficiency, Kerto LVL is<br />
a competitive and sustainable solution for the<br />
increasing use of wood in construction.”<br />
Metsä Group currently produces Kerto LVL<br />
products in Lohja and Punkaharju in Finland. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
An illustration of Äänekoski Kerto LVL mill<br />
(Image: Metsä Group)<br />
8 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
NEWS<br />
RAUTE RECEIVES €44.6M ORDER TO FRANCE<br />
Raute Corporation has signed a contract worth<br />
€44.6m with the Thebault Group in France for<br />
the technology delivery of a new greenfield<br />
laminated veneer lumber (LVL) production plant.<br />
The plant, which will reportedly be the “first<br />
LVL plant in France”, according to Raute, will<br />
eventually produce 100,000m 3 of LVL, with<br />
this agreed delivery covering a first phase at<br />
70,000m 3 .<br />
The order for Raute’s technology includes all the<br />
production processes from veneer peeling to<br />
LVL billet handling, including extensive service<br />
package. The lines are a complete solution<br />
compiled of the latest most automated<br />
R7-Series technologies.<br />
The ordered machinery and equipment<br />
will be delivered during 2024. They will be<br />
manufactured at Raute’s production units<br />
in Lahti and Kajaani in Finland, and in the<br />
company’s partnership network.<br />
This new plant, which will be in full operation<br />
in 2026, is part of Thebault’s development<br />
to extend its offering particularly to the<br />
construction industry. Driven by a fast-growing<br />
market, this French production of engineered<br />
wood products will expand the offer of<br />
bio-sourced materials contributing to the<br />
decarbonisation of the building sector.<br />
“Thebault is our long-term customer, and<br />
we are very pleased to continue our close<br />
partnership with them on this new project,” said<br />
Mika Saariaho, president and CEO of Raute.<br />
“Raute is committed to provide its latest<br />
innovations and complete end-to-end expertise<br />
How the new production plant might look like<br />
(Image: Raute)<br />
to build a new world-class LVL plant for<br />
Thebault.”<br />
The family-owned Thebault Group produces<br />
125,000m 3 of plywood annually in France,<br />
making almost 50% of the total domestic<br />
plywood production. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 9
NEWS<br />
LEITZ PRESENTS SYMPOSIUM ON<br />
TIMBER CONSTRUCTION<br />
Christian Straubinger from Taglieber<br />
Holzbau went in a similar direction.<br />
For the engineer, the use of wood is<br />
essential for environmental protection.<br />
In contrast to the climate killer cement<br />
material, wood is not a disposable<br />
product.<br />
Wood also actively contributes to the<br />
thermal insulation and energy efficiency<br />
of a building. This makes building<br />
materials such as foams unnecessary.<br />
According to Straubinger, the<br />
enveloping surface of buildings plays<br />
a decisive role in people’s wellbeing.<br />
In wooden buildings, people have a<br />
different sense of temperature and<br />
a more emotional connection to the<br />
building — in other words, a much more<br />
“species-appropriate” life.<br />
Entrepreneur Markus Derix introduced<br />
circular timber construction. This is<br />
a circular economy in which certain<br />
The speakers that<br />
touched on insights<br />
into modern timber<br />
construction<br />
At this year’s Leitz Symposium in<br />
Oberkochen municipality in Germany,<br />
the focus was on topics relating to<br />
modern timber construction.<br />
Industry and science speakers<br />
presented new trends and processing<br />
methods to over 120 guests.<br />
The symposium touched on topics like<br />
strategic timber resource management<br />
and circular timber construction and<br />
roots.<br />
Wood as a renewable construction<br />
material is becoming increasingly<br />
important and has developed into<br />
an innovative and highly attractive<br />
material. The manufacturer of wood<br />
processing tools believes that it is now<br />
important to use the opportunities of<br />
modern timber construction and to<br />
draw more attention to it.<br />
A total of eight speakers presented<br />
possible solutions, current projects,<br />
development trends, machine<br />
concepts as well as tools and<br />
machining strategies at the Leitz<br />
Symposium.<br />
Prof Katja Frühwald-König from the<br />
Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of<br />
Applied Sciences was the first to<br />
speak. For her, wood is the building<br />
material of the future. But not the way<br />
it is currently used.<br />
However, the timber construction<br />
industry must become more<br />
material-efficient, as wood as a raw<br />
material is not infinite. Due to climate<br />
change, it is even necessary to reforest<br />
the domestic forests. Research<br />
on particularly climate-resistant<br />
wood species has therefore gained<br />
enormous importance.<br />
building elements made of wood are<br />
given a second life — meaning to say<br />
they are not thrown away after use,<br />
but are converted for further uses<br />
within existing or new buildings, thus<br />
making timber construction more<br />
resource-friendly.<br />
Prof Dr Jürgen Graf from the Technical<br />
University of Kaiserslautern was the<br />
next speaker, answering how the<br />
construction and dismantling of these<br />
building elements could be carried out<br />
smoothly.<br />
According to him, a simple connection<br />
technology between the components<br />
is elementary for a circularly effective<br />
construction method. In the research<br />
with his team, Prof Graf relied on a<br />
reversible connection with so-called<br />
cone adapters made of pressed<br />
synthetic resin wood.<br />
According to Leitz, the symposium<br />
host also had a hand in this project.<br />
Leitz developed a special cutter for<br />
10 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
NEWS<br />
the millimetre-precise cone milling, which<br />
shortened the machining process by a factor<br />
of 10 compared to conventional routers.<br />
Prof Dr Christina Jeschke from Biberach<br />
University of Applied Sciences explained what<br />
the buildings of the future might look like from<br />
the outside, whether with wood, cork, plaster,<br />
fibre cement, metal or glass.<br />
Twenty storeys are distributed over a height of<br />
72m. The completion of Roots in Hamburg’s<br />
Hafen City is planned for 2024 and will serve<br />
as “a flagship project for modern timber<br />
construction in the future”, according to Leitz.<br />
<strong>WIA</strong><br />
More than 120 guests turned up for the symposium<br />
Using various examples, the professor<br />
presented everything that was possible in<br />
facade design in modern timber construction<br />
and which materials could be used.<br />
For her, a change in thinking is already<br />
necessary in the training of young architects<br />
and designers so that sustainability aspects<br />
such as a circularly effective materials<br />
management are directly considered.<br />
However, she also pointed out that the<br />
weathering of wood could be a challenge in<br />
construction, and therefore it must be planned<br />
for that the wood would change visually over<br />
time.<br />
Luciano Tagliaferri from the Italian machine<br />
manufacturer SCM and Andreas Kisselbach,<br />
head of the R&D department at Leitz and<br />
moderator of the symposium, then introduced<br />
the technical basics of modern timber<br />
construction.<br />
The aim is to eliminate the need for reworking<br />
the individual building elements on the<br />
construction sites. This is made possible, for<br />
example, by modern machine concepts for<br />
six-sided machining of the components and<br />
building elements.<br />
There is now much more to sawing, cutting and<br />
drilling in timber construction than there was a<br />
few years ago. For example, it is about complex<br />
five-axis machining, high-precision drilling in a<br />
short time and modern cutting strategies.<br />
At the end of the symposium, Oliver Fried<br />
from Rubner Holzbau presented on what is<br />
Germany’s tallest wooden high-rise building<br />
as of September <strong>2023</strong>, Roots, though it is still<br />
under construction.<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 11
NEWS<br />
1 2<br />
DESIGN COLLABORATION ‘REIMAGINE’<br />
LAUNCHED AT INDEX MUMBAI<br />
In a press release by the American<br />
Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), five<br />
India architects unveiled their designs<br />
for the traditional jhoola, an Indian<br />
swing seat, at a gala launch at INDEX<br />
Mumbai, which took place at the Jio<br />
World Convention Centre (JWCC) from<br />
26-28 May <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
A design collaboration launched<br />
by AHEC and THINK! Design, the<br />
REIMAGINE project challenged<br />
architects Annkur Khosla, Naresh V<br />
Narasimhan, Prem Nath, Sanjay Puri<br />
and Sonali & Manit Rastogi to recreate<br />
that quintessentially Indian piece of<br />
furniture using American hardwoods.<br />
This is said to be AHEC’s biggest design<br />
collaboration to date in India. The<br />
swings were manufactured by Bram<br />
Woodcrafting Studio, based in Mysore,<br />
and with Melbourne-based designer<br />
Adam Markowitz serving as a mentor<br />
for the project.<br />
Speaking at the launch, Roderick Wiles,<br />
AHEC regional director, said: “Jhoolas,<br />
which were a common sight in many<br />
Indian households, seem to have<br />
fallen out of favour in recent times.<br />
Nonetheless, they continue to have an<br />
allure on account of the memories they<br />
carry.<br />
“For REIMAGINE, the architects were<br />
asked to draw on their childhood<br />
memories of playfulness, their<br />
teenage years of angst and to temper<br />
these with ‘grown-up’ elegance in a<br />
furniture piece for a contemporary<br />
context — a limited edition, legacy<br />
piece made out of American<br />
hardwoods.<br />
“The architects were given the option<br />
to select from three species, be it a<br />
single species or a combination, which<br />
were American cherry, maple and red<br />
oak.”<br />
JHOOLA DESIGNS<br />
According to Annkur Khosla, the<br />
inspiration for her design was the<br />
aspect of weaving and the entire<br />
process involving the warp and weft of<br />
threads. Woodworking at its inherent<br />
level of joinery does not follow this as<br />
a process and the aim was to explode<br />
the limitations of woodworking while<br />
also pushing the limits of the material.<br />
Sanjay Puri’s swing was designed<br />
to look monolithic and fluid<br />
simultaneously with the seat, armrests<br />
and back merging into each other,<br />
creating a sculptural look. While it can<br />
be used as a swing, it is also designed<br />
to appear as an art form.<br />
The design thought and inspiration<br />
behind Sonali Rastogi’s piece was<br />
primarily focused on addressing the<br />
shift in communication caused by the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
With physical distancing measures in<br />
place, the design aimed to create an<br />
opportunity for people to reconnect<br />
with their friends and close mates in<br />
a safe and socially distanced manner.<br />
The swing design was chosen as<br />
it provides a comfortable seating<br />
arrangement that allows individuals<br />
to relax and engage in conversation<br />
while maintaining the necessary<br />
distance.<br />
The form of Naresh Narasimhan’s<br />
swing seat was derived from the<br />
Veena, a popular element in Hindola<br />
Raga paintings. Historically, swings<br />
were often depicted in activities in<br />
Royal palaces in various forms of<br />
Indian miniature paintings. Ragamala<br />
paintings, a form of Indian miniature<br />
paintings, are a set of illustrative<br />
paintings of the Ragamala or ‘Garland<br />
of Ragas’, depicting variations of the<br />
Indian musical modes called ragas.<br />
His swing borrows ideas of<br />
movement, rhythm and asymmetry<br />
from the Ragamala paintings; the<br />
12 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
NEWS<br />
3 4 5<br />
1 Annkur Khosla’s jhoola<br />
2 Sonali Rastogi’s jhoola<br />
3 Naresh Narasimhan’s jhoola<br />
4 Sanjay Puri’s jhoola<br />
5 Prem Nath’s jhoola<br />
intent of the form is to be able to choose the<br />
seating experience on the swing — fun, relaxed<br />
and playful.<br />
For Prem Nath, the Indian swing is a feature<br />
of playful outdoor combination of strings and<br />
a plank hung from the branches of tree or an<br />
ornate piece of indoor furniture, which gives<br />
thrills and gentle joys of swinging motion and<br />
mood.<br />
While thinking of his design and in trying to<br />
reimagine the design for the Indian Swing,<br />
time and again Prem’s answer was that the<br />
Indian Swing must look like an ‘Indian Swing’.<br />
His design has been conceived with neoclassical<br />
features with soft minimal Indian<br />
ornamentation.<br />
The architects were asked to factor in both the<br />
environmental impact and human health and<br />
wellbeing when designing the jhoolas.<br />
While non-wood materials such as metal<br />
for framing and fixtures, glues, resins and<br />
coatings needed to be used, AHEC encouraged<br />
them to consider the environmental impact of<br />
these materials in the overall design. American<br />
hardwoods have a low environmental impact,<br />
and they can act as a carbon store.<br />
WORKING WITH SOLID TIMBER<br />
Commenting on his involvement, Markowitz<br />
said: “Architects by nature of their profession<br />
need to be generalists in a huge range of<br />
areas that comprise the built form, and<br />
as a result often do not have the detailed<br />
knowledge of working with solid timber,<br />
which is a material that has great complexity.<br />
“Solid timber needs to be worked with,<br />
rather than against. When you try to make<br />
timber do something timber does not want to<br />
do, the timber usually wins.<br />
“Manufacturers therefore have a range of<br />
very real-world considerations determining<br />
their decision making. They want to make<br />
things quickly, efficiently and in a way that<br />
means it will hold together for a long time<br />
without any problems.<br />
“However, sometimes the strongest,<br />
most efficient and longest-lasting<br />
solution does not deliver the best design<br />
outcome. Mediating between these two<br />
sometimes polar approaches of design<br />
and manufacturing can be challenging<br />
and requires flexibility and agility on the<br />
part of the designer, and sensitivity and an<br />
understanding of the bigger picture from the<br />
manufacturer.”<br />
Sylvia Khan, founder and creative, THINK!<br />
Design, said: “Curating and executing the<br />
initiative in India has been both exhilarating<br />
and traumatic, wonderful to see the concept<br />
unfold and gain form while undertaking the<br />
activity in the Indian milieu, with its several<br />
attendant challenges. But finally, such a<br />
sense of accomplishment and sheer joy and<br />
pride in what we have managed to pull off,<br />
together.”<br />
“Working with the AHEC team on the<br />
REIMAGINE project has been an absolute<br />
pleasure and a proud moment for the<br />
Bram Woodcrafting Studio team,” added<br />
Bram Rouws, founder and director, Bram<br />
Woodcrafting Studio.<br />
“To have indirectly worked on these five<br />
beautiful designs, it was amazing to see the<br />
final product come together, and we are<br />
proud of what we had achieved.”<br />
“With REIMAGINE, our goal was to engage<br />
the A+D community and the public at large in<br />
the appreciation of sustainable hardwoods,<br />
of which the US is a leading supplier,” Wiles<br />
commented.<br />
“Bringing together the creativity of some of<br />
India’s most eminent architects, we wanted<br />
to showcase the beauty of their work and the<br />
loveliness and immense capabilities of the<br />
hardwoods that have been used.”<br />
AHEC would also like to acknowledge Abenaki<br />
Timber Corporation and Costaawoods for<br />
providing the American hardwood lumber<br />
needed for the project. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 13
BIG PICTURE<br />
Performing<br />
with wood<br />
14 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – 2022 <strong>2023</strong>
BIG PICTURE<br />
Be it for musical, dance, or theatrical performances, theatres and its<br />
cousins, auditoriums and halls, must be durable, acoustically sound,<br />
beautiful, and in some cases, sophisticated. How can wood rise up<br />
to the occasion and serve all these purposes?<br />
Image: Adam Scott<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2– <strong>2023</strong> 15
BIG PICTURE<br />
1<br />
A new<br />
lease of life<br />
PROJECT: The Mercury Store<br />
ARCHITECTS: CO Adaptive Architecture<br />
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS:<br />
ADOF Structural Engineers<br />
ACOUSTIC DESIGNERS: Charcoal Blue<br />
SPRUNG-WOOD FLOORING CONSULTANT<br />
AND FABRICATOR: Hudson Scenic<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY: Naho Kubota<br />
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY:<br />
CO Adaptive<br />
Brooklyn-based architectural practice<br />
CO Adaptive Architecture has transformed a<br />
12,700sqft former metal foundry, previously<br />
used as offices, into The Mercury Store, a new,<br />
light-filled developmental space for theatre<br />
artists. This adaptive reuse project updates<br />
and opens the original double A-frame,<br />
timber-and-brick building by repurposing<br />
removed elements as the basis for new<br />
architectural features.<br />
Wood is the project’s dominant material:<br />
Old longleaf pine timber was reconstituted<br />
while new insertions were made from crosslaminated<br />
timber (CLT) which has a negative<br />
carbon footprint compared to carbon emitting<br />
materials like steel and concrete, therefore<br />
meeting CO Adaptive’s low-carbon design<br />
commitment. The project represents what<br />
