Timber Design & Technology Middle East - December 2020

Mitosis by GG-loop brings biophilic regenerative architecture to large-scale urban developments Boulder-shaped hotel featuring wooden latticed façade rises over artificial sand dune casino SoLo: a ‘temple to douglas fir’ by Perkins & Will Neutelings Riedijk Architects and Bureau Bouwtechniek restore and reimagine Gare Maritime Enter Projects incorporates natural, renewable rattan for the interiors of Spice & Barley Fold House: a sculptural pavilion with an undulating roof that pushes the boundaries of compression-bent wood

Image © Mark Goodwin

FROM FOREST TO FINISH T.ZED Architects have wrapped KOA Canvas - a unique new residential community in Dubai representing a new era in modernized urban property development with thermally-modified American tulipwood.

Over 750 square meters of tulipwood have been used to create the cladding element which shades and prevents overheating of the double-height co-working and closed office spaces, and which also transforms into an outdoor shaded walkway and elevated public balcony. This is the first time that thermally-modified tulipwood has been specified in these quantities in the region and the architects are confident that the material will weather and stand the test of time in this arid desert climate.

For more information visit www.americanhardwood.org

Mitosis by GG-loop brings biophilic regenerative architecture to large-scale urban developments Boulder-shaped hotel featuring wooden latticed façade rises over artificial sand dune casino SoLo: a ‘temple to douglas fir’ by Perkins & Will Neutelings Riedijk Architects and Bureau Bouwtechniek restore and reimagine Gare Maritime

EDITOR’S NOTE

Enter Projects Free flowing rattan columns interiors of Spice & Barley Fold House: a sculptural pavilion with an undulating roof that pushes the boundaries of compression-bent wood

SoLo © Andrew Latreille

December 2020 Issue 49 PUBLISHER Andy MacGregor publisher@citrusmediagroup.net +971 55 849 1574

MARKETING DIRECTOR Eric Hammond marketing@citrusmediagroup.net INTERNATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR James Hamilton james@timberdesignandtechnology.com EDITOR Tony Smith editor@timberdesignandtechnology.com

Timber Design & Technology is published 4 times a year

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Welcome to the final issue of this year. On the cover is SoLo, a prototype alpine home designed by Perkins & Will that demonstrates a unique approach to building off-grid in a remote environment where every choice has consequences. Performance led, the home expresses a restrained material palette while generating more energy than it uses, eliminating fossil fuels and combustion from its operation. A Passive House certified building, wood was chosen as the primary structural material and is authentically expressed and exposed it its entirety throughout the home. With the goal of Passive House certification, Perkins & Will applied a two-layer approach to the enclosure - an outer heavy timber frame acts as shield, resisting the weather, while the heavily insulated inner layer acts as the thermal barrier.

This issue also features the American Hardwood Export Council’s (AHEC) design collaborations ‘Connected’ at the Design Museum in London and ‘Please Sit Here’ at Dubai Design Week 2020.

Recognizing the fact that COVID-19 has significantly changed the way people live, interact and work, both projects looked at how creatives and makers had to adjust their processes using new technologies to work together at a distance and often operate from new, improvised, home offices.

AHEC’s ‘Connected’ project challenged nine designers to create a table and seating for their personal use, to suit their new ways of living and working from home whilst ‘Please Sit Here’ was a design collaboration with three prominent Emirati designers who were asked to develop versatile public seating solutions in thermally-modified American hardwoods.

Testament to the benefits of building in timber, Neutelings Riedijk Architects together with Ney & Partners and Bureau Bouwtechniek, have completed the largest cross-laminated timber (CLT) project in Europe. Using CLT and façade finishings in FSC-certified oak for Gare Maritime has led to an enormous reduction in the amount of cement; in concrete, the building would have been five times heavier. The choice of wood also had a favorable effect on the construction process. Thanks to prefabrication and a dry construction method, the construction time was considerably shorter than when using traditional construction methods. Meanwhile in Tokyo, Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) have designed a temporary pavilion made from CLT for events and performances. After their period of use in Harumi comes to an end, the panels will be transported back to the Hiruzen National Park in Maniwa and reassembled in an area surrounded by greenery.

