Not so long ago timber cladding was a rare sight among the UK vernacular of brick and rendered facades.

Over the past 10 years or so, however, timber cladding has gained popularity as architects have warmed to its sustainability and durability.

In response to this increasing demand, Brooks Bros (UK) has expanded its range to offer 30 or so species, including western red cedar, UK-grown oak, larch and Douglas fir, and finger-jointed oak and sweet chestnut, as well as Kebony and painted coatings.

The company has noted an increase in demand for factory-finished cladding, and its treatments and finishes are as varied as the species it offers, from water-based coatings and fire retardants to burnt Shou Sugi Ban, Sioo, and aged finishes.

“Customers are now more demanding, expecting to receive a complete solution, with attention to detail from the sourcing of the timber, to sustainability, aesthetics and durability,” said group cladding manager Andrew Goto.

Brooks Bros is now holding training sessions for customers, including merchants, architects and joiners as it has recognised that well-informed customers promote the use of timber.

Mr Goto attributes cladding’s growing appeal to its versatility.

“There’s a wide choice of finishes, colours, profiles, fixing methods and grain patterns,” he said. “Timber cladding enhances and creates an ambience. It can be used for dramatic impact and it can create calm.”

Recently Brooks Bros has been involved in two of the largest projects in the UK requiring factory-finished cladding: London Bridge station redevelopment and the National Memorial Arboretum Remembrance Centre in Staffordshire. Both developments were completed by BCL Timber Projects.

For London Bridge, Brooks Bros supplied 7,000m2 of PEFC-certified Canadian western red cedar fire treated to Euro Class B and finished with a clear coating. BCL used the timber to create its Alpha panel system which forms the ceiling in the station’s new concourse.

The acoustic panel system provides class A and B sound absorption, has concealed fixings and is fully demountable.

The National Memorial Arboretum Remembrance Centre, which opened in October, is wrapped in 1,500m2 of FSC certified Siberian larch panels. The timber has an L-shaped profile and is finished with a three-coat, factory-applied pigmented lacquer.

The new building features three exhibition galleries, a restaurant, a shop and coffee shop.

Cladding is a big market for Accoya worldwide and although in the UK it accounts for a smaller proportion of sales, demand is growing.

“We’ve seen a big increase in the number of Accoya cladding and Louvre projects in the UK over the past 12-18 months as brand recognition has increased,” said sales manager UK Justin Peckham.

The modified timber provided a long service life but it was also increasingly popular for painted timber cladding.

“Accoya’s outstanding stability means that paints last significantly longer before repainting is required,” said Mr Peckham.

This stability also enabled thinner boards to be used and the most popular profiles were 15mm-thick T&G, he said.

Possibly the most eye-catching use of Accoya cladding is at the Ark Encounter in the US. The replica of Noah’s ark described in the bible – 510ft long and 80ft high – is the largest free-standing timber structure in the world, and it’s clad in Accoya. Around 400m3 of Accoya, delivered in six containers, was used to clad the tourist attraction. It opened in July last year and is expected to attract up to 2.2 million visitors a year.

Accoya cladding grabbed the headlines again last November when it featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs. A couple renovating a dormer bungalow in the Wirral wanted an industrial look to the exterior and so chose rough sawn Accoya cladding, complete with stick marks. The exterior cladding was fixed vertically and the leftover timber was used as horizontal cladding in the interior. James Latham supplied 8m3 for the project.

International Timber supplied Accoya to Monmouthshire Timber to clad KFC’s Prestwich restaurant. The Accoya was used on large areas of external elevations and soffits, for the brise soleil canopy on the drive through lane, as well as the doubleheight curtain walling on the front elevations.

Just as cladding’s popularity has grown, so too has that of shingles. Design website Dezeen identifies the “shingle revival” in a range of materials as one of the top 10 architecture trends of 2016.

“This rise in popularity is a result of projects using mixed materials on site,” said Marley Eternit marketing product manager Sarah Buchanan.

Shingles were sustainable and robust, yet lightweight, and delivered high insulation properties, but their aesthetics were also a drawcard.

“Cedar shingles are opening up a whole new realm of possibilities for housebuilders and contractors, enabling them to deliver clean lines and natural aesthetics, in addition to durable exteriors and design flexibility,” said Ms Buchanan. “JB Shingles are also easy to install, helping to further reduce installation times.”

In recent years Marley Eternit had seen an increase in demand for its JB Blue shingles, which are entirely heartwood, edge grain and clear, and a rise in treatments such as MicroPro.

Marley Eternit’s JB Shingles were specified to clad the roof and exterior walls of the aptly named Shingle Lodge, an annex to a Victorian boutique hotel in Dumfries and Galloway.

Architect John Murray chose the shingles for the new building because they blended with the natural landscape and could withstand all weathers.

Complementing old and new was also a challenge for Aitken Turnbull Architects when designing the Nike Golf Performance Fitting Centre at Archerfield Links in East Lothian. Here, western red cedar shakes were used on the roof to help the new training academy fit comfortably with the traditionally-styled clubhouse and grounds.

JB Shingles were also used to deliver a wall and roof solution on the James Hayward Estate, a Metropolitan Housing Trust project in London. They also provided the claddng, for a more unusual building: an open-air Greek amphitheatre at Bradfield College in Berkshire.

The western red cedar shingles enabled Anne Thorne Architects to design the houses in a shape which incorporated a series of sweeping curves in the external walls.

“They allowed us to create a monocoque design, which meant interior spaces without columns and load-boarding walls. As well as saving on high embodied energy masonrybased foundations and support walls, it created a much more open and spacious building,” said designer Junko Suetake.

The shingles’ natural durability also enabled them to extend to the ground. In a more traditional project, JB Shingles were used in the roof renovation of Grade II listed All Saints Church in the North Yorkshire hamlet of Burton in Lonsdale.

The western red cedar shingles replaced the previous 60-year-old shingle cladding on the spire, which was built in 1876. More than 150 bundles of shingles were used on the project.

The new shingles were treated with a clear MicroPro preservative and carry a 40-year guarantee.