is said to be the first use of CLT on a fully<br />
commercial building in New York City when it<br />
was completed in 2022.<br />
“This is the first project in New York City to use<br />
mass timber to transform an adaptive reuse<br />
building, and we hope it will lead by example,<br />
exemplifying the capacity of mass timber to<br />
simultaneously reduce our embodied carbon<br />
and reinvigorate our ageing building stock,”<br />
said CO Adaptive co-principal Ruth Mandl.<br />
CO Adaptive began the project soon after<br />
the client, The Mercury Store, purchased<br />
the building in 2017. Dating to 1902 and<br />
located in Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal district,<br />
it had three previous lives: First, as the Royal<br />
Metal Furniture Company foundry; next, as a<br />
warehouse and storage facility; and prior to<br />
this renovation, as highly compartmentalised<br />
art studios and office space. Historically home<br />
to heavy industry, Gowanus district is currently<br />
undergoing a transformation catalysed by<br />
remediation efforts and substantial rezoning<br />
that allows for denser residential, commercial,<br />
and cultural sites.<br />
“Within the context of this evolving<br />
neighbourhood, our clients engaged us to<br />
design a space for creative expression through<br />
the sensitive transformation of a century-old<br />
building that recalls the community’s past,”<br />
said CO Adaptive co-principal Bobby Johnston.<br />
With this, CO Adaptive set out to restore<br />
the character of the heavy timber building,<br />
exposing and honouring its substantial wood<br />
trusses and reinforcing the double A-frame,<br />
while also adapting the building to meet the<br />
new programme. After years as an industrial<br />
and studio space, the building interior was<br />
highly compartmentalised and repairs<br />
were neglected. In response, the architects<br />
transformed it into an interconnected,<br />
spacious, and flexible environment for theatre<br />
rehearsals and performances.<br />
16 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
BIG PICTURE<br />
2<br />
3<br />
1 The architects set out to restore the character of<br />
the heavy timber building, exposing and honouring<br />
its substantial wood trusses and reinforcing the<br />
double A-frame<br />
2 The architects transformed The Mercury<br />
Store into an interconnected, spacious, and<br />
flexible environment for theatre rehearsals and<br />
performances<br />
3 Old longleaf pine timber was reconstituted while<br />
new insertions were made from CLT<br />
4 New bleachers provide a central gathering and<br />
circulation zone that connects the main assembly<br />
space and breakout rooms to the upper level<br />
5 Removed wood joists were reinserted as railing<br />
posts framing the bleacher opening<br />
warmth of real wood, but also wanted to avoid<br />
replacing it in the case of a big flood event,”<br />
explained Mandl.<br />
4<br />
“The new space has really fired people’s<br />
imaginations. It is a beautiful, practical,<br />
intentional space and it inspires, I hope, the<br />
artists to respond in the exact same way,” said<br />
Will Frears, director of The Mercury Store. New<br />
aluminium exterior cladding blends in with<br />
the industrial neighbourhood, while a new,<br />
unobtrusive entrance was carved in from the<br />
side alley, rather than the street-facing front.<br />
Additionally, new exterior insulation was<br />
applied to allow the interior exposure of<br />
existing brick walls, heavy timber trusses, and<br />
roof joists — all rich with decades of industrial<br />
patina — therefore reducing the need for<br />
additional interior materials and finishes.<br />
“Insulating the building from the exterior<br />
allowed us to expose the existing materials’<br />
warmth, texture, and history of use; we<br />
even left intact the construction spray paint<br />
annotations on the exposed brick walls,” said<br />
Mandl. “This decision also reduced the need for<br />
interior finishes — like drywall and paint — that<br />
a project of this scale would typically require.”<br />
Across the interior, previously subdivided<br />
spaces were opened up and existing windows,<br />
5<br />
skylights, and clerestory were replaced or<br />
restored, permitting sunlight to penetrate all<br />
corners of the large square footprint. In an<br />
essential gesture, the existing ground floor<br />
of one half of the building was removed to<br />
create a lofty, double-height assembly space<br />
for theatrical rehearsals and performances.<br />
Exposed bricks bookend this area, while<br />
substantial floor-to ceiling accordion doors<br />
fold unobtrusively into one side at the room’s<br />
centre, available to bifurcate the space as<br />
needed.<br />
Responding to the project’s low-lying site and<br />
potential flood events, new demountable,<br />
sprung-wood flooring was installed across the<br />
main performance space, which lies a storey<br />
below grade. Designed collaboratively with<br />
Broadway set company Hudson Scenic, the<br />
system can be disassembled and relocated<br />
to higher ground by lifting the finish layer to<br />
access a puzzle of removable 3ft-by-6ft panels.<br />
“Because of the type of movement — dance,<br />
performance — happening in that space, it<br />
was important for the system to be a proper<br />
sprung-wood floor. The clients wanted the<br />
On the other half of the building, new<br />
bleachers provided a central gathering and<br />
circulation zone that connects the main<br />
assembly space and breakout rooms to the<br />
upper level, where two additional smaller<br />
studios and an administrative area complete<br />
the programme. Here, a new CLT floor<br />
structure with glue-laminated timber (glulam)<br />
columns and girders replaced existing joists<br />
and subfloor, allowing for large column spans,<br />
an open layout, and the existing heavy timber<br />
trusses to remain unaltered and exposed.<br />
Removed wood joists were reinserted as<br />
railing posts framing the bleacher opening,<br />
and an orange metal door, repurposed from<br />
a different area of the original building, hung<br />
from a new track separating the administrative<br />
offices from the main entry and circulation<br />
space. Above, two new skylights punched into<br />
the roof and created floods of natural light.<br />
Overall, the project exemplifies CO Adaptive’s<br />
commitment to low-carbon design thinking in<br />
three ways: first, in the evolution of existing<br />
building stock to support an innovative new<br />
use, simultaneously reducing demolition<br />
waste and engaging with the history of<br />
the site; second, in leveraging low-carbon<br />
alternatives to standard construction<br />
practices, with the application of CLT, in<br />
the required structural insertions; finally, in<br />
repurposing removed building materials to<br />
create architectural features, while minimising<br />
the use of virgin materials.<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2– <strong>2023</strong> 17
BIG PICTURE<br />
Blending in with the natural world<br />
Image: David Jensen<br />
PROJECT: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre<br />
LOCATION: London, UK<br />
ARCHITECTS: Haworth Tompkins Architects<br />
MASS TIMBER CONSTRUCTION: Eurban<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY: Haworth Tompkins<br />
TEXT: PEFC<br />
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in<br />
London, UK has used cross-laminated<br />
timber (CLT) certified by the<br />
Programme for the Endorsement of<br />
Forest Certification (PEFC) to provide<br />
a stunning series of sustainable<br />
buildings.<br />
Opened in the 1930s, the Regent’s<br />
Park Open Air Theatre undertook a<br />
redevelopment project in 2012, using<br />
CLT for a series of buildings designed<br />
by Haworth Tompkins Architects and<br />
erected by Eurban.<br />
A new backstage area was built,<br />
comprising an office block, dressing<br />
rooms, wardrobe area and workshops.<br />
At the front of the building, there was a<br />
new box office and sheltered seating<br />
canopy.<br />
In 2018, Reed Watts Architects<br />
brought Eurban back onboard to<br />
deliver a new two-storey building<br />
located in a very sensitive site within<br />
the royal park and conservation<br />
area. The new building provides<br />
480m 2 of rehearsal, catering and<br />
administration space.<br />
The specification of solid timber<br />
as the superstructure is a key<br />
part of the success of the design.<br />
CLT was specified not only for its<br />
wider environmental credentials,<br />
its aesthetic potential and its light<br />
weight, but also for its speed of<br />
18 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
BIG PICTURE<br />
1 2<br />
1 A language of planted trellises and<br />
woven hazel facades was used to merge<br />
architecture and natural landscape<br />
into a single, seamless environment<br />
2 CLT was specified for its wider<br />
environmental credentials, aesthetic<br />
potential, light weight, and its speed of<br />
assembly<br />
3 The new box office<br />
Images: Philip Vile<br />
3<br />
assembly. Using CLT allowed for<br />
construction within the six-month<br />
window between theatre seasons.<br />
Aesthetically, a language of planted<br />
trellises and woven hazel facades<br />
was used to merge architecture<br />
and natural landscape into a single,<br />
seamless environment, according to<br />
the architects.<br />
“Using a combination of unfinished<br />
and dark-stained larch for the external<br />
skins, the structures are already<br />
growing back into the landscape<br />
that envelops them,” said Haworth<br />
Tompkins Architects. “Throughout<br />
this long working relationship with<br />
successive artistic directors, the aim<br />
has been to support the growing<br />
theatrical capacity of the organisation<br />
while preserving the magical sense of<br />
entering a secret world at the centre of<br />
the London’s most elegant park.”<br />
A SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL<br />
AND CONSTRUCTION<br />
METHOD<br />
The CLT was manufactured in Austria<br />
by wood products manufacturer Stora<br />
Enso using spruce grown in sustainably<br />
managed forests. The glue-laminated<br />
timber (glulam) was manufactured<br />
by wood products supplier Pabst in a<br />
factory located close to Stora Enso.<br />
All the material used was certified<br />
by the PEFC, and a total of 130m 3 of<br />
solid timber was used in the walls,<br />
floors and roof of the building. According<br />
to PEFC, it takes seven minutes for this<br />
volume of timber to be replenished by the<br />
sustainably managed Austrian forests.<br />
Ninety-five tonnes of CO2 were removed<br />
from the atmosphere when the trees were<br />
growing and will be stored in the structure<br />
over its lifetime.<br />
For the duration of the assembly of the<br />
solid timber structure, a crane was used to<br />
offload and distribute the materials around<br />
the site. CLT and glulam were offloaded<br />
directly from lorries into position. With<br />
fewer deliveries coming to site there is<br />
improved safety at the site access as well<br />
as reduced pollution in the surrounding<br />
roads, further proof of the benefits of this<br />
offsite method of construction.<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2– <strong>2023</strong> 19
BIG PICTURE<br />
Delivering ideal acoustics and warmth<br />
PROJECT: The Royal Academy of Music<br />
ARCHITECTS: ritchie*studio<br />
LOCATION: London, UK<br />
ACOUSTICS DESIGNER: Arup Acoustics<br />
WOOD FURNISHINGS: James Johnson<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY: Adam Scott<br />
The Royal Academy of Music unveiled its new<br />
and transformed spaces in 2018: The Susie<br />
Sainsbury Theatre, the Angela Burgess Recital<br />
Hall, five new percussion studios, jazz room and<br />
audiovisual control room, and 14 refurbished<br />
practice and dressing rooms.<br />
Hidden behind the listed facade of the Royal<br />
Academy of Music’s Edwardian premises,<br />
surrounded by Grade I- and Grade II-listed<br />
buildings and located within the Regent’s Park<br />
conservation area, two distinct performance<br />
spaces have been designed by ritchie*studio and<br />
seamlessly integrated within the historic site.<br />
Designed for both opera and musical theatre<br />
productions, the Susie Sainsbury Theatre<br />
sits at the heart of the Academy. Inspired by<br />
the curved shapes of string instruments,<br />
the 309-seat cherry-lined theatre has been<br />
acoustically refined to deliver excellent sound<br />
qualities.<br />
According to Ian Ritchie, founder of<br />
ritchie*studio, part of the studio’s research<br />
included “conceptual investigations exploring<br />
the nature of the human voice and how the<br />
warmth of wood could be exploited through<br />
understanding the design and manufacture<br />
of stringed instruments”. 1 For instance, the<br />
insides of a violin, when flooded by light,<br />
inspired spatial and interior ideas for the<br />
theatre and recital hall. More technically,<br />
wood was used to “tune the spaces and adjust<br />
sound reflection and diffusion by varying the<br />
walls’ surface depth and profile”.<br />
20 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
BIG PICTURE<br />
The lighting of the Susie Sainsbury Theatre<br />
deconstructs the traditional chandelier into an<br />
exploding theatre-wide galaxy of light through<br />
600 fibre-optic crystals. Within the old concrete<br />
walls, the theatre incorporates 40% more<br />
seating than previously through the addition of a<br />
balcony, as well as a larger orchestra pit, a stage<br />
wing and a fly tower. All seats have unimpeded<br />
views of the stage, while the larger orchestra pit<br />
allows for an expanded repertoire choice, from<br />
early to modern opera and musical theatre.<br />
Above the theatre, and acoustically isolated<br />
from it and all other buildings, the new<br />
100-seat Angela Burgess Recital Hall provides<br />
the Academy with a further 230m 2 space for<br />
recording, public concerts and masterclasses.<br />
Entirely lined in pale, lime-washed oak, an<br />
oculus floods the room with daylight and<br />
provides the space with a central focus. The<br />
recital hall has a footprint as large as that of the<br />
main stage, providing an ideal rehearsal space.<br />
Enhancing the Academy’s circulation routes<br />
and creating a visual and physical link between<br />
the old and new buildings is the recital hall’s<br />
new glazed lobby, which is primarily accessed<br />
from the main stairway dating from 1911, and<br />
by a glazed lift. The new light wells reveal the<br />
previously concealed Grade II rear facade,<br />
in which bricked-up windows have been<br />
reopened improving the ambience of many<br />
practice rooms.<br />
1 2<br />
These beautiful and acoustically amazing<br />
spaces can be accessed independently and,<br />
together with the existing David Josefowitz<br />
Recital Hall and Duke’s Hall, complete a<br />
suite of facilities for the Academy’s student<br />
body and teaching staff and for public<br />
performances.<br />
“The spaces are stunningly beautiful, acoustically<br />
brilliant and inspiring. They will raise the bar and<br />
challenge the students and staff in every possible<br />
form of music to reach higher and search further,”<br />
said Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, principal, Royal<br />
Academy of Music.<br />
References<br />
1. ritchie*studio. The Architectural Historian Issue 12, 2021.<br />
<br />
1 The oak-lined Angela Burgess Recital Hall<br />
2 The oculus floods the room with light<br />
3 Cherry-lined walls of the theatre to deliver<br />
ideal acoustic qualities<br />
3<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2– <strong>2023</strong> 21
BIG PICTURE<br />
1<br />
1 The Arena Stage Theatre<br />
2 According to WoodWorks, the Cradle — a<br />
smaller theatre space within Arena Stage<br />
— was made with a poplar wood slat<br />
2<br />
system, designed “like a basket weave” 3<br />
Wood: A standout,<br />
cost-effective material<br />
PROJECT: Arena Stage Theatre<br />
ARCHITECTS: Bing Thom Architects<br />
(now Revery Architecture)<br />
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Clark Construction<br />
DESIGN-BUILDER OF FACADE: StructureCraft<br />
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Fast + Epp<br />
LOCATION: Washington, DC, US<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY: Nic Lehoux<br />
In the sea of concrete and granite<br />
that people have come to expect from<br />
buildings in Washington, DC, a new<br />
structure showcasing wood stands out.<br />
When Arena Stage at the Mead Center<br />
for American Theater reopened in<br />
2010, it was reportedly the first<br />
modern structure then to use heavy<br />
timber components in the US capital,<br />
according to StructureCraft, who<br />
designed and built the feature facade<br />
out of elliptically-turned parallel strand<br />
lumber (parallam) columns and glazing<br />
22 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
BIG PICTURE<br />
members. It was also said to be the<br />
first project in the US to use an efficient<br />
hybrid wood and glass enclosure to<br />
envelop two existing structures.<br />
Parallam is made by bonding together<br />
“thin strands of wood” like southern<br />
pine, yellow poplar, Douglas fir or<br />
western hemlock that are “typically<br />
4-8ft-long”, and offers good connection<br />
strength and ductility due to its<br />
uniformity, not prone to splitting failures<br />
at connections like sawn timber or<br />
glue-laminated timber. 1 It also has<br />
strong insect resistance.<br />
The custom timber structure supports<br />
a 650ft-long curved cable-suspended<br />
glazed facade. Each of the 18 massive<br />
elliptically-turned parallam columns<br />
are tipped with a custom-shaped<br />
350lb, or approximately 159kg,<br />
casting and tilted at 4° from vertical<br />
axis. The 50-60ft-high columns not<br />
only support the suspended array of<br />
parallam glazing members, but also a<br />