With the holiday season approaching, I would like to wish all of you Happy Holidays and the best for 2021.

As always, I would like to encourage you to log on to the website - www.timberdesignandtechnology.com for the latest updates and please get in touch if you have any suggestions for subjects we should consider covering. In closing, I would like to thank our advertisers, our partners and our readers and look forward to the next year.

CONTENTS 10 SUSTAINABILITY

36 COMMENT

Mitosis by GG-loop brings biophilic regenerative architecture to large-scale urban developments

NHG Timber: The hardwood supply challenge

14 SUSTAINABILITY

38 COMMENT

Boulder-shaped hotel featuring wooden latticed façade rises over artificial sand dune casino

Malaysia to showcase the role of its forest in the global climate battle at Expo 2020 Dubai

18 SUSTAINABILITY

60 TALL TIMBER

SoLo: a ‘temple to douglas fir’ by Perkins & Will

Kengo Kuma and Associates build temporary crosslaminated timber pavilion in Tokyo

24 ANALYSIS

64 TECHNOLOGY

Made Together Apart: ‘Connected’ at the Design Museum

SCM and Italco Middle East strengthen relationship with signing of new agreement

30 ANALYSIS

66 WOOD WORKS

Breathing new life into old timber pieces

Three COVID-proof outdoor benches unveiled at Dubai Design Week 2020

DESIGN & DECOR

44 Gare Maritime

50 Spice & Barley

54 Fold House

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Image Š SCM

Productivity without limits for timber construction

SCM has launched the new AREA XL, the latest technological solution, which has been developed for the industrial production of large format cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. High productivity, precision and reliability are the main advantages of this new CNC machining center. The solution is an evolution of the already popular and appreciated AREA model and has been developed to meet the needs of those companies requiring high productivity, accuracy and reliability.

AREA XL is the new 5-axis CNC machining center designed and manufactured by SCM for the industrial production of large format CLT panels. The processing of large format CLT panels is characterized by heavy duty stock removal, process automation in the handling and referencing phases, as well as cleaning of the work area. The new AREA XL has been designed

taking into consideration these specific requirements.

With this machining center, size and thickness of CLT panels are no longer a problem. Elements up to 16,000 mm long x 3,600 mm wide and up to 400 mm thick can be processed, in particular thanks to an electrospindle of high power and torque: 63 kW in continuous operation.

The overall productivity can also be further increased by equipping the machining center with a second machining head unit, capable of executing several operations simultaneously.

Another plus is the possibility to perform transversal throughfeed-drilling operations even on the maximum panel size, thanks to optional auxiliary units.

AREA XL offers up to 60 tool stations in total, including two sawblades for each machining head unit. The operator's work becomes even easier, both during

the process, thanks to automatic workpiece handling and referencing systems, and during chip removal from the work area, thanks to innovative cleaning systems. AREA XL also allows to work in total safety, thanks to the full enclosure and a protected access system to the work area through laser barriers.

Commenting on the increased use of CLT within the construction industry, Tommaso Martini, SCM Business Unit Manager for CNC machining centers for timber construction, said: "This is a modern, ecological, resistant product that can adapt to the most diverse design requirements and, thanks to these special features, can also be used for the construction of multi-storey buildings of considerable heights.� “SCM is able to offer this market strong know-how and expertise, thanks to a long experience in high technology solutions

gained over the years with the OIKOS and AREA CNC machining centers dedicated, respectively, to the processing of modular and large format panels. A path that finds today, in the new AREA XL, a further evolution to respond to the needs of companies that demand to combine increasing productivity with high levels of accuracy and reliability," added Martini.

An exclusive approach derived from decades of experience in designing and manufacturing CNC machining centers for many applications and production needs, SCM is a competent partner for all those industry professionals who are looking for a new and different approach to the one they have encountered so far. SCM never stops improving and therefore offering to the timber building industry innovative, high technological solutions, in line with the demands of an ever-expanding market.

