Modified cladding fashion statement

Cladding made from accoya modified wood has been specified for two iconic buildings – the academy of the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the largest louis Vuitton store in latin america.

The academy is a 25,000ft2 building comprising cube-shaped timber structures which will house the museum’s library, archives and education centre.

Timber was chosen as the primary construction material to represent wooden crates used to transport books and precious objects. "For such significant architectural projects as this, a reliable and durable material able to withstand challenges of the external environment over a long period of time is key," said Joerg neben, accoya project manager for timber supplier Roggemann.

For its outlet in the Mexican resort of Cancun, louis Vuitton set accoya producer accsys Technologies the challenge of recreating its famous brand design as an external wooden façade.

at the same time, the cladding had to match the quality standards of the luxury brand and withstand Cancun’s extreme weather, which includes high humidity levels and tornadoes.

"accoya’s durability and stability made it ideal, not only for the climate but also the challenging construction process," said diego Vasquez, wood engineer at accoya distributor inntec.

More than 223 accoya wood panels were used in the façade, which took 15 people 10 days to complete. To recreate the Vuitton design four types of panels, made up of nine profiles, were arranged in an interleaved style.

"The finished building is impressive," said Bryan Crennell, director of sales and marketing at accsys Technologies, "and the façade is covered by our guarantee against rot and decay for 50 years for exterior use above ground."

Thermowood’s down by the lakeside

Silva Timber supplied more than 300m2 of ThermoWood cladding to Tower Wood, Lancashire County Council’s outdoor educational centre on the banks of Lake Windermere.

As the location’s humidity posed concerns about algae growth and moisture damage to exposed timber, the cladding was pre-finished with Sansin SDF HT, which comes in 64 tones and is formulated to protect thermallymodified timber.

Lancashire County Council’s in-house architects used Silva Timber’s pre-finishing service for the cladding and the boards were sanded and coated on four sides.

"With the project’s proximity to water and the specification of ThermoWood, it was important that the timber was protected against weathering and algae growth," said Silva Timber’s Nick Taylor. "It’s refreshing working with clients, such as Lancashire County Council, who truly understand the need for protecting wood.

"For too long our industry has been hampered by misinformation about the use of timber cladding. Leaving it to weather can actually cause serious damage to the cell structure

British larch’s timeless quality

The natural character and colour of British larch led to a holiday park choosing it for its first two camping units.

Family-owned Border Forest Park has installed two of BSW Timber’s larch-clad Timeless Pods at its site in Northumberland. "We have 36 caravans on site but, with a couple of extra pitches available my wife and daughter we keen to try something new," said owner Michael Flanagan.

"We decided to trial just one Timeless Pod and the immediate success was enough to convince us that the investment was worthwhile. We soon installed a second pod and we intend to have a third in place by the spring."

The pods, clad in British-grown larch, blend into the natural environment and guests have commended on how beautiful, warm and comfortable they are, said Mr Flanagan.

BSW says that British larch is typically warmer in appearance that is Siberian counterpart, with a rich heartwood colour that exhibits more grain character and a greater number of knots.

College cedar blends function and form

Western red cedar brise soleil and cladding provide a functional and aesthetic role at West Thames College’s London campus.

Cladding specialist English Architectural Glazing was appointed by architect Mackenzie Wheeler to construct an external façade using Timbmet’s western red cedar brise soleil and cladding. The timber complements the extensive use of glazing in the design and reduces solar gain, reducing the need for air conditioning.

Western red cedar was specified on durability and looks. The challenge was to supply the size and grade in the significant volumes required.

First Accoya project still going strong

The world’s first ever property to be clad in Accoya modified wood, has proven just how tough and resilient the product is following a successful review eight years after installation.

Architect Gordon Aitken chose Accoya cladding for his home, near Glenrothes in Fife, Scotland, after being impressed by the environmentally-friendly wood’s low maintenance and aesthetic qualities.

Since the property was built in 2006 with pre-commercial laboratory produced Accoya, the cladding has required no maintenance.

Initial inspections in 2010 revealed no signs of rot or decay and similar checks this year returned the same results. The cladding hasn’t suffered with wear or decay, despite the harsh environmental conditions that homes in Scotland can face such as horizontal rain and harsh snowfall.

Located 10km from the sea and at 56 degrees north, the property is situated north of Moscow, Winnipeg and even the capital of Serbia, Novosibirsk.

Rain and cold temperatures mean that builders and architects demand strong and durable products that can withstand such changeable weather conditions.

"I had initially chosen Accoya cladding for my home as I wanted a material that required minimal maintenance but offered high aesthetic qualities to complement the design of the building," said Mr Aitken.

"Accoya offered all of this and more. Looking at my home now, I am very pleased I chose Accoya. The appearance of Accoya with the Sikkens paint finish I had chosen remains consistent on both the southern and northern facade of my house. It still looks as good as new.

"I am glad to see that more and more architects and developers have recognised the strengths of Accoya since it was first used in the UK."

The cladding was profiled, factory coated and installed with a translucent Sikkens Natural Balance coating system.