500ft-long steel roof structure with 90ft<br />
cantilever. According to a statement<br />
by the architect, the parallam columns<br />
“have an elliptical shape to reduce their<br />
visual impact and are spaced 36ft apart<br />
so that the building still feels quite<br />
transparent”. 2<br />
3<br />
Although the timber-backed glass<br />
facade supporting a steel roof was a<br />
complex design, the decision to use<br />
wood was an easy one. “Like most arts<br />
projects, especially non-profits like the<br />
Arena Stage, the budget was very tight,”<br />
said Michael Heeney, a key member<br />
of the architectural team, Bing Thom<br />
Architects of Vancouver, Canada (now<br />
Revery Architecture). “We did not have<br />
money for finishes, so the structure had<br />
to be beautiful, and wood made perfect<br />
sense. Yet in the end, wood ended up<br />
doing triple duty. We used it to hold up<br />
the roof; we also used it to hold up the<br />
glass; and it provided the final finish for<br />
the space. Wood was very cost-effective<br />
in all three respects.” <strong>WIA</strong><br />
References<br />
1. StructureCraft. Parallel strand lumber. <br />
2. Arena Stage. Architect’s statement. <br />
3. WoodWorks. Arena Stage – Innovative hybrid<br />
structure in DC. <br />
4 5<br />
3 Wood was used to hold up the roof, to hold<br />
up the glass, and to provide the final finish<br />
for the space<br />
4 Eighteen massive elliptically-turned<br />
parallam columns that support the glass<br />
structure<br />
5 The 50-60ft-high columns not only support<br />
the suspended array of parallam glazing<br />
members, but also a 500ft-long steel roof<br />
structure with 90ft cantilever<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2– <strong>2023</strong> 23
MARKET REPORT<br />
CLT market to reach<br />
US$2.6bn by 2028:<br />
MarketsandMarkets<br />
According to a report by<br />
MarketsandMarkets Research, the<br />
size of the global cross-laminated<br />
timber (CLT) market is projected<br />
to grow from US$1.4bn in <strong>2023</strong><br />
to $2.6bn by 2028 at a CAGR<br />
of 13.7%. 1 The rapid growth of<br />
the housing and construction<br />
sector, increasing GDP, growing<br />
urbanisation, and increasing<br />
disposable income across the world<br />
will reportedly drive the CLT market.<br />
This market can be divided into five<br />
key regions: North America, Europe,<br />
Asia-Pacific, the Middle East &<br />
Africa, and South America. The US<br />
and Canada, among other countries,<br />
are leading the CLT market globally.<br />
ADHESIVE-BONDED CLT<br />
SEGMENT<br />
The production of CLT can be<br />
characterised by two types:<br />
adhesive-bonded or mechanically<br />
fastened CLT. Among these two, the<br />
use of structural adhesives or glues<br />
has been one of the “most significant<br />
technological advances” in modern<br />
engineered wood building, according<br />
to the report. These chemical bonding<br />
agents have assisted in the formation<br />
of structural goods that have low mass,<br />
high tensile strength, and minimum<br />
expansion and contraction owing to<br />
moisture retention. The adhesives used<br />
for bonding engineered wood have<br />
diverse chemical properties and are<br />
chosen depending on the end product’s<br />
specific needs. It has also become the<br />
standard for CLT and laminated veneer<br />
lumber (LVL) manufacturing.<br />
NON-RESIDENTIAL SEGMENT<br />
CLT has been used in the non-residential<br />
sector due to several advantages. It can<br />
be used not only as load-bearing panels<br />
for walls, floors, and roofs, but also for<br />
shear walls. CLT is structurally viable<br />
and can result in faster, less expensive<br />
projects that ultimately enhance the<br />
tenant experience.<br />
Additionally, CLT is a sustainable building<br />
material that can store carbon during<br />
the building’s lifetime and even capture<br />
24 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
ATTRACTIVE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CROSS<br />
ATTRACTIVE LAMINATED TIMBER OPPORTUNITIES MARKET IN THE CROSS<br />
LAMINATED TIMBER MARKET<br />
MARKET REPORT<br />
additional carbon. The report states<br />
that because of CLT’s advantages in<br />
design and how it follows environmental<br />
requirements required in the office,<br />
public, institution and hotel segments,<br />
the non-residential building segment<br />
provides major prospects for CLT.<br />
All in all, using CLT in constructing<br />
non-residential buildings can reduce<br />
construction time and cost, all while<br />
providing structural integrity, sustainable<br />
credentials, and aesthetic satisfaction.<br />
EUROPE<br />
The major drivers for this market are<br />
the increase in awareness regarding<br />
the importance of CLT, as well as the<br />
rising industrialisation in the region<br />
after the economic slowdown. The<br />
European region has the highest<br />
number of manufacturers of CLT and<br />
is currently leading in production due<br />
to the presence of manufacturers<br />
such as Mayr-Melnhof Holz. Due to the<br />
adoption of strategies such as mergers<br />
and acquisitions and investments and<br />
acquisitions, further advancements in<br />
the market are expected.<br />
CLT itself has been in use for decades,<br />
particularly in this region. It is used<br />
by wood lovers to build single-family<br />
homes, as well as multi-storey,<br />
large-volume timber projects, according<br />
to MarketsandMarkets. Interest in the<br />
material is surging along with concern<br />
about the greenhouse gas emissions<br />
associated with concrete and steel.<br />
The production of construction<br />
materials such as steel, cement, and<br />
glass accounts for 10% of global<br />
energy-related CO2 emissions,<br />
according to a United Nations report.<br />
CLT and other engineered wood<br />
products, on the other hand, can<br />
improve the environment in three ways:<br />
Trees collect and store carbon as they<br />
develop; long-lived wood products lock<br />
in carbon; and these goods may be<br />
utilised in many circumstances instead<br />
of high-impact materials like concrete.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
EUROPE<br />
Source: MarketsandMarkets<br />
EUROPE<br />
HIGHEST<br />
CAGR (<strong>2023</strong>-2029)<br />
Source: MarketsandMarkets<br />
AUSTRIA<br />
FASTEST-GROWING<br />
MARKET IN THE REGION<br />
CHALLENGES<br />
However, the overall CLT market has<br />
been impacted by the Russia-Ukraine<br />
war. Consequences of this conflict have<br />
been faced by all sectors, especially<br />
the construction sector. Due to a lack<br />
of labour and a hampered supply<br />
chain of raw materials, the CLT market<br />
saw a downward trend in this period.<br />
Consumers also stopped buying goods,<br />
which led to a decrease in demand<br />
and the manufacturers shutting down<br />
factories in response.<br />
More generically speaking, CLT also<br />
has a limited number of end-use<br />
industries, and each of them has<br />
different regulations for the use<br />
of these timbers, according to the<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
BY END USE<br />
<strong>2023</strong> (USD MILLION)<br />
DRIVING FACTORS<br />
FOR GROWTH IN<br />
EUROPE<br />
Structural<br />
Non-Structural<br />
report. Manufacturers cannot alter<br />
the specifications of the CLT panel<br />
to comply with these regulations.<br />
Almost the same quality products<br />
are being provided to each of these<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
• Increased investments in building and construction<br />
• Presence of well-established and prominent manufacturers of<br />
cross laminated timber<br />
industries by different manufacturers.<br />
As such, there is no scope for product<br />
differentiation in the CLT market,<br />
which hinders the growth of the<br />
market globally. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
References:<br />
1. MarketsandMarkets. Cross laminated<br />
timber market by type (adhesive bonded, and<br />
mechanically fastened), industry (residential, and<br />
non-residential), end use (structural, and nonstructural),<br />
and region (North America, Europe,<br />
APAC, South America, MEA) - Global Forecast to<br />
2028. <br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 25
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
Building green:<br />
Meeting the demand for<br />
sustainable solutions with<br />
sustainable design<br />
For a building to be sustainable, one must take into consideration all<br />
aspects of construction — from material choice and procurement,<br />
transportation, to location and design. Liza Morales, a designer<br />
specialised in sustainable design solutions, speaks about the<br />
importance and benefits of green architecture.<br />
By Yap Shi Quan<br />
What does sustainable design mean<br />
to you, and why do you think green<br />
architecture is important?<br />
Liza Morales: According to the<br />
Global Alliance for Buildings and<br />
Construction, the construction and<br />
operation of buildings is responsible<br />
for approximately 40% of global<br />
energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG)<br />
emissions. This includes emissions<br />
associated with the production and<br />
transportation of building materials,<br />
as well as the energy used for heating,<br />
cooling, and lighting buildings.<br />
In addition, the International<br />
Energy Agency reports that the<br />
building sector is the largest energy<br />
consumer in the world, accounting<br />
for approximately 32% of global<br />
final energy consumption. This<br />
consumption contributes significantly<br />
to GHG emissions, as the majority of<br />
the world’s energy is still generated<br />
from fossil fuels. The United Nations<br />
Environment Programme estimates<br />
that by 2060, the world’s building stock<br />
is expected to double, and therefore,<br />
emissions from buildings are projected<br />
to continue rising unless significant<br />
action is taken.<br />
Green architecture is important for<br />
the reasons stated above. Building<br />
more sustainable buildings can<br />
help reduce the carbon footprint of<br />
buildings and mitigate their impact<br />
on the environment. Second, green<br />
architecture can improve the health<br />
and wellbeing of people who use<br />
buildings by providing better indoor<br />
air quality, natural light, and access to<br />
nature. Finally, it can have economic<br />
benefits, such as lower energy costs<br />
and increased property values.<br />
Tell us about your career — what<br />
challenges have you faced,<br />
particularly as a Filipino woman<br />
architect in a men-dominated<br />
industry and foreign environment?<br />
Morales: The industry has long been<br />
dominated by men, and it is often<br />
challenging for women architects<br />
Liza Morales,<br />
designer and founder of<br />
Ecotecture Design Studio<br />
26 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
to be taken seriously and gain equal<br />
opportunities and recognition.<br />
One of the significant challenges I faced<br />
was breaking through cultural and<br />
societal expectations that often limited<br />
women’s roles in the construction<br />
industry. As a woman, I had to work<br />
extra hard to prove my worth and<br />
expertise, particularly to clients who<br />
were not used to working with female<br />
architects.<br />
Another challenge was balancing<br />
work and family responsibilities. As<br />
a working mother, I had to find a way<br />
to manage my time effectively to<br />
meet the demands of my career while<br />
also ensuring I spent enough time<br />
with my family. It was particularly<br />
challenging given the long hours and<br />
high-pressure nature of the industry.<br />
I also faced challenges in getting my<br />
ideas and designs accepted by my<br />
male colleagues and clients; I had to<br />
be assertive in presenting my ideas<br />
and ensure that my voice was heard in<br />
meetings and discussions.<br />
1<br />
However, despite these challenges,<br />
I persevered and established myself<br />
as a talented architect with a unique<br />
perspective on design and construction.<br />
Through determination, hard work,<br />
and talent, I was able to gain respect<br />
and recognition in the industry, paving<br />
the way for other women architects<br />
to follow in my footsteps. I hope to<br />
serve as an inspiration to young women<br />
architects in the Philippines and<br />
beyond, showing that with dedication<br />
and perseverance, it is possible to<br />
achieve success in a male-dominated<br />
industry.<br />
Why did you and your design studio,<br />
Ecotecture, decide to expand to<br />
Singapore? What business and design<br />
possibilities do you see in Asia-Pacific?<br />
Morales: First, Singapore has a growing<br />
demand for sustainable design solutions<br />
due to its limited land area, high<br />
2<br />
population density, and vulnerability<br />
to climate change. As a result, there<br />
are significant opportunities for<br />
sustainable design practitioners to<br />
make a meaningful impact here and<br />
contribute to a more sustainable future.<br />
Second, Singapore has set ambitious<br />
sustainability targets, such as reducing<br />
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,<br />
increasing renewable energy use,<br />
and improving energy efficiency. The<br />
government has implemented policies<br />
and initiatives to support these targets,<br />
providing incentives for businesses<br />
and individuals to adopt sustainable<br />
practices. This creates an environment<br />
conducive to sustainable design<br />
practices and presents a significant<br />
opportunity for designers to contribute<br />
to Singapore’s sustainability efforts.<br />
Third, there is a growing awareness and<br />
demand for sustainable design solutions<br />
among consumers and businesses in<br />
Singapore. Consumers are becoming<br />
more conscious of their environmental<br />
impact and are increasingly seeking<br />
products and services that align with<br />
their values. Businesses are also<br />
1 A restaurant in<br />
the San Vincente<br />
resort in Palawan,<br />
the Philippines<br />
2 The interior<br />
design of JB<br />
Music & Sports<br />
Flagship store in<br />
Mandaluyong<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 27
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
recognising the economic benefits<br />
of sustainable practices, such as<br />
cost savings and improved brand<br />
reputation. This presents a significant<br />
market opportunity for designers<br />
like myself who can offer sustainable<br />
design solutions that meet the growing<br />
demand for sustainable products and<br />
services.<br />
What is the relationship between<br />
sustainability, creativity and artistry<br />
in architecture, and how does your<br />
creativity feed into green designs and<br />
vice-versa?<br />
Morales: Sustainable design requires<br />
creative and innovative solutions<br />
that integrate technical and aesthetic<br />
considerations while also addressing<br />
the social and cultural context of<br />
the project. All in all, creativity and<br />
artistry in architecture are essential<br />
to develop sustainable solutions that<br />
respond to the unique challenges<br />
and opportunities of each project<br />
and create buildings that are both<br />
functional and aesthetically pleasing,<br />
while also engaging people and<br />
contributing to the social and cultural<br />
fabric of the community.<br />
A brief look at your projects reveals<br />
you use a lot of wood in your designs.<br />
What about wood attracts you? What<br />
is the role of wood and wood-based<br />
materials in green architecture?<br />
Morales: I use a lot of bamboo in my<br />
projects for numerous reasons. First,<br />
bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable<br />
resource that can be harvested<br />
without damaging the environment.<br />
Unlike hardwood trees that take<br />
decades to mature, bamboo is one<br />
of the fastest-growing plants in the<br />
world, growing up to 91cm or 35in<br />
per day, and it can be harvested every<br />
3-5 years, thus making it a highly<br />
renewable resource. Additionally,<br />
it can grow in diverse climates, not<br />
requiring fertilisers, pesticides,<br />
or irrigation, which reduce its<br />
environmental impact.<br />
Second, bamboo is a durable and<br />
versatile material that can be used<br />
in various applications. Bamboo is<br />
stronger than many hardwoods, and<br />
it has a tensile strength that rivals<br />
steel. This makes it an ideal material<br />
for use in flooring, furniture, and other<br />
interior and architectural applications.<br />
Additionally, it can be processed<br />
into a variety of shapes, sizes, and<br />
textures, making it a versatile material<br />
that can be used in a range of design<br />
applications.<br />
Third, using bamboo in interior and<br />
architectural design can help reduce<br />
carbon emissions. It absorbs more<br />
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere<br />
than most trees and plants, making<br />
it an effective carbon sink. Using it in<br />
design applications helps sequester<br />
carbon from the atmosphere and<br />
reduce the carbon footprint of the<br />
project.<br />
What do you think is necessary for<br />
sustainable architecture in the long<br />
run? Do you think purely using woodbased<br />
materials is enough?<br />
Morales: Using wood and wood-based<br />
materials can be a sustainable option<br />
for architecture, but it should not be<br />
the only solution. While wood is a<br />
renewable resource and has a lower<br />
carbon footprint than some other<br />
materials, it is important to consider<br />
the source of the wood and ensure that<br />
it is harvested responsibly. Additionally,<br />
there are limitations to using wood,<br />
such as its susceptibility to fire, which<br />
can impact its suitability for some<br />
building types and locations.<br />
Therefore, sustainable architecture in<br />
the long run requires a multi-faceted<br />