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MTC appoints new CEO Muhtar Bin Suhaili has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) effective November 1, 2020. Muhtar, who has a Master’s degree in Petroleum Technology from Curtin University of Technology, Australia, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), is currently pursuing his Doctoral Degree (PhD) in Business Administration.

Prior to joining MTC, Muhtar was the Lead Project Engineer in Shell Malaysia where he worked for 15 years and with Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd prior to that. He is also the Chairman of Malaysian Palm Oil Certification Council (MPOCC). Muhtar has extensive knowledge in managing mega projects, business planning, business improvement initiatives, manpower planning and human resource development. Having work exposure in The Netherlands and Germany, he also has experience in managing engineering design offices.

Image © MTC

“I highly believe with his vast experience and knowledge within various industries and multinational organizations, Muhtar will be instrumental in enhancing MTC’s efforts in bringing the Malaysian timber industry to greater heights,” said Tuan Haji Mazli Zakuan Mohd Noor, Chairman of the MTC.

Proving the value of clean shipping SAILCARGO INC. started with the idea of constructing a wooden sailing vessel for emission-free cargo transportation as a part of their mission to prove the value of clean shipping. According to the company, eliminating fossil-fuel from the maritime sector is achievable by using advanced technology; however it is also accessible by employing simple, tangible methods. The solution proposed is to provide a shipping service that is free of emissions, pays fair wages, and is built using regenerative materials. It all however starts with the company’s flagship - Ceiba - a proof-of-concept powered by the wind and 100 percent electrical renewable energy.

“As a group of shipwrights, carpenters, business professionals and sailors, Ceiba is our effort to inspire change in the industry that we have devoted our lives to. Ceiba is a sustainably constructed vessel that will carry cargo 100 percent emission free. When operational in 2022, she will be the world’s largest, active, clean ocean-going cargo vessel. Ceiba will elevate the existing sail cargo movement to a new level while bringing attention to the harmful and pollutive practices of the global shipping industry,” said the company in a statement.

Image © SAILCARGO

The idea was to inspire a change of mind in the industry, policymakers, and consumers. When you see Ceiba’s sails unfurl in the harbor, contrasted by giant container vessels in the background, you may ask yourself: where do my commodities and possessions come from, and what is the carbon footprint associated with them? The company’s shipyard today has quickly grown to be a project of its own: a beacon for sustainable wooden shipbuilding that supports education and training in the small coastal community, as well as annual tree planting programs.

Thanks to the diverse personal experience within the emerging sailing cargo market, the SAILCARGO INC. team draws from a deep well of knowledge and connection, with particular relevance to the environmental, educational, and social facets of this unique arena. Throughout the duration of the project, the team have received interest from around the world to expand their work. The AstilleroVerde shipyard in Costa Rica has now become a model for sustainable practices in vulnerable coastal communities, and might be replicated in the Caribbean Basin in the near future. In addition, plans for additional Ceiba Line vessels have already started.

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Image © Casey Dunn

First mass timber hotel in North America opens in Austin, Texas

The first mass timber hotel to be constructed in North America has opened in Austin, Texas. Hotel Magdalena is located on land once owned by Willie Nelson and is the latest from Bunkhouse Group, a Texas-based hospitality company. The hotel is an 89-room hotel that plays on Austin‘s music culture and love for lakeside living and aims to perfectly capture the spirit of the Live Music Capital of the World.

Image © Casey Dunn

Lake|Flato partner David Lake worked with Canadian company, Structure Craft, to make it all possible, ultimately choosing mass timber construction for its environmental sustainability and swift construction times. The use of this system shaved three months off of typical construction estimates. Exposed timber walkways in the corridors carry into each of the guest rooms, creating a marriage between the interior and exterior, while purposeful landscaping from Ten Eyck Landscape Architects bridges guests’ experience through flowing, organic greenery.