approach that considers environmental,<br />
social, and economic factors and<br />
incorporates a range of eco-friendly<br />
materials and techniques to create<br />
buildings that are both functional and<br />
environmentally responsible.<br />
Use of eco-friendly materials:<br />
It is crucial to use eco-friendly<br />
materials that have minimal negative<br />
impact on the environment. This<br />
includes materials that are renewable,<br />
non-toxic, and energy-efficient.<br />
Energy efficiency:<br />
Buildings should be designed to use<br />
minimal energy by incorporating<br />
features such as passive solar design,<br />
efficient lighting, and insulation.<br />
Water conservation:<br />
Buildings should be designed to<br />
conserve water by incorporating<br />
features such as low-flow fixtures,<br />
rainwater harvesting, and greywater<br />
systems.<br />
Site selection:<br />
Site selection is an essential aspect of<br />
sustainable architecture. It is important<br />
to choose sites that are already<br />
developed or are located in areas with<br />
access to public transportation.<br />
Green spaces:<br />
Sustainable architecture should also<br />
prioritise the creation of green spaces<br />
that promote biodiversity and enhance<br />
the health and wellbeing of people and<br />
the environment. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
The Tagaytay<br />
Weekend Home<br />
in Alfonso Cavite<br />
municipality<br />
28 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
Embracing nature<br />
in the city: The rise<br />
of wooden structures in<br />
urban landscapes<br />
By Sorelle Henricus, PhD<br />
For centuries, architecture has<br />
looked to nature for inspiration, from<br />
the stalactite-styled designs in the<br />
Alhambra to the nature-mimicking<br />
structure of Delhi’s Lotus Temple. But<br />
today, imitating nature is not enough.<br />
The climate crisis is looming larger,<br />
and it is time to rethink how humans<br />
and nature interact. Architects are<br />
no longer asked to create buildings<br />
that simply resemble nature. The<br />
challenge now is to design structures<br />
that engage and interact with the<br />
natural world around them.<br />
Around the globe, architects are<br />
rediscovering the beauty of building<br />
with wood. It is used everywhere,<br />
from homes and schools to hotels,<br />
theatres, and supermarkets. There<br />
is something comforting about wood<br />
— maybe it reminds of time spent<br />
outdoors, surrounded by nature.<br />
Are architects turning to wood to<br />
bring nature-inspired peace and<br />
rejuvenation back into everyday<br />
spaces?<br />
Triodos Bank’s new office in the<br />
Netherlands, blended with its<br />
surroundings, is an example of<br />
large-scale timber construction.<br />
The brainchild of architect Thomas<br />
Rau, this building was awarded the<br />
international BREEAM award in<br />
the commercial-post construction<br />
category. It was brought to life by<br />
EDGE Technologies and Triodos<br />
Bank, with design expertise from<br />
Ex Interiors and landscape architects<br />
Arcadis. Construction company JP<br />
van Eesteren joined forces with<br />
Derix Group, a timber manufacturer,<br />
to create the building’s wooden<br />
heart. This involved using 3,200m 2<br />
of cross-laminated timber (CLT) for<br />
the walls and 1,700m 2 of CLT for the<br />
floors. With a technique known as<br />
triple finger jointing, they crafted a<br />
structural framework made entirely<br />
of timber — a testament to wood’s<br />
creative and sustainable potential<br />
in construction.* The buildings of<br />
the Triodos Bank’s new office are<br />
designed with mindfulness for their<br />
natural surroundings. They are<br />
crafted to fit in rather than stand<br />
out. The construction matches the<br />
height of the local trees — a design<br />
choice made to avoid disturbing the<br />
flight pattern of bats in the area.<br />
These buildings’ interiors deepen<br />
the connection with the surrounding<br />
De Reehorst estate. Built from<br />
sustainable materials, the design<br />
incorporated 2,000m 3 of timber<br />
certified by Programme for the<br />
Endorsement of Forest Certification<br />
(PEFC). The buildings made use of<br />
glass to draw in natural light, which<br />
floods into the heart of the structure,<br />
creating a sense of openness. The<br />
The inside of Gaia has exposed timber and large windows to create an inviting space<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 29
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
spacious rooms, teamed with<br />
exposed laminated timber trusses,<br />
cores, and floors, make for a contrast<br />
against the building’s muted colour<br />
palette, showcasing its timbercentric<br />
construction. It is a space<br />
designed to spark interaction and<br />
engagement between employees,<br />
visitors, and the public.<br />
A collaborative study between Stora<br />
Enso and the Technical University<br />
of Munich uncovered the health and<br />
wellness perks of wooden interiors.<br />
The survey, spanning multiple<br />
research areas, discovered that<br />
wood does wonders for stress levels<br />
and productivity.* Findings showed<br />
that being in a wooden environment<br />
helps lower cortisol, a major stress<br />
hormone and students were found<br />
to be less anxious in classrooms<br />
made of wood. Additionally, wood<br />
has many practical benefits. It<br />
maintains the right humidity levels,<br />
which can reduce allergens and<br />
limit the spread of bacteria and<br />
viruses. Coronaviruses were found<br />
to survive for a shorter time on<br />
wooden surfaces than on other<br />
common materials.* To further<br />
inspire research in this field,<br />
Sebastian Hernandez, building<br />
concepts manager at Stora Enso<br />
wood products, said: “[While<br />
underappreciated], building with<br />
wood [lowers] environmental<br />
impact — CO2 emissions can<br />
be reduced by up to 75% when<br />
compared to traditional processes<br />
with concrete and steel.”*<br />
1<br />
The PEFC safeguards forests<br />
by providing evidence of<br />
sustainable forest management<br />
through certification. It enables<br />
forest owners and managers to<br />
demonstrate the sustainable<br />
practices they apply in the forest<br />
meet both current and future<br />
generations’ needs. As the demand<br />
for certified forest products for<br />
2<br />
building grows, PEFC is exploring<br />
how the benefits of forests and wood<br />
in construction are linked. In a recent<br />
dialogue with PEFC, Juan Villarroel,<br />
CEO of the Forestry Association<br />
of Navarra, shared how engaging<br />
with forests can stimulate rural<br />
employment and create sustainable<br />
jobs centred around forest care and<br />
management. He proposed that the<br />
closeness to these lush landscapes<br />
can cultivate the environmental<br />
responsibility crucial for preserving<br />
vital ecosystems.*<br />
30 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
These effects have been the basis<br />
for the practice of shinrin-yoku, or<br />
forest bathing, a concept the Japan<br />
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and<br />
Fisheries introduced in 1982. The<br />
idea is simple: intentionally spend<br />
time in forests to soak up positive<br />
effects. Researchers have begun<br />
to quantify the benefits of forest<br />
bathing to inform evidence-based<br />
medicine as being in a forest setting<br />
can lower stress hormones, slow<br />
heart rate, decrease blood pressure,<br />
and improve our overall mental<br />
wellbeing.* These health benefits<br />
add to the reasons to protect natural<br />
environments and continue to build<br />
sustainable ways for the future.<br />
PEFC added that wood, when<br />
responsibly sourced, is an<br />
extraordinary building material. It<br />
is quick to work with, beautifies any<br />
project, and does not require as<br />
much energy to produce as concrete,<br />
steel, cement, or glass. It is good<br />
for the environment and for people.<br />
Due to its ability to regulate heat<br />
and humidity, wooden buildings<br />
often need less artificial temperature<br />
control, making them comfortable<br />
places to be while also being kind to<br />
the planet.*<br />
Earlier this year, Gaia, a zero-energy<br />
mass timber building spanning 220m,<br />
was unveiled at Nanyang Technological<br />
University (NTU), Singapore with<br />
the goal of bringing people closer to<br />
nature. This PEFC-certified project<br />
was said to be the largest mass timber<br />
3<br />
building in Asia, which was the<br />
result of a partnership between RSP<br />
Architects and Toyo Ito. Its design<br />
used a modular timber frame system<br />
which meant that most components<br />
can be made off-site, speeding up the<br />
construction process and reducing<br />
the number of workers needed. Gaia<br />
is the eighth NTU campus project to<br />
be honoured with the Green Mark<br />
Platinum for zero energy. In a year,<br />
it emits about 2,500 fewer tonnes<br />
1 The brainchild of<br />
architect Thomas<br />
Rau is Triodos<br />
Bank new office in<br />
the Netherlands<br />
2 The buildings<br />
of the Triodos<br />
Bank new office<br />
are designed<br />
to fit in, rather<br />
than stand out,<br />
from the natural<br />
surroundings<br />
3 Gaia is a<br />
zero-energy mass<br />
timber building<br />
spanning 220m<br />
unveiled at NTU,<br />
Singapore<br />
4 PEFC-certified<br />
CLT and glulam<br />
were used for<br />
the beams and<br />
columns of Gaia<br />
5 Glazed skylights<br />
add a touch of<br />
nature indoors<br />
4 5<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 31
SUSTAINABILITY<br />
of CO2 than a typical building. Its<br />
rooftop is decked out with solar<br />
panels, creating roughly 516,000kWh<br />
of clean energy annually. Its<br />
construction strategy used CLT for<br />
slabs and glue-laminated timber<br />
(glulam) for beams and columns.<br />
These materials supplied by Stora<br />
Enso are PEFC-certified. The inside of<br />
the building has exposed timber and<br />
large windows to create an inviting<br />
space. Glazed skylights add a touch<br />
of nature indoors. As NTU president,<br />
Prof Ho Teck Hua put it, “The building<br />
was designed to connect humans to<br />
their natural surroundings. Students<br />
and faculty benefit from the open<br />
spaces for study and collaboration.”*<br />
H10, a commercial real estate brand<br />
in Japan, has opened its latest<br />
building which taps into the natural<br />
appeal of wood. The H10 Umedia<br />
Chayamachi unveiled in Osaka in<br />
April, marks Nomura Real Estate<br />
Development’s third venture into<br />
this field. This building soars to 38m,<br />
offering over 2,187m 2 of floor space.<br />
Its extensive use of timber — on<br />
the first and second floors and in<br />
the building’s columns and beams<br />
— makes it stand out. Sumitomo<br />
Forestry provided these components,<br />
ensuring they met the Sustainable<br />
Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC),<br />
or PEFC Japan, chain-of-custody<br />
(CoC) standards, meaning that every<br />
piece of forest-based material used<br />
in the building can be traced back<br />
to its origins. As a result, the project<br />
has gained a PEFC CoC certification,<br />
the highest possible accreditation<br />
in this domain. With the objective<br />
of combining wellness at work with<br />
sustainable building practices, the<br />
building specifications met Japanese<br />
green building and energy rating<br />
schemes which satisfied design and<br />
performance standards, including<br />
Comprehensive Assessment System<br />
for Built Environment Efficiency<br />
(CASBEE) and Building Efficiency<br />
Labelling System (BELS). H10<br />
Chayamachi is curating tactile<br />
spaces for customers to get closer<br />
to nature to replicate the results<br />
of surveys showing increased<br />
happiness, productivity and<br />
creativity in greener office spaces.*<br />
Scientific research has begun to<br />
confirm that we can bring many<br />
of these benefits into our daily<br />
spaces by using materials close to<br />
their natural state, such as wood.<br />
While no building could replace the<br />
natural environment, the materials<br />
that create living spaces are at<br />
the core of our lives. Connecting<br />
closely to nature is the mission of<br />
biophilic architecture — a design<br />
principle that aims to connect the<br />
natural world by incorporating<br />
elements of nature.* As philosopher<br />
of architecture Gaston Bachelard<br />
suggests, each space inhabited for<br />
a notable length of time has a touch<br />
of home about it.<br />
As resources become increasingly<br />
limited, progressive cities are<br />
strengthening ties with nature.<br />
Biophilic Cities — a network of cities<br />
joined in the mission to infuse urban<br />
landscapes with more nature —<br />
champions the cause of integrating<br />
natural elements to improve urban<br />
living. Thirty cities are working<br />
towards a future where the health<br />
and wellbeing of city-dwellers are<br />
intertwined with practices that<br />
nurture and sustain both people and<br />
the environment.<br />
These buildings show how — with<br />
certification and design approaches<br />
— wooden construction can be<br />
sustainably accomplished to help us<br />
reconnect with nature. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
Images for Gaia: Don Tan, Tan Hui Qin,<br />
and Eileen Tan<br />
Images for Triodos Bank: Bert Rietberg voor J.P.<br />
van Eesteren<br />
*References are available upon request<br />
“PEFC added that wood,<br />
when responsibly sourced,<br />
is an extraordinary building<br />
material. It is quick to work<br />
with, beautifies any project,<br />
and does not require as much<br />
energy to produce as concrete,<br />
steel, cement, or glass. It is good<br />
for the environment and for the<br />
people.”<br />
Sorelle Henricus<br />
PhD<br />
32 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY<br />
Re-emerge pavilion:<br />
A collaboration between<br />
AA and Hassell<br />
In a collaboration at the heart of<br />
London’s Bedford Square, the Emergent<br />
Technologies and Design (EmTech)<br />
post-graduate programme at the<br />
Architectural Association (AA) joined<br />
forces with international architecture<br />
firm Hassell to create timber pavilion<br />
titled Re-Emerge.<br />
The EmTech post-graduate programme<br />
at the AA has a history in designing<br />
and creating structures and pavilions.<br />
And in 2021, this pavilion marked the<br />
first time since the pandemic that<br />
students could work together, fabricate<br />
and assemble a full-scale structure,<br />
according to Hassell.<br />
The Re-Emerge pavilion explores new<br />
design and construction technologies<br />
that repurpose materials which have<br />
completed their first lifecycle towards<br />
structural formations. The project<br />
addresses themes of generative design,<br />
material computation, large-scale<br />
fabrication and assembly technologies,<br />
emphasising the pavilion’s ecological<br />
impact from the early<br />
phases of the<br />
design process<br />
onwards.<br />
For this collaboration, Hassell<br />
gave the students the challenge<br />
to keep the carbon footprint of the<br />
project to a minimum and only use<br />
reclaimed timber.<br />
Xavier Kestelier, one of the heads<br />
of design at Hassell, said, “The<br />
students took on the challenge<br />
and decided early on to build<br />
the pavilion out of timber from<br />
reclaimed wooden pallets.”<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 33
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY<br />
Re-emerge revives the tradition of<br />
building on Bedford Square as a<br />
collaboration between an academic<br />
programme at the AA and partners from<br />
the world of practice, to test ideas at<br />
scale and imagine new possibilities.<br />
Dr Elif Erdine, director of the EmTech<br />
programme, said, “This collaboration<br />
with Hassell demonstrates an<br />
illustration of how academia and<br />
practice can come together to discover<br />
novel solutions to spatial and material<br />
problems. With the support of other<br />
sponsors, BuroHappold Engineering<br />
and One Click, EmTech and Hassell<br />
explored new design and construction<br />
technologies for repurposing timber.”<br />
1<br />
She added, “As designers, architects,<br />
and engineers, we share the<br />
responsibility to maintain a mindful<br />
approach towards our environment<br />
while designing and building. Our<br />
mutual insight into how construction<br />
waste can be a resource has originated<br />
this research into repurposing timber<br />
for an outdoor structure that is<br />
lightweight, emphasising the project’s<br />
ecological impact from the early phases<br />
of the design process.”<br />
CONSTRUCTION WASTE IS<br />
USEFUL<br />
Wood is said to be inherently the best<br />
bio-fabricated and biodegradable<br />
material. It is renewable, resilient, and<br />
lasts for a long time. When a timber<br />
building is demolished after decades,<br />
it does not produce useless waste, but<br />
instead, generates reclaimed wood that<br />
can be reused and repurposed in other<br />
applications after disassembly, hence<br />
becoming part of the circular economy.<br />
Re-Emerge is created with Grade A<br />
reclaimed wood pallets, one of the<br />
most abundant reused timber elements<br />
in the architecture, engineering and<br />
construction (AEC) industry. Reclaimed<br />
timber pallets generally end up in<br />
landfill or burnt as fuel. Instead,<br />
their structural and morphological<br />
2<br />
capacities are explored and exploited<br />
in Re-Emerge. Reclaimed pallets have<br />
been collected from various timber<br />
recycling facilities in and outside<br />
London.<br />
Kestelier said, “For the last decades<br />
architects have focused on performance<br />
of buildings and minimising operational<br />
carbon in buildings. With the need to<br />
tackle climate change more urgently,<br />
we also need to look at embodied<br />
carbon. Re-Emerge was a great way for<br />
the students to start embedding this<br />
approach in their design.”<br />
STRUCTURE<br />
The structural system for Re-Emerge<br />
is comprised of volumetric timber<br />
diamond-shaped modules that are<br />
created by scoring and kerfing wood<br />
pallets. The diamond modules are<br />
organised into structural ribs, which are<br />
then assembled with lap joints, thereby<br />
diminishing the need for secondary<br />
materials in the joinery system. The<br />
system is said to sustain loads in<br />
vertical and horizontal arrangements.<br />
COMPLEXITY ARISES FROM<br />
SIMPLICITY<br />
“In this project we aimed to explore<br />
how complexity can arise from<br />
simplicity. This was adopted by the<br />
variable aggregation of similar modules<br />
that are formed by scoring and steambending.<br />
A further ambition of the<br />
project was to diminish the need for<br />
34 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY<br />
secondary materials in the joinery<br />
system, and this decision has led us to<br />
work with lap joinery throughout the<br />
structure,” said Dr Erdine.<br />
ENVIRONMENTAL ATTITUDE<br />
IS MAINTAINED IN ITS<br />
FABRICATION AND<br />
INSTALLMENT<br />
Lifecycle assessment (LCA) of the<br />
reclaimed timber planks employed for<br />
the construction highlights information<br />
for the preliminary design phase.<br />
Analysis of most plywood types used<br />
for external construction versus solid<br />
timber planks demonstrates that CO2<br />
emissions of plywood are higher than<br />
solid planks during the preparation<br />
stage.<br />
Dr Milad Showkatbakhsh, studio master<br />
at EmTech, said, “The employment<br />
of LCA in computational workflows<br />
as a design driver has enabled us to<br />
take into consideration CO2 emissions<br />
associated with the material itself, its<br />
origins, and transportation to site.”<br />
Eleana Polychronaki, studio tutor at<br />
EmTech, added, “There is also an<br />
app for visitors of the pavilion. The<br />
augmented reality (AR) app allows<br />
users to find out about the LCA of the<br />
pavilion, information on its design<br />
and fabrication processes, as well as<br />
various visualisation options, including<br />
a scaled AR projection of the pavilion.<br />
The app also shows the story of the<br />
reclaimed timber that is used for<br />
construction, where it came from, and<br />
what its first lifecycle was.”<br />
THIRD LIFE<br />
At the end of its second lifecycle,<br />
Re-Emerge will be disassembled. Part<br />
of the pavilion will be erected in the<br />
Hassell offices in London and part<br />
of it will be send back to the timber<br />
recycling facilities where it<br />
was resourced from. The ambition<br />
of Re-Emerge is to create a dialogue<br />
between the local timber industry and<br />
its by-products, and to demonstrate<br />
to the world that timber architecture<br />
can be created with construction<br />
waste, while maintaining a mindful<br />
approach towards our environment.<br />
The pavilion is open to the public on<br />
the corner of Bedford Square opposite<br />
AA until 25 Nov <strong>2023</strong>. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
1 Reclaimed timber pallets’ structural and morphological<br />
capacities are explored and exploited in Re-Emerge<br />
2 The structural system is comprised of volumetric timber<br />
diamond-shaped modules that are created by scoring and<br />
kerfing wood pallets<br />
3 For this collaboration, Hassell gave the students the challenge<br />
to keep the carbon footprint of the project to a minimum and<br />
only use reclaimed timber<br />
4 The Re-Emerge pavilion explores new design and construction<br />
technologies that repurpose materials which have completed<br />
their first lifecycle towards structural formations<br />
3 4<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 35
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY<br />
Canadian wood elevates<br />
Nativ restaurant’s design in<br />
Pune,<br />
India<br />
Concept by<br />
Spaces and Objects<br />
We Experience<br />
(SOWE) showcases<br />
the impact of<br />
Canadian wood<br />
species in the<br />
transformation<br />
of Pune-based<br />
restaurant.<br />
1<br />
Nativ Restaurant — located in Pune’s<br />
suburb of Baner, India — underwent a<br />
transformation under the expertise of<br />
architects Shamna and Wojciech Stranc<br />
from Concept by SOWE, an international<br />
multidisciplinary design studio. This<br />
project showcased the integration of<br />
architecture, interior design, product<br />
design, and landscape design which<br />
resulted in a dining experience<br />
with Canadian wood products from<br />
British Columbia (BC) to elevate the<br />
restaurant’s ambience and aesthetic<br />
appeal.<br />
1<br />
Choosing the right materials was crucial<br />
to bring the architects’ vision to life,<br />
and sustainably harvested Canadian<br />
wood products emerged as the natural<br />
choice. Having worked with Canadian<br />
36 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY<br />
wood species from BC before, Shamna and<br />
Wojciech were familiar with its durability,<br />
sustainability, and aesthetic appeal. The design<br />
team collaborated with Canadian Wood India,<br />
benefitting from their expertise on different<br />
species and their applications.<br />
Canadian Wood India promotes BC, Canada’s<br />
wood products from sustainably managed<br />
forests. Working with the wood sector across<br />
India, the team educates about BC wood<br />
products through seminars, exhibitions,<br />
networking events and product trials.<br />
Douglas fir was selected for a variety of<br />
applications throughout the restaurant,<br />
including interior fittings, dining tables, chairs,<br />
and a staircase. The warm ambiance created<br />
by these solid wood elements added a touch of<br />
sophistication to the space, elevating the dining<br />
experience for the patrons. Douglas fir, known<br />
for its workability, has strength properties.<br />
The wood is said to dry rapidly with small<br />
dimensional movement and little tendency to<br />
split or crack. Due to its strength, Douglas fir is<br />
regularly used for building and construction with<br />
manufacturing applications including general<br />
millwork such as doors, windows, flooring,<br />
furniture, and cabinets. 1<br />
2<br />
1 The project<br />
demonstrates the<br />
advantages of<br />
biophilic design<br />
2 This is a dining<br />
experience with<br />
Canadian wood<br />
products from<br />
BC to elevate<br />
the restaurant’s<br />
ambience and<br />
aesthetic<br />
3 Douglas fir was<br />
selected for a variety<br />
of applications<br />
throughout the<br />
restaurant, including<br />
interior fittings, dining<br />
tables, chairs, and a<br />
staircase<br />
4 The Nativ restaurant<br />
exemplified the<br />
beauty of wood in<br />
interior design and<br />
architecture<br />
The outcome of the project is said to have<br />
exceeded expectations, with the furniture<br />
design and manufacturing quality garnering<br />
praise. The result blended creativity, innovation,<br />
and craftsmanship. The use of Douglas fir<br />
showcased its durability and highlighted its<br />
contribution to sustainable design practices.<br />
The project demonstrates the advantages<br />
of biophilic design, with the use of natural<br />
materials and plant features for an environment<br />
that feels healthy, relaxing, and creative.<br />
3<br />
The Nativ restaurant exemplified the beauty<br />
of wood in interior design and architecture,<br />
standing as a testament to the impact that wood<br />
can have on a space, setting the stage for future<br />
collaborations and design innovations. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
References<br />
1. Canadian wood. Douglas fir. <br />
Images: Assad Dadan<br />
4<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 37
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY<br />
Driving down<br />
the cost of entry<br />
into mass timber<br />
design<br />
Inefficient methods and insufficient education on<br />
mass timber design are making inexperienced<br />
engineers hesitant at building with mass timber<br />
elements like cross-laminated timber (CLT). Mass<br />
timber design software CLT Toolbox aims to eliminate<br />
the barriers to entry, as explained by Adam Jones,<br />
CEO and founder of the software company.<br />
By Yap Shi Quan<br />
1<br />
make timber design easier than with<br />
concrete or steel. In doing so, we are<br />
releasing major design bottlenecks to<br />
accelerate the adoption of mass timber<br />
in Australia, New Zealand, and gradually,<br />
the rest of the world.<br />
What are the features in the software,<br />
how exactly do they automate complex<br />
structural design computations for<br />
timber buildings?<br />
Jones: CLT Toolbox aims to be a<br />
one-stop shop for staying up to date with<br />
the evolving field of mass timber design<br />
with CLT design software. We bring<br />
together best-practice resources from<br />
around the world, and our calculations<br />
are third-party reviewed by timber<br />
specialists to ensure their accuracy.<br />
The software follows a rigorous review<br />
process to ensure the accuracy of the<br />
computations.<br />
Furthermore, the major requests from<br />
all engineers are for automated mass<br />
timber design software not to be a<br />
black box. Transparency is considered<br />
paramount given engineers are not<br />
taught at university. Engineers can follow<br />
the calculation processes and follow<br />
relevant references from the globe. CLT<br />
Toolbox also offers the ability to assign<br />
and discuss tasks, and hence engineers<br />
do not need to work in isolation. The<br />
platform also includes real-time supply<br />
chain data that can help engineers and<br />
fabricators to make informed decisions<br />
about the materials they use and the<br />
manufacturing process.<br />
What exactly does CLT Toolbox try to<br />
achieve?<br />
Adam Jones: Both the public<br />
and private sectors are making<br />
commitments on embodied carbon<br />
reduction targets. Mass timber is<br />
the logical alternative to traditional<br />
materials like concrete and steel and<br />
procurement methods. However, it is<br />
just too hard; there are several barriers<br />
to entry.<br />
CLT Toolbox aims to provide the<br />
infrastructure the industry needs to<br />
At the moment, CLT Toolbox has been<br />
released in Australia and New Zealand,<br />
but plans to be released to Europe<br />
shortly after. We will also be building<br />
the North American design codes<br />
into the software for a US release in<br />
mid-late 2024. We are currently building<br />
partnerships and relationships with the<br />
suppliers, who can also benefit from<br />
having the design infrastructure we are<br />
building in place. As such, we are acting<br />
as a conduit, being live software, to pass<br />
38 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY<br />
on real-time information about section<br />
size and grades availability.<br />
Can you elaborate on the kinds of<br />
barriers to entry for sustainable and<br />
mass timber design?<br />
Jones: When an engineer faces the<br />
question, do I choose concrete, steel<br />
or mass timber, there are different<br />
paths.<br />
The status quo is easy and simple<br />
because it is taught at universities and<br />
everyone is doing it, and you will not<br />
look silly in a meeting.<br />
Mass timber currently, conversely, is<br />
arduous. At the moment, engineers<br />
are building excel spreadsheets<br />
to complete their designs, but<br />
spreadsheets are inefficient for<br />
multiple reasons: First, every<br />
engineering firm is building the exact<br />
same spreadsheets, thus reinventing<br />
the wheel; second, spreadsheets<br />
have a big chance of being incorrect<br />
for engineers designing their first<br />
time; third, mass timber is an evolving<br />
field which makes all previous<br />
spreadsheets redundant; and lastly,<br />
spreadsheets are not a web-based<br />
app, and hence cannot be directly<br />
linked to the supply chain’s availability.<br />
As such, CLT Toolbox replaces the<br />
need to build excel spreadsheets for a<br />
building’s design. Rather than starting<br />
from scratch, engineers can build off<br />
the computation routines offered in<br />
the software.<br />
The software also aims to provide<br />
the education that has been missing<br />
in universities. I once wrote a white<br />
paper on this problem space, called<br />
“Addressing major bottlenecks for the<br />
adoption of timber in the emerging<br />
mid-rise market”. The finding was<br />
that engineers are spending about<br />
500 unpaid hours on their first mass<br />
timber jobs. This is the time spent<br />
learning mass timber design, building<br />
internal design spreadsheets, or<br />
learning the nuances of mass timber<br />
structural analysis.<br />
This defined the market problem CLT<br />
Toolbox is trying to solve, as it looks<br />
to drive down the cost of entry for<br />
engineering firms looking to design<br />
sustainably. The software is not a<br />
black box, so engineers can educate<br />
themselves alongside completing their<br />
first mass timber designs.<br />
Can you also elaborate on what the<br />
product roadmap for CLT Toolbox is?<br />
Jones: There is an evolving ecosystem<br />
in software for a fully automated<br />
stack. Part of this evolving ecosystem<br />
is parametric 3D tools that eventually<br />
plan to provide the design file utopian<br />
software stack. CLT Toolbox provides<br />
the mathematical infrastructure, with<br />
plans to use an application programme<br />
interface to plug into other software<br />
solutions. The software plans to be the<br />
best in the world at solving this specific<br />
problem for the design community.<br />
In your opinion, what do you<br />
think is necessary to make the<br />
built environment industry more<br />
sustainable?<br />
Jones: Global warming is one of the<br />
world’s major problems that can<br />
be solved through innovation and<br />
technology. Although the bounds of the<br />
future are inherently uncertain, we can<br />
maximise the potential of a positive<br />
future if we act proactively today.<br />
We plan to be a key part of the jigsaw<br />
puzzle that eliminates embodied<br />
carbon from the built environment for<br />
the betterment of humanity. But it is not<br />
easy. Operational energy can be solved<br />
with the sun — which is roughly 1,000<br />
times the size of Earth — whereas<br />
embodied carbon can be solved only<br />
with one times of Earth. Therefore, it is<br />
an order of magnitude more difficult.<br />
It is reported that the building and<br />
construction sector accounts for<br />
approximately 39% of global CO2<br />
emissions. Embodied carbon emissions<br />
from concrete and steel production<br />
contribute roughly 8-11% of total<br />
global CO2 emissions. This is in fact<br />
more than the cars on our roads.<br />
The construction industry therefore<br />
needs significant innovation. Mass<br />
timber can only represent a portion<br />
of the solution. Innovation needs to<br />
occur across concrete, such as with<br />
geopolymer cements, or steel with<br />
hydrogen used for virgin steel, to have<br />
a serious shot at the problem. CLT<br />
Toolbox plans to elevate all materials<br />
that contribute to our mission onto the<br />
software over time. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
What a page of the<br />
CLT Toolbox software<br />
looks like<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 39
ENGINEERED WOOD<br />
TurboHawk<br />
mini-finger<br />
cutterhead:<br />
Flexible and<br />
quality CLT<br />
production<br />
The new generation of the Leitz TurboHawk mini-finger cutterhead for flat<br />
joints is suitable for use at speeds up to 6,000 rpm (Image: Leitz)<br />
Faster, higher, stronger: The new generation of the TurboHawk<br />
mini-finger jointing head from Leitz aims to achieve this motto,<br />
helping solid wood processors of cross-laminated timber (CLT)<br />
manufacturers to increase their productivity in the production<br />
process while ensuring sustainable production with its<br />
marathon-coated cutting edges.<br />
Increasingly powerful machine<br />
systems need the right tool for<br />
the job. When producing finger<br />
joints on a CLT panel, for example,<br />
users can increase the feed rate by<br />
increasing the number of teeth on<br />
the cutterheads, thus maximising<br />
the potential of said finger jointing<br />
machines. Furthermore, to ensure<br />
an ideal end product, the profiling<br />
should be flexible, the cutting of good<br />
quality, and the fitting accurate.<br />
To meet these requirements,<br />
manufacturer of wood processing<br />
tools Leitz has optimised the<br />
new generation of its TurboHawk<br />
mini-finger cutterheads. Increasing<br />
the speed suitability to 6,000<br />
revolutions per minute (rpm)<br />
was the primary objective when<br />
upgrading the TurboHawk,<br />
according to Leitz. With 14 teeth,<br />
users can also use the system in<br />
high-performance systems and thus<br />
increase their productivity in the<br />
overall production. In spite of this<br />
increase in performance, the cutting<br />
quality does not suffer at all; with<br />
its accurate profile precision, the<br />
TurboHawk can mill precisely fitting<br />
workpiece joints and also avoid<br />
troublesome finger breakages.<br />
To achieve this, Leitz engineers<br />
have developed the ideal balance<br />
between toughness and hardness<br />
of the cutting materials used by<br />
mixing high-performance highspeed<br />
steel and coated steel.<br />
The TurboHawk also allows for<br />
the processing of different wood<br />
thicknesses or species. Here, for<br />
example, CLT manufacturers can still<br />
be flexible due to the safe and simple<br />
changing of the knives. Each knife<br />
can be replaced individually and the<br />
marathon-coated cutting edges have<br />