In early design conversations, Lake|Flato and Bunkhouse agreed that sustainable construction would be integral, part of the larger conversation of reducing energy, conserving water, and lowering the demands on the planet. Dowel-laminated timber, a man-made timber product, is already gaining popularity in European and Australian architecture and Lake|Flato hopes this project will set the tone for its continued usage in the States.

“Timber frame is an ecologically sound solution with glulam columns and beams and a cross-laminated timber deck spanning between. We chose this approach because the system is pre-fabricated and quickly erected in addition to being a low-embodied carbon and sustainable structural system,” concluded Lake.

Southern Yellow Pine

STRONG. BEAUTIFUL. SUSTAINABLE.

Main Uses Appearance and impact resistance make Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) suitable for a wide range of decorative uses, such as windows, doors, floors, and mouldings. Ease of preservative treatment makes SYP good for decking and outdoor use.

Physical and Mechanical Properties Weight ranges from 537 to 626 kg per cubic metre. High density gives SYP natural strength, weight, and impact and wearing resistance. SYP has a higher specific gravity than Scots pine and stands up well to rough treatment while remaining easy to work with.

Learn more about America’s favourite timber at:

AmericanSoftwoods.com

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Mitosis by GG-loop brings biophilic regenerative architecture to large-scale urban developments New parametric design tool to generate positive footprint neighborhoods constructed in cross laminated timber

Image © GG-loop with Hexa Pixel

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Image © GG-loop with Hexa Pixel

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The need for healthy homes has hardly ever been more apparent than during the current global condition. The current efforts to reduce the negative impacts of buildings are inadequate and so the built environment must be designed in a different way. To bring regenerative collective habitation to all scales of development, Amsterdam architecture practice GG-loop, sharing its vision with Arup, is developing Mitosis: a modular building system created by a parametric design tool following biophilic and user-centric design principles.

Mission

GG-loop's goal is to develop an architectural solution that ‘gives back’ to the planet and can serve as a benchmark for the real estate and urban development sector.

Mitosis’ vision is to deepen the understanding of its relationship with nature, to raise awareness and sensitize both professionals and the general public regarding the importance of biophilic architecture as an answer to the

current climate condition.

Sharing the same vision as Arup, GG-loop works to inspire and provide healthy sustainable living communities and net-positive impacts on ecology and society.

By working with the natural environments rather than against it, the natural balance and health of the planet can be restored.

Giacomo Garziano, founder of GG-loop, says: “Mitosis aims to support the daily uses and the tasks of the inhabitants, in order to promote direct and indirect contact with nature. We aim to generate a healthy, emotional and productive habitat for rest, work and living at 360° with nature.”

Inspiration

Mitosis is the follow-up to the multi-awarded pilot project completed by GG-loop in 2019: Freebooter, a pair of prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) apartments in Amsterdam, wrapped in a parametric timber louvered facade. The building was created using biophilic principles,

connecting architecture with nature in order to improve the life quality of the people who use the building. GG-loop’s ambition to bring these qualities to multiple scales has resulted in Mitosis.

The name Mitosis refers to the biological process of a single cell dividing itself into two identical daughter cells. It represents the modularity and the longterm adaptation of the system and serves as a metaphor for a flexible co-living organism where each residential unit coexists in symbiosis with all the others and its environment.

Bringing biophilic design to large-scale developments

The ‘Biophilia Hypothesis’ by Edward O. Wilson reveals why humans have an intrinsic need to connect with nature and other living systems. Mitosis adopts the 14 principles of biophilic design and articulates the relationships between nature, human biology and the design of the built environment. It builds an ecosystem where dwellers

experience a unique way of living and fulfil their innate desire to reconnect with nature.

Exposed to green shared areas, tiny forests and gardens that cascade up and down the entire building, dwellers can benefit from the direct and indirect connection with nature. Health and wellbeing are fostered through careful material choices, flexible layouts, organic interiors and large outdoor spaces.

“Our vision goes further than the integration of just green systems, but rather creates a built environment that restores and nurtures its surroundings, and that serves as a catalyst for a positive change,” adds Garziano.