a larger resharpening zone compared<br />
to the knives of conventional tools.<br />
This increases the tool life of the<br />
machines by four-fold compared<br />
to machines with Leitz’s standard HS<br />
mini-finger cutters. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
40 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
ENGINEERED WOOD<br />
Everything done right<br />
from an early stage<br />
Bachhof resort (Image:<br />
werbeFOTO HAASZ)<br />
For years, Haas Fertigbau has actively diversified in many fields of<br />
prefabricated timber construction in apartment construction.<br />
By Dr Joachim Mohr<br />
Haas Fertigbau — based in Falkenberg,<br />
Bavaria, Germany — started constructing<br />
apartments in the 2000s. Despite<br />
a slump in detached house market<br />
occurred last year, the company had<br />
alternative business areas to tap into.<br />
The construction of detached and<br />
semi-detached houses accounted<br />
for 60% of the annual turnover of<br />
Haas group, which totalled €250m<br />
in 2022. The remaining 40% annual<br />
turnover was generated by commercial<br />
construction, which was divided into<br />
areas of industrial and commercial<br />
construction, apartment construction<br />
which is currently experiencing the<br />
strongest growth, and the construction<br />
of agricultural buildings. Its managing<br />
director Xaver Haas said that the<br />
company is focusing on building “what<br />
it can and what makes sense” — that<br />
is, residential buildings with up to four<br />
stories that are energy-efficient and<br />
sustainable turnkeys.<br />
APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION<br />
ALLEVIATED THE EFFECTS<br />
OF THE DETACHED HOUSE<br />
CRISIS<br />
Both areas of apartment construction<br />
are on the rise and, in 2022, they<br />
helped to partially compensate for the<br />
slump in detached house construction<br />
— which amounted 30% for Haas. This<br />
development did not hit the prefabricated<br />
timber house company as hard as some<br />
competitors for other reasons too.<br />
For example, only half of the total<br />
700 prefabricated houses are built<br />
in Germany. The rest are produced in<br />
Großwilfersdorf, Austria, with some<br />
being sold in Austria, and some to the<br />
Czech Republic via a sales office in<br />
Prague. The decline in detached house<br />
construction was less severe in both of<br />
these countries compared to Germany.<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 41
ENGINEERED WOOD<br />
Nevertheless, the company still<br />
ensured that incoming orders did<br />
not stall in Falkenberg. The quality of<br />
products helped the company, with<br />
target groups that were interested<br />
in energy efficiency, sustainability,<br />
ecology and smart home technology.<br />
Against this background, QNG<br />
certification meant that public funding<br />
could be offered to those interested in<br />
construction through interest rebates,<br />
which was attractive given the current<br />
interest rates. This helped in the field<br />
of apartment construction when the<br />
detached house market reached its<br />
peak.<br />
1<br />
1 The flexibility of<br />
production at<br />
Haas is evident<br />
in the element<br />
heights<br />
2 Haas simulates<br />
production<br />
processes<br />
digitally before<br />
running over the<br />
actual machine<br />
twin<br />
3 The company<br />
still ensured that<br />
incoming orders<br />
did not stall in<br />
Falkenberg<br />
FLEXIBILITY INSTEAD OF<br />
EFFICIENCY<br />
The company invested in three stages<br />
of production under the pressure of<br />
increasing demand. In 2018, wall<br />
element production was automated at<br />
the Falkenberg site, a similar production<br />
line followed in Großwilfersdorf in<br />
2022, when the company converted<br />
its hall to enable a roof and ceiling<br />
element line in Falkenberg. At the top<br />
of the specification for WEINMANN<br />
— which designed and delivered all<br />
three production systems — was the<br />
demand for flexibility, which included<br />
options for future process steps.<br />
The management team wanted the<br />
production plant to reflect all areas of<br />
the company, including disciplines in<br />
house and commercial construction<br />
and agricultural buildings.<br />
2<br />
“We looked at the production systems<br />
from several competitors,” said Haas,<br />
“Optimised lines for prefabricated<br />
house production were geared toward<br />
efficiency. However, they could only<br />
produce detached houses with a high<br />
degree of standardisation.”<br />
The cycle times on such systems are up<br />
to 7mins per element, but at Haas, the<br />
cycles are slower at 30mins. Current<br />
changes in the market, however,<br />
meant that this reduction in efficiency<br />
3<br />
42 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
ENGINEERED WOOD<br />
represented a gain for future viability<br />
due to increased flexibility.<br />
The flexibility of production at Haas<br />
is evident in the element heights.<br />
In Falkenberg, prior to automation,<br />
manual production was set to an<br />
element height of up to 3.11m. But<br />
today, elements with heights of<br />
1.5-3.5m can be produced. “High<br />
walls are standard in residential<br />
and commercial construction, since<br />
more building technology has to be<br />
accommodated in the floor and in<br />
suspended ceilings,” added Haas.<br />
High walls are also in demand for its<br />
spaciousness and elegant ambiance in<br />
commercial construction and modern<br />
detached house construction.<br />
4<br />
The height of the elements ranges<br />
from 1.2-12m long, at up to 50cm.<br />
The same applies to the maximum<br />
weight of 3.5 tonnes to clad these<br />
elements with gypsum plasterboard<br />
panels and run them through the line<br />
without any damage, for instance. Haas<br />
said that it was a challenge as nobody<br />
had done it before. “This is why we<br />
re-optimised these details of the line.<br />
WEINMANN found solutions to meet<br />
our requirements,” he added.<br />
The end result was said to be a win for<br />
both partners. With the pilot project,<br />
WEINMANN anticipated a development<br />
in timber construction that is a reality<br />
today. Haas Fertigbau acquired a<br />
production line that did exterior and<br />
interior walls for house and apartment<br />
construction, walls for commercial<br />
buildings, commercial and agricultural<br />
halls, facade systems and special<br />
components such as gables and jamb<br />
walls. The automated production line<br />
ran for most that were industrially<br />
feasible, except for a manufacturing<br />
facility next to a wall slot.<br />
OUTLOOK<br />
Haas simulates production processes<br />
digitally before running over the<br />
actual machine twin. With the use of<br />
Autodesk Revit, laser scanners and<br />
tachymeters, the company is ahead<br />
in its digitalised processes compared<br />
to the majority of commercial<br />
construction projects in Germany. For<br />
the production plant, the company<br />
is considering an extension with an<br />
automated plaster application and a<br />
panel processing centre to alleviate a<br />
potential bottleneck that could arise in<br />
certain processing configurations.<br />
Haas said that the weighting of the<br />
business areas will change for the<br />
future development of the company.<br />
“There will be a stronger shift<br />
toward apartment construction,” he<br />
added.<br />
“We will invest less in detached<br />
house construction and the quantities<br />
will even-out again. In the long<br />
term, the trend continues towards<br />
apartment construction.” <strong>WIA</strong><br />
5<br />
4 Ammer (Image:<br />
Haas Fertigbau)<br />
5 Schertler (Image:<br />
Oliver Jaist)<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 43
DESIGN<br />
Sanding with SCM<br />
A close-up look of the laser detail<br />
The dmc system t with<br />
laser engraving unit<br />
The market demands more than<br />
a wide-belt sanding machine<br />
working on a single flat surface. It<br />
requires the design product to be<br />
personalised, for the finishes to<br />
appeal texturally and visually. Most<br />
quality finishes by artisans are<br />
achieved using technology like saw<br />
cut, carving, 3D surfaces as well<br />
as varying brushing and texturing<br />
effects, resulting in sophisticated<br />
aesthetics. SCM, with its R&D, is<br />
said to pave the way for quality,<br />
efficient and flexible sanding.<br />
NEW DMC SYSTEM T WITH<br />
LASER ENGRAVING UNIT<br />
SCM showcased its dmc system t<br />
automatic sanding-calibrating machine<br />
at LIGNA <strong>2023</strong>. This machine is<br />
accompanied with a CO2 laser unit<br />
suited to create 3D markings on<br />
wood flooring, wood elements,<br />
medium-density fibreboard (MDF)<br />
panels, fibre cement panels and solid<br />
surfaces. It reportedly increases<br />
productivity as the laser unit makes it a<br />
compact solution for any surface length.<br />
Further, it has a self-refilling technology<br />
created by global laser company EI.En.<br />
Known as a ‘never ending power’ as the<br />
quality of the laser beam is constant,<br />
the machine reloads with a cylinder<br />
that is replaced when the gas source<br />
runs out, making the sanding process<br />
uninterrupted. According to SCM, another<br />
advantage is its user-friendly graphic<br />
interface of the eye-M PC panel. It has<br />
three flexible working parameters which<br />
make it intuitive for operators to define<br />
marking levels accordingly. The machine<br />
also has a webcam installed, making<br />
machine monitoring in real time possible.<br />
44 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
DESIGN<br />
1<br />
2<br />
LASER AND SURFACE<br />
TECHNOLOGY<br />
With a speed of up to 3m/min and<br />
a dynamic ray system, SCM wood<br />
flooring machine is said to allow the<br />
operator to score carved surfaces,<br />
replicate wood grain and achieve<br />
geometrical and abstract patterns. It<br />
is also well-suited to machining fibre<br />
cement for walls and flooring, or for<br />
customising and veneering kitchen<br />
cabinet doors due to its laser engraving<br />
unit. Further, SCM’s sergiani 3d form<br />
3D laminating press provides relief<br />
marking before painting or polyvinyl<br />
chloride (PVC) plating on MDF panels.<br />
Hence, with its laser technology, one<br />
can veneer and customise materials<br />
such as Corian as part of a solid<br />
surface. The group’s sanding solutions<br />
can integrate with Superfici solutions<br />
for finishing, and others for panel<br />
pressing and veneering. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
1 The laser unit can<br />
create markings<br />
on MDF and wood<br />
flooring elements<br />
2 The laser unit<br />
can also carve<br />
on fibre cement<br />
panels<br />
3 The new dmc<br />
system t can<br />
carve geometrical<br />
and abstract<br />
patterns<br />
4 Even specific<br />
images are<br />
possible with the<br />
laser engraving<br />
unit<br />
3<br />
4<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 45
DESIGN<br />
New Innovus<br />
collection finds<br />
inspiration in nature<br />
1 All decors are<br />
available in<br />
decorative panels<br />
and laminates<br />
2 Sustainable solutions<br />
that are easy to<br />
mix and match for<br />
different projects<br />
3 Innovus products<br />
stand out for their<br />
antibacterial<br />
properties and easy<br />
to clean surfaces<br />
4 The collection<br />
was developed to<br />
bring performance,<br />
sustainability and<br />
affordable designs<br />
5 Unique and exclusive<br />
textures that aim<br />
to add value to all<br />
decors<br />
1<br />
Producers and consumers are experiencing<br />
a new reality. In recent years, the<br />
importance of rethinking one’s actions and<br />
lifestyles is reinforced. Everyday spaces<br />
have undergone a major transformation,<br />
brought about by changing emotional<br />
needs, the need to adopt a more informed<br />
approach to design and increasing<br />
environmental concerns.<br />
This paradigm shift is the basis for the new<br />
Innovus collection — matching our nature<br />
by Sonae Arauco, inspired by nature and<br />
culminates in the desire to bring a greater<br />
feeling of peace and tranquility to indoor<br />
spaces. It also represents a change of work<br />
to position Innovus as the brand of choice<br />
for decorative solutions. This is a fresh<br />
and balanced collection that responds to<br />
the challenges and needs of a sustainable<br />
future.<br />
“This collection is aligned with the essence<br />
of Sonae Arauco. At the root, the same<br />
motivation to develop a versatile product,<br />
focusing on sustainability, quality and<br />
bringing value to projects in residential<br />
areas, and public and commercial spaces,”<br />
said João Berger, Sonae Arauco chief<br />
marketing and sales officer.<br />
With over 220 decorative solutions, the<br />
collection introduces 40 new products.<br />
These include woods, such as Karlstad<br />
Oak, with the Flow texture and Gentle<br />
Maple, with the Spirit texture; fantasies<br />
such as the Fossil Brown stone decor or<br />
Canastra textile; and a range of unicolours.<br />
The soft touch of the surface allies with a<br />
more matte and modern appearance with<br />
the strength and performance required by<br />
demanding applications.<br />
46 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
DESIGN<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
THE FOUR ASPECTS OF OUR<br />
NATURE<br />
“The new Innovus collection matches nature<br />
by exploring four different concepts that are<br />
part of our lives — emotional, sustainable,<br />
functional and social — and proposes a<br />
selection of decors and textures aligned with<br />
trends to inspire consumers,” said Michelle<br />
Quintão, Sonae Arauco marketing director.<br />
She added that their goal is to categorise<br />
through sensations that different decors<br />
transmit. She said, “Emotionally, there is a<br />
quest for elements with emotional benefits,<br />
appealing to the senses and promoting a closer<br />
connection with nature. In sustainability,<br />
we take a minimalist approach through<br />
proposals that result in a natural appearance.<br />
Functionality is present in multifunctional<br />
decors that are easy-to-match and provide a<br />
discreet and comfortable atmosphere. Finally,<br />
as social beings, we need products that<br />
reinforce the versatility and performance of the<br />
spaces that are part of our daily routines.”<br />
SUSTAINABILITY IS THE ESSENCE<br />
Sustainability was a strategy seen from the<br />
planning to the development stages. Some<br />
Innovus products incorporate incorporate<br />
over 70% of recycled wood, and all the<br />
raw materials used are said to come<br />
from sources that are either certified or<br />
controlled. Awarded with the Green Product<br />
Award 2022 for its decorative panels, the<br />
company commits to a more ecological<br />
future as its products launched each year<br />
assure the sequestration of around<br />
2 million tonnes of CO2. Based on a circular<br />
bioeconomy model, Sonae Arauco is said<br />
to create cosy and elegant spaces through<br />
sustainable and affordable solutions that<br />
are designed to inspire and to last. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 47
DESIGN<br />
Redefining luxury<br />
hospitality with<br />
Clint Nagata<br />
By Yap Shi Quan<br />
Designer Clint Nagata eschews conventional notions of<br />
luxury in his hospitality designs, focusing instead on telling<br />
stories of a place’s culture and history, creating elegance<br />
out of meaning and authenticity.<br />
Clint Nagata,<br />
Founder and<br />
Creative Partner of<br />
BLINK Design Group<br />
Designer Clint Nagata and the studio he<br />
founded, BLINK Design Group, had a<br />
busy and fulfilling 2022. While overseeing<br />
multiple luxury resort and hotel design<br />
projects across numerous countries, they<br />
also scooped up regional and international<br />
accolades for their projects.<br />
Their Roku Kyoto resort, which is reportedly<br />
Hilton’s first LXR resort in Asia-Pacific, won<br />
the award for Best Guestrooms at Ahead<br />
Asia, and at the 42nd Gold Key awards for<br />
Excellence in Hospitality Design in the US, it<br />
was a finalist for the Best Luxury Guestroom<br />
and Best Luxury Lobby categories, among<br />
other awards. Another resort, the Regent<br />
Phu Quoc — a personal favourite of Nagata’s<br />
— made the finals for Best Luxury Resort<br />
at the Gold Key awards last year. This<br />
achievement is more impressive in hindsight<br />
since Regent Phu Quoc was built during the<br />
pandemic, where Nagata and his team could<br />
not travel to the site and had to rely on<br />
Zoom meetings to track the progress.<br />
For them to have garnered so many<br />
achievements, Nagata and his team seem<br />
to have figured out something integral<br />
about luxury hospitality design.<br />
PLACEMAKING<br />
Luxury travelling is back in full swing after<br />
the pandemic, and travellers are starved<br />
for bespoke experiences. What was once<br />
purely associated with luxury hospitality,<br />
that of opulence and indulgence, gave<br />
way to more curated destinations and<br />
packages. And the architectural and<br />
interior designs of such resorts and<br />
hotels play a part in the redefined luxury<br />
experience.<br />
It happens so that creating meaningful<br />
luxury designs is the specialty of Nagata<br />
and BLINK, and they do so through Nagata’s<br />
design philosophy of ‘placemaking’.<br />
“My design philosophy is to take both our<br />
clients and guests on a journey that tells the<br />
story of a place through a modern design<br />
lens,” he explained. “We seek to create<br />
striking interior-based designs that capture<br />
the spirit of the place through simplicity,<br />
balance, and proportion.”<br />
BLINK’s mission is to translate their clients’<br />
visions into exceptional pieces of architecture<br />
inspired by travel experiences and cultural<br />
encounters. To do this, Nagata and his team<br />
listen closely to their clients on their choice<br />
of location, the site history, the community<br />
relationship and connection with guests — a<br />
time-intensive process, according to Nagata.<br />
For instance, when designing Regent Phu<br />
Quoc, Nagata and BLINK discovered a type<br />
48 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
DESIGN<br />
of wooden truss system special to<br />
Vietnamese architecture heritage,<br />
called the Bovi. They transformed this<br />
system into a motif or pattern, and<br />
worked it into the screens, carpets<br />
and accessories of the resort.<br />
One way in which Nagata and BLINK<br />
tap into a site’s culture is through<br />
material choice. For instance, they<br />
used oak to fashion Roku Kyoto<br />
because oak expressed a strong<br />
connection to Japanese architecture,<br />
but interpreted in a modern<br />
vocabulary. As for Regent Phu Quoc,<br />
they used teak for doors because of<br />
their durability, and oak everywhere<br />
else for its aesthetic quality and its<br />
ability to easily be stained to adjust to<br />
different colour palettes and moods.<br />
“Wood plays a vital role in<br />
‘placemaking’. As a material, it plays<br />
a critical role in relating to the specific<br />
characteristics of a place. Similarly,<br />
wood plays a critical role in creating<br />
luxurious tropical resorts,” said<br />
Nagata. He further mentioned that<br />
they try to use local materials, which<br />
helps with being sustainable since<br />
there is no need for the overseas<br />
transportation of raw materials.<br />
LOCAL IN DESIGN,<br />
INTERNATIONAL IN DEMAND<br />
With such a close attention to details<br />
and reverence for a place’s cultural<br />
and historical characteristics, Nagata<br />
and BLINK can enjoy limitless<br />
design possibilities not bound by<br />
geographical boundaries. In fact,<br />
the demand for Nagata and BLINK’s<br />
services is international.<br />
“We have had interest from clients<br />
looking to create extraordinary<br />
destinations not only in Asia but also<br />
in other areas like Middle East and<br />
Europe, as travellers continue to<br />
look for curated resorts and hotels<br />
that convey its place and its culture,”<br />
Nagata said.<br />
In response to such demand,<br />
BLINK recently expanded to Dubai,<br />
UAE, which is their fifth office after<br />
Singapore, Shanghai, Bangkok, and<br />
Tokyo. This expansion was influenced<br />
by their designing of the W Dubai – M<br />
Seyahi hotel in Dubai last year. At the<br />
port of Mina Seyahi — also known as<br />
The Port of Travellers — where the<br />
project was situated, Nagata and his<br />
team observed strong story elements<br />
of Arabic culture: From treasurechest-like<br />
bedside tables and white<br />
leather bed headboards with ribs and<br />
shapes inspired by swooping shape<br />
of the traditional Dhow boats, to<br />
fabrics with motifs drawn from local<br />
calligraphy and lights that resemble<br />
ancient lanterns of the Arabian Nights.<br />
The storytelling elements continued<br />
in the bathrooms via a calligraphy<br />
motif, with bold black and white<br />
colours to echo ink and paper. The<br />
bathrooms also featured a seating<br />
area, encouraging long bathing rituals<br />
and conversation.<br />
“We believe that the rich heritage of<br />
Dubai and the rest of the Middle East<br />
offers immense story opportunities<br />
that could be transformed into<br />
meaningful design.”<br />
SOLDIERING ON<br />
This, perhaps, is what it means to<br />
redefine luxury hospitality design: Not<br />
restricted by trends and tradition, but<br />
making luxury hospitality come alive<br />
with unique cultural elements — only<br />
achievable through thorough research<br />
and with sensitivity.<br />
Capping off the busy year for Nagata<br />
and BLINK was the International<br />
Design Confederation Singapore<br />
(IDCS) naming him as the Designer<br />
of the Year - Designers’ Choice. This<br />
award has recognised him as “one<br />
of the best in [the] industry”, for his<br />
ability to “[imbue] a space with an<br />
exciting personality that is at once<br />
familiar and fresh”, according to<br />
remarks by industry veterans.<br />
“More than a personal achievement,<br />
[the Designer of the Year award] was<br />
a tribute to my team who soldiered<br />
on relentlessly during the pandemic<br />
years, and clients who believed in us,”<br />
concluded Nagata. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
Oak was used<br />
everywhere in Regent<br />
Phu Quoc<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 49
DESIGN<br />
Japanese furniture:<br />
What sets its design<br />
and quality apart?<br />
Japanese craftsmanship is in vogue for its quality, precision and<br />
minimalism in design. Tapping into this popularity, HOW Furniture, a<br />
retailer of Japanese-made furniture, opened a showroom in Singapore in<br />
January <strong>2023</strong>. Yap Shi Quan speaks to Rico Lin, the showroom owner, to<br />
understand more about Japanese furniture designs and their appeal.<br />
with simple elegance. This added value is what<br />
HOW Furniture would like to provide. Most of<br />
our products are made-to-order; we become<br />
the bridge between Singapore customers and<br />
Japanese furniture brands, and we provide<br />
suitable solutions with good quality, thus<br />
offering various options to local customers in<br />
Singapore.<br />
1<br />
What qualities of Japanese furniture do<br />
you consider when choosing the brands to<br />
feature in the showroom?<br />
Lin: Functionality is our first priority. We want<br />
our customers to find the right furniture that<br />
can match their daily routine. For example,<br />
for a family buying a dining table, the main<br />
purpose is to allow everybody to sit together<br />
and enjoy dinner after a day of work.<br />
However, different homes have different<br />
limitations, and different people will have<br />
different preferences. Sometimes a big family<br />
may prefer a round table to sit together in<br />
a limited dining room space; sometimes<br />
people require a thinner wooden table to<br />
increase the transparency of the dining<br />
space; sometimes people prefer walnut wood<br />
because it represents a sense of lifestyle<br />
We also consider durability when selecting<br />
brands. In Japanese culture we respect wood<br />
because it is grown in nature, and when we<br />
move the wood into our living space we respect<br />
it because it is a scarce resource. Therefore, our<br />
Japanese brands all have expertise in handling<br />
wooden materials, seasoned in maximising the<br />
durability of the wood. Ideally, if customers are<br />
able to do simple maintenance on the furniture,<br />
it can be used for decades and maybe passed<br />
onto future generations.<br />
How does your furniture selection exemplify<br />
the belief of, I quote, “home is a sanctuary<br />
where one feels safe and celebrates life’s ups<br />
and downs”?<br />
Lin: HOW Furniture was started in Hong Kong,<br />
and I am from Hong Kong as well. In the past,<br />
I stayed and lived in multiple countries when<br />
I was young. Home used to have only one<br />
meaning to me, which was where I grew up,<br />
where I always went back during long holidays.<br />
50 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
DESIGN<br />
From our brand philosophy, your home<br />
does not need to have any fancy furniture.<br />
Instead, it should have something or<br />
someone you are familiar with. Growing<br />
up, I have met different people and there<br />
are different challenges at work and in my<br />
life. Life becomes much more complicated<br />
and dynamic. You can choose to be super<br />
ambitious, or you can be a workaholic and<br />
work non-stop 18 hours a day to achieve<br />
your dream. Or your work might need you<br />
to keep travelling to different countries. No<br />
matter which five-star hotel or high-class<br />
service apartment you stay in, there might<br />
be a small corner in your mind that gives you<br />
a sense of safety, that belongs to you only.<br />
That corner can be the small bedroom you<br />
grew up in, or it can be where your loved<br />
ones wait for you. This place we call home<br />
will become your source of energy, and it will<br />
give you courage and power to be strong and<br />
ambitious.<br />
2<br />
And this is what HOW Furniture wants to do<br />
for our customers: We want to help them<br />
choose the furniture they like, that they will<br />
build their memories and life journey with.<br />
It is not only about how the furniture can<br />
help to live a better life; it is about how to<br />
appreciate the simple happiness in a life.<br />
In your opinion, what defines Japanese<br />
craftsmanship?<br />
Lin: Japanese craftsmanship is like an<br />
‘attitude’ of living. It is very different from<br />
the western furniture market, where famous<br />
furniture brands usually partner with<br />
different designers and come up with designs<br />
that integrate the designers’ language and<br />
thought. This is very different from Japanese<br />
furniture craftsmanship. In some of the<br />
Japanese furniture brands, the designer<br />
might not be well-known by the public even<br />
if they are a very famous designer within<br />
the industry. Japanese craftsmen prefer to<br />
craft some basic source materials into good<br />
quality products, and this is the value of<br />
Japanese furniture.<br />
The craftsmanship of Japanese wooden<br />
furniture is primarily focused on precision.<br />
This precision begins right from the design<br />
3<br />
concept stage. For instance, furniture makers<br />
consider how to achieve the desired furniture<br />
design during the production process and<br />
how customers will use the furniture from<br />
their perspective. Our hero brand, Hirashima,<br />
is a good example, taking two years to<br />
be launched from the design concept to<br />
the production of a prototype. As a result,<br />
Japanese furniture designs are relatively<br />
durable, and their design concepts and styles<br />
do not get outdated with time.<br />
Another indicator of high-quality is the<br />
F4 stars specification, which refers to the<br />
coating and glue used during production. The<br />
formaldehyde content in F4 star materials is<br />
even stricter than EU standards.<br />
1 The storefront of<br />
HOW Furniture’s<br />
showroom<br />
2 Japanese furniture<br />
makers typically<br />
consider how<br />
customers will use<br />
the furniture from<br />
their perspective<br />
3 Camphor wood is<br />
used for this drawer<br />
What is the culture of using wood like in<br />
Japan?<br />
Lin: The culture of using wood in Japan<br />
dates back to ancient times and is rooted in<br />
Japanese people’s reverence for nature and<br />
their culture of co-existing with it. In general,<br />
Japanese people have a philosophy of using<br />
all natural resources carefully and respectfully<br />
as a way of expressing gratitude towards<br />
nature, similar to how when they sit down for a<br />
meal, they express gratitude and appreciation<br />
for the food they are about to receive by<br />
saying “itadakimasu”.<br />
Japan has abundant wood resources<br />
compared to other countries, thanks to its<br />
vast forests and mountainous areas. Houses,<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 51
DESIGN<br />
carts, boats, and other structures have been<br />
built using wood as the primary material.<br />
One interesting example is the construction<br />
of temples, where large wooden beams are<br />
used for the main structure. This is due to the<br />
abundance of natural resources as well as the<br />
belief that trees grown in the mountains are<br />
sacred and that spirits reside within them.<br />
Therefore, many temples use giant wooden<br />
beams for their main structure, and these<br />
beams have a special name: “daikokubashira”.<br />
Different regions in Japan use different types<br />
of trees to make these giant wooden beams,<br />
with keyaki, or zelkova, being one of the most<br />
famous. In the past, when temples needed to<br />
be repaired, Japanese people would gather all<br />
the strong men in nearby villages to transport<br />
giant logs to the temple while performing<br />
traditional cultural rituals along the way.<br />
The most commonly used wood species in<br />
Japan for furniture making are imported<br />
broadleaf trees such as walnut, white oak,<br />
red oak, white ash, cherry, and maple. These<br />
hardwoods are preferred due to their high<br />
hardness and strength, making them wellsuited<br />
for everyday use. However, domestic<br />
Japanese wood such as birch, Tamo ash,<br />
and cedar are also used for furniture making.<br />
Hinoki wood is commonly used for bathtubs,<br />
while Ginkgo wood is used for sushi chef’s<br />
cutting boards. These are softwood and have<br />
a lower hardness and wood grain quality than<br />
hardwoods.<br />
Despite Japan’s abundant forests and<br />
mountainous areas, domestic wood<br />
resources are becoming scarcer due to past<br />
mismanagement and the government’s<br />
tightening of forest policies. As a result, many<br />
raw materials for Japanese-made furniture are<br />
imported from other countries, while domestic<br />
wood is primarily used for building houses.<br />
Can you also share what the demand for<br />
Japanese-handcrafted furniture is like in<br />
Singapore and the South East Asian market?<br />
Lin: There has been a growing demand for<br />
it in Singapore and the wider South East<br />
Asian market. Japanese furniture is<br />
well-known for its minimalist design and<br />
high-quality craftsmanship, which aligns well<br />
Japanese furniture is well-known for its minimalist design and high-quality craftsmanship<br />
with the increasing interest in sustainable and this leads to them having a limited budget for<br />
functional furniture. Furthermore, the use of buying furniture. This creates a market for fast<br />
natural materials in Japanese furniture, such furniture with not-so-acceptable quality. Such<br />
as wood and bamboo, is also appealing to furniture looks good online at an affordable<br />
consumers who look for eco-friendly options. retail price. However, most customers will<br />
start to complain when they receive the<br />
There is a common mindset that Japanese product. Imagine this is your day-to-day<br />
furniture is usually small and only suitable for furniture.<br />
studio-type apartments. And we treat this as<br />
an opportunity to introduce different styles Even though this might be the market<br />
and sizes of furniture for suitable customers in majority, we want to offer what we believe<br />
South East Asia.<br />
in. The brands that we carry focus a lot on<br />
sustainability. For example, the Whisky<br />
Overall, I believe that the demand for<br />
Oak series reuse whisky oak barrels used<br />
Japanese-handcrafted furniture in Singapore in brewing Japanese whisky as the source<br />
and the South East Asian market will continue material, thus giving the wood a second life.<br />
to grow as consumers become more conscious<br />
about the materials and craftsmanship that go For HOW Furniture, we would like to build<br />
into their furniture choices.<br />
up a trend and allow our customers to get<br />
some great quality products — from a range<br />
What does sustainability mean to HOW of Japanese furniture to Japanese home<br />
Furniture, and what are your thoughts about accessories. It might not be the cheapest<br />
the current trend of fast furniture?<br />
in the furniture market, but it has the best<br />
Lin: Sustainability is vital for HOW Furniture. cost price (CP) value furniture that one can<br />
It is actually part of the reason why we started find. Our customers are able to enjoy good<br />
this brand in Hong Kong a few years ago. We quality furniture in their daily life. With<br />
noticed that it is getting harder for the younger basic maintenance, it can last for years or<br />
generation to have their own properties, and decades. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
52 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />
The PULO market<br />
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN STUDIO:<br />
a9a rchitects<br />
LOCATION: Zhengzhou, Henan, China<br />
AREA: 4,200m 2<br />
COMPLETED: 2022<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY:<br />
Arch-Exist, THE IDEAL LAND, TOPIA<br />
CHIEF DESIGNER: Jio Li<br />
DESIGN TEAM:<br />
Ariel Shen, Ling Wang, Kun Li, Yongjie Bian,<br />
Mingmin Yu, Chito Wang, One Chen and<br />
Xinrui Wang<br />
BUILDING BCD INTERIOR DESIGN: HÉZI<br />
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: H&A<br />
STRUCTURAL DESIGN:<br />
LuAnLu partner structure consulting<br />
CONSTRUCTION: Shanghai Zhenyuan<br />
timber structures engineering<br />
MATERIALS: Spruce solid wood,<br />
reinforced concrete and glass<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 53
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />
1<br />
2 3<br />
1 The sloping and flat roofs, partial two-storey<br />
buildings and accessible terraces create the<br />
contours of the PULO market<br />
2 Intentional planting becomes an important<br />
design technique for the landscape<br />
3 The architecture of the marketplace gives a<br />
sense of openness with the installation of<br />
light-transmitting glass<br />
4 The lighting at night provides an aesthetic<br />
appeal for people seeking a retreat<br />
5 Spruce wood was chosen as the<br />
material of choice<br />
Project overview: Community is a place for<br />
urbanites to reside and create memories.<br />
PULO market — created by a collective of<br />
architects known as a9a rchitects in China<br />
— integrates a variety of living functions to<br />
promote community interaction when urban<br />
development is being upgraded.<br />
Community commercial buildings<br />
and blocks: PULO market grows from a<br />
neighbourhood, with three independent blocks<br />
form a scale of the inner street. The cut line<br />
of the segmented block connects the people<br />
on both sides of the residential area and the<br />
park, with a traffic path connecting various<br />
functional blocks. Using box prototypes,<br />
modular and variable schemes are set for<br />
format planning, based on the business needs<br />
of different architectural styles. The space can<br />
also accommodate bars, restaurants and retail<br />
shops to meet the needs of residents.<br />
Wood, concrete and glass: Spruce wood<br />
was chosen as the material of choice and<br />
black steel pillars bring a cooler tone to the<br />
buildings. The interior roof is made of purlins<br />
and rafters are located in the same plane,<br />
and the exposed wooden frame reflects the<br />
structural beauty. The PULO market uses<br />
reusable wood, which is environmentally<br />
friendly and at the same time simpler and<br />
more modular in design to facilitate quick<br />
completion. The sloping and flat roofs, partial<br />
two-storey buildings and accessible terraces<br />
create the contours of the PULO market.<br />
Living with nature: The landscape is filled<br />
with trees along the street level, connecting<br />
the park with ginkgoes. The inner and outer<br />
streets are made of different ground materials.<br />
With limited land use, it is difficult to have<br />
greenery, so intentional planting becomes<br />
an important design technique for the<br />
landscape. The inner streets are fully paved<br />
with gravel which are permeable and porous,<br />
54 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS<br />
5<br />
4<br />
complementing the setting. The architecture<br />
of the marketplace gives a sense of openness<br />
with the installation of light-transmitting glass.<br />
During winter, the colours of the courtyard<br />
fade away, producing a snowy scene from the<br />
terrace roof. The lighting at night provides an<br />
aesthetic appeal for people seeking a retreat.<br />
Further, during holidays, the festive atmosphere<br />
impresses neighbours and city visitors with red<br />
lanterns, fireworks and a stunning moonlight.<br />
Conclusion: Whether it is chasing fireworks or<br />
enjoying a quiet slow time, PULO market brings<br />
people together with a comforting space to<br />
promote community. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 55
FLOORING<br />
Digital printing<br />
technology<br />
for flooring<br />
JUPITER JPT-C: DIGITAL<br />
SINGLE-PASS PRINTING<br />
FOR FLOORING<br />
The ability to produce high-quality<br />
digitally printed flooring has become<br />
strategically important for the future<br />
of the global flooring industry. As<br />
such, Hymmen has invented and<br />
patented innovative technologies for<br />
the production and digital decoration<br />
of flooring.<br />
Digital printing continues to play a crucial<br />
role in the future of flooring as it can enable<br />
design flexibility and be applied to a range of<br />
materials, thus facilitating faster response times<br />
to market demands and trends while reducing<br />
material waste and process costs.<br />
From board feeding over primer, base<br />
colour, digital printing, top coating<br />
to the stacking of boards, Hymmen<br />
offers panel-based technology that<br />
provides commercial and technical<br />
benefits of digital single-pass printing,<br />
including flexibility, short changeover<br />
times and the individualisation of<br />
decors. Furthermore, the company<br />
offers solutions for both analogue<br />
and digital structuring, delivering<br />
embossed in-register textures with<br />
the Digital Lacquer Embossing (DLE)<br />
technology by Hymmen.<br />
The Hymmen digital printing solutions<br />
for the flooring industry aims to cover<br />
individual customers’ capacity needs<br />
and individual production processes.<br />
For instance, Hymmen offers a series<br />
of different line models JUPITER<br />
JPT-C, that caters to common<br />
production widths, from a single plank<br />
line of 1,400mm up to large-scale<br />
production of 2,100mm boards.<br />
Additionally, Hymmen is able to<br />
realise complete production lines<br />
with a single-source supply, including<br />
intelligent handling systems for the<br />
feeding and stacking of planks or<br />
boards. The JUPITER JPT-C printto-board<br />
lines provide the following<br />
features: design for 24/7 industrial<br />
production; high-precision continuous<br />
substrate conveyor for maximum<br />
register accuracy; printing speeds<br />
of 25-50m/min; Xaar side-shooter<br />
printhead technology with an optical<br />
resolution of more than 1,000 dots<br />
56 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
FLOORING<br />
1 Hymmen delivers complete lines for the digital<br />
printing of decor and structure<br />
2 The JUPTER JPT-C digital printer<br />
3 TThe JUPITER JPT-C covers width of 1,400mm up<br />
to large scale production of 2,100mm boards<br />
4 The high-precision continuous substrate conveyor<br />
for maximum register accuracy<br />
1<br />
per inch (DPI) by greyscale technology;<br />
intelligent mechanical and optical adjustment<br />
features for each printhead to try and ensure<br />
the highest possible colour stability and print<br />
quality; and finally, stable printing process<br />
due to automatic cleaning and extraction<br />
functionality.<br />
STRONG TECHNOLOGIES BY<br />
PATENT PARTNERSHIP<br />
To ensure that customers have access to the<br />
latest digital printing technologies, Hymmen<br />
and i4F have entered into an exclusive patent<br />
partnership to promote and develop a strong<br />
digital printing IP portfolio.<br />
Specifically, this new partnership gives i4F<br />
exclusive licensing rights for all Hymmen’s<br />
digital printing patents and technologies for<br />
flooring production, including Hymmen’s DLE<br />
technology.<br />
i4F is a group of companies providing patents<br />
and technologies dedicated to delivering<br />
optimal technologies to the global flooring<br />
industry, backed by what is said to be a<br />
robust patent protection infrastructure. i4F’s<br />
patent cluster concept (PCC) is a ‘pick-andchoose’<br />
patent menu that reportedly offers<br />
licensees transparency and flexibility. One<br />
such cluster is dedicated to digital printing<br />
technologies. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
2<br />
3 4<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 57
FLOORING<br />
Head-end profiling<br />
of floorboards<br />
with Marinus<br />
Powermax<br />
Endmatcher<br />
The Marinus Powermax Endmatcher is designed<br />
for the head-end machining of tongue-andgrooves<br />
on floorboards, decking and cladding,<br />
able to produce fixed and variable lengths.<br />
Developed by Netherlands-based engineered<br />
wood processing machine manufacturer<br />
Marinus, the Powermax Endmatcher can cut<br />
to length, cut out defects, and do head-end<br />
profiling — all in a single pass of the wood panel<br />
through the machine.<br />
The machine is controlled on a user-friendly<br />
touch screen panel. Before the profiling takes<br />
place, the wood panel is brought to a stationary<br />
position, fixed sideways and clamped to an<br />
accurate reference surface above. This results<br />
in high profile accuracy, with no noticeable edge<br />
on the top of the boards when they are fitted<br />
together, according to Marinus. Furthermore,<br />
this clamping system, combined with two<br />
pre-cut aluminium backing blocks, prevents<br />
blow-outs and splintering. The mechanisms of<br />
the Endmatcher — for clamping, cutting, and<br />
profiling — are driven by Lenze servo motors,<br />
which are said to be suitable for applications<br />
that are high-performance and need precision,<br />
according to Lenze’s website.<br />
When feeding the wood panel into the<br />
Endmatcher, it is possible for the machine<br />
to cut out defects like knots or cracks. The<br />
operator must first mark out the defects using<br />
a luminescent crayon. After which, when the<br />
wood panel enters the machine, a sensor within<br />
it will detect and cut out the marked defects,<br />
including the crayon lines.<br />
The Marinus Powermax Endmatcher can<br />
not only profile tongue-and-groove, but also<br />
detect defects and cuts them out<br />
Because the wood panel travels lengthwise<br />
through the machine, it can handle long lengths<br />
and can produce head-end profiles on wood<br />
with variable lengths, from 450mm to more<br />
than 6,000mm, of variable thicknesses from<br />
8-50mm, and widths from 50-300mm —<br />
though it has an option of processing 500mmwide<br />
panels. It can also be set to produce fixed<br />
or round lengths. Up to 20 pieces per minute<br />
can be processed.<strong>WIA</strong><br />
58 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
FIT-OUTS<br />
Sandra<br />
Weil<br />
store<br />
2<br />
1 Customers can<br />
discover different<br />
areas of clothes<br />
arranged amid<br />
the layers of<br />
wood and in<br />
niches.<br />
2 The semi-permeable<br />
walls made of local<br />
tropical wood allow<br />
views through and<br />
beyond the store,<br />
making the space<br />
feel larger<br />
3 When seen from<br />
outside, the<br />
interior glows as<br />
inner light passes<br />
through the wood<br />
lattice onto the<br />
sidewalks<br />
1<br />
3<br />
PROJECT INFORMATION<br />
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN STUDIO:<br />
Zeller & Moye<br />
LOCATION: Polanco, Mexico City, Mexico<br />
AREA: 60m 2<br />
COMPLETED: 2014<br />
CLIENT: Sandra Weil<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY: Moritz Bernoully<br />
Architecture studio Zeller & Moye<br />
designed the first store for the fashion<br />
label Sandra Weil in central Mexico city<br />
as a delicate composition of wood and<br />
copper.<br />
A structure of vertically arranged<br />
wooden slats clads the entire existing<br />
space like a dress to a body. The<br />
semi-permeable walls made of<br />
local tropical wood hide existing<br />
imperfection while allowing views<br />
through and beyond the store making<br />
the space feel larger. When moving<br />
through the store, customers can<br />
discover different areas of clothes<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 59
FIT-OUTS<br />
arranged amid the layers of wood<br />
and in niches. The spatial wooden<br />
grid forms a continuous introverted<br />
space that oscillates between open<br />
and closed as one walks through it.<br />
With constantly changing sunlight<br />
— which partially enters the space<br />
through the permeable wood walls<br />
— the mood of the interior gradually<br />
transforms during the day. Likewise,<br />
the wood lattice filters out views from<br />
the sidewalk creating an intimate<br />
experience inside, where customers<br />
can try the clothes on without outside<br />
observation.<br />
The supplemental elements are<br />
realised in polished copper and are<br />
developed for the store. Dresses are<br />
presented on custom-made hangers<br />
of solid copper. Copper rails run inside<br />
the wooden walls, recessing the<br />
clothes between the wood slats, to<br />
maximise the walkable store area.<br />
A mirror-like copper side table<br />
reflects the surrounding store, while<br />
clusters of copper tube lamps hang<br />
from various points of the ceiling,<br />
evenly illuminating the space.<br />
When seen from outside, the interior<br />
glows as inner light passes through<br />
the wood lattice onto the sidewalks.<br />
Views into the store gradually unfold<br />
as one passes along the windows<br />
creating changing perspectives. <strong>WIA</strong><br />
4<br />
6<br />
4 The spatial wooden grid forms a<br />
continuous introverted space that<br />
oscillates between open and closed as<br />
one walks through it<br />
5 Dresses are presented on custom-made<br />
hangers of solid copper<br />
6 The wood lattice filters out views from the<br />
sidewalk, creating an intimate experience<br />
inside, where customers can try the<br />
clothes on without outside observation<br />
5<br />
60 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
FIT-OUTS<br />
1<br />
Villa<br />
MKZ<br />
1 Each roof segment<br />
contained a space<br />
appropriately<br />
scaled for its use<br />
2 The main house<br />
had to weave<br />
around the difficult<br />
site conditions<br />
PROJECT INFORMATION<br />
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN STUDIO:<br />
Takeshi Hirobe Architects<br />
LOCATION: Minamiboso city, Chiba, Japan<br />
AREA: 1,254.1m 2<br />
COMPLETED: 2021<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY: Koichi Torimura<br />
ENGINEER: Akira Ouchi<br />
EXTERNAL WALL: Cedar mould concrete<br />
and exterior thermal insulation<br />
INTERNAL WALL: Cedar mould concrete<br />
and cedar siding dyeing<br />
CEILING: Exposed concrete and<br />
roofboard dyeing<br />
FLOOR: Stone and walnut flooring<br />
FURNITURE: Basswood with<br />
kneading dyeing<br />
The footprint of this vacation home<br />
dances around complex conditions of<br />
the site. Although the site is situated<br />
overlooking an ocean view to the<br />
south-east, there is an elevation<br />
gap of about 1.4m in the centre<br />
2<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 61
FIT-OUTS<br />
3<br />
around an outcropping of bedrock<br />
and an unbuildable area cutting into<br />
the property on the street side. By<br />
necessity, the detached building houses<br />
a two-car garage and a guest room,<br />
which is situated on the east side —<br />
where the elevation gap is smallest.<br />
However, the client requested that the<br />
main house weave around the difficult<br />
site conditions.<br />
At the first client presentation, a<br />
plan of interconnected triangles was<br />
proposed. But this design was not<br />
rigidly fixed. The approach allowed for<br />
the forms to be adjusted by ‘pinching’<br />
the roof peaks as a more detailed plan<br />
is developed. Continuing the design<br />
process, the peaks were gradually<br />
adjusted in response to the client<br />
requests regarding the interior, so that<br />
each roof segment contained a space<br />
appropriately scaled for its use. The<br />
architects’ Phase Dance project in 2019<br />
employed a similar approach dubbed<br />
‘modal planning’ — a flexible method<br />
that allows us to vary the scale of<br />
spaces according to how they are used,<br />
instead of controlling the overall form<br />
through a geometric principle.<br />
The roof slabs, which amplified the<br />
triangular shapes of the footprint, are<br />
supported by polygonal columns that<br />
vary in form throughout the home, and,<br />
in places, by bearing walls. Interior air<br />
volume requirements determined the<br />
rhythm of the slabs and the volumes of<br />
the spaces they enclosed. Rooms facing<br />
the sea connected to one another,<br />
twisting to the east and west to create a<br />
sequence of spaces.<br />
4<br />
5 6<br />
3 The roof slabs<br />
amplify the<br />
triangular<br />
shapes of the<br />
footprint<br />
4 Parameters<br />
such as the<br />
relationship with<br />
the landscape,<br />
the size of the<br />
rooms, and the<br />
volume of the<br />
spaces were<br />
freely varied<br />
5 Rooms facing the<br />
sea connected<br />
to one another,<br />
twisting to the<br />
east and west<br />
to create a<br />
sequence of<br />
spaces<br />
6 Interior<br />
air volume<br />
requirements<br />
determined the<br />
rhythm of the<br />
slabs and the<br />
volumes of the<br />
spaces they<br />
enclosed<br />
By manipulating the complexity<br />
of interlinked free-form triangles,<br />
parameters such as the relationship<br />
with the landscape, the size of the<br />
rooms, and the volume of the spaces<br />
were freely varied. The result is a<br />
natural interior scale and a sense of<br />
affinity between the buildings and the<br />
site.<strong>WIA</strong><br />
62 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>
EVENTS CALENDAR<br />
<strong>2023</strong> 2024<br />
BEX Asia<br />
06 – 08<br />
Singapore<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
MARCH<br />
The Big 5 Saudi<br />
03 – 06<br />
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<br />
Project Qatar<br />
27 – 30<br />
Doha, Qatar<br />
MAY<br />
FIND Design Fair Asia<br />
21 – 23<br />
Singapore<br />
52nd CIFF Shanghai <strong>2023</strong><br />
05 – 08<br />
Shanghai, China<br />
OCTOBER<br />
Workspace Design Show <strong>2023</strong><br />
11 – 12<br />
Amsterdam, Netherlands<br />
NOVEMBER<br />
China Yiwu International<br />
Forest Products Fair<br />
01 – 04<br />
Zhejiang, China<br />
DECEMBER<br />
The Big 5 Global<br />
04 – 07<br />
Dubai, UAE<br />
Cairo Woodshow <strong>2023</strong><br />
07 – 10<br />
Cairo, Egypt<br />
Dubai WoodShow<br />
05 – 07<br />
Dubai, United Arab Emirates<br />
53th CIFF Guangzhou 2024 (Phase 1)<br />
18 – 21<br />
Guangzhou, China<br />
53th CIFF Guangzhou 2024 (Phase 2)<br />
28 – 31<br />
Guangzhou, China<br />
Salone del Mobile<br />
16 – 21<br />
Milan, Italy<br />
APRIL<br />
JUNE<br />
INDEX Dubai<br />
04 – 06<br />
Dubai, United Arab Emirates<br />
South China International Industry Fair<br />
19 – 21<br />
Shenzhen, China<br />
Design Shanghai<br />
19 – 22<br />
Shanghai, China<br />
Sylvawood<br />
27 – 29<br />
Shanghai, China<br />
JULY<br />
Archidex<br />
03 – 06<br />
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br />
Bex Asia<br />
04 – 06<br />
Singapore<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong> 63
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX<br />
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX<br />
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Page<br />
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American Hardwood Export Council<br />
OBC<br />
PEFC International 55<br />
American Lumber 9<br />
Softwood Export Council 1<br />
Baillie Lumber 7<br />
Technik Associates, Inc<br />
IBC<br />
Kuang Yung Machinery Co.,Ltd 11<br />
Wood In Architecture 64<br />
Panels & Furniture Asia<br />
IFC<br />
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64 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 2 – <strong>2023</strong>