Positive footprint ecosystems Mitosis creates regenerative ecosystems with a positive ecological footprint. It balances the technical benefits of an environmentally conscious construction with the qualities of an organic and healthy environment in which its residents

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Enhancement of biodiversity in the urban fabric has a beneficial impact on the quality of life and the environmental education of the inhabitants. Mitosis integrates plant and animal life throughout the buildings, allowing its dwellers to coexist harmoniously with the biodiversity of local flora and fauna. Mitosis is designed to co-evolve with its surrounding, by recreating ecosystems appropriate to the climate, site and residents. In this way, Mitosis can facilitate the conservation and improvement of the biodiversity that existed on the site.

According to Garziano: “We are

Social cohesion

The distinct rhomboid shape of the individual design modules is integral to the functionality of Mitosis. Stacking these modules creates large areas for shared outdoor living, with each unit having at least one terrace.

Mitosis’ vertical connections are placed externally to connect the units and terraces, creating a continuous ribbon of outdoor ‘cloyster-like’ spaces, fostering a sense of openness, belonging, protection and privacy for residents.

Mitosis’ construction is organic and flexible, providing large areas of urban and vertical farming, greenhouses, wildlife corridors and integration of habitat creation, that encourage shared outdoor

activities among residents. By applying elements of nature and providing available renewable resources in shared facilities and infrastructures of community living, Mitosis encourages dwellers to engage in pro-environmental practices and share their expectations of sustainability.

This helps create healthier environments and improve social interaction.

Project development

Mitosis has been developed using parametric and BIM 3D modeling software. It generates dwelling clusters composed of prefabricated CLT modules through a complex iterative process. The optimized volume and scale of Mitosis are based on the calculation and simulation of parameters related to specific stakeholders' needs and conditions of a given site.

The volumes and internal layouts derive from the calculation and simulation of parameters related to specific conditions of the site: solar radiation, wind impact, privacy, population density, common spaces index and vertical

connections. With the parametric design tool, Mitosis explores how buildings can grow, evolve, heal and self-sustain, similar to human bodies, as well as use biological metaphors to design buildings capable of regeneration, resilience and self-sufficiency.

Due to its flexible structure and grid formation, Mitosis is able to host a variety of typologies that are customizable to the resident’s needs. It is applicable to diverse urban scales, ranging from off-grid single family detached houses (30m2 up to a quadruplex 120m2) to high density mixed-use urban clusters that incorporate public functions such as education, leisure, wellness and retail.

Mitosis generates experiential spaces that respect both the environment and its direct inhabitants, reconnecting both in a balanced ecosystem. By accommodating for all sizes, typologies and performance levels, Mitosis moves beyond the basic concept of sustainable design and shifts towards a design that focuses on producing net-positive impacts on the environment.

Image © GG-loop with Hexa Pixel

Mitosis generates urban clusters using prefabricated timber and bio-based modules that are cost-efficient and flexible in its construction. By consciously choosing materials that capture carbon and using resources more efficiently, Mitosis constructs a net-positive built environment that produces more energy than it consumes and uses resources in a circular way.

part of nature in a deep and fundamental way, but in our modern lives we’ve lost that connection. In addition to the technical benefits of acoustics improvement, CO2 and urban heat reduction, being in direct contact with nature has proven to improve physical and mental health and overall well-being.”

Image © GG-loop with Hexa Pixel

coexist harmoniously.

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Boulder-shaped hotel featuring wooden latticed faรงade rises over artificial sand dune casino Nautilus wins competition with a design that seamlessly connects the building with its surrounding landscape

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The municipality of Middelkerke in Belgium will soon be enriched with an iconic casino. The new casino will not be housed in a dedicated building but will be integrated in the landscape in a way that rewrites the historic relationship of the coastal town with the sea.

This is revealed in the ambitious preliminary design of the Nautilus consortium, who were selected by the council as winners of the Design & Build competition for the casino located at the well-known Epernay square.

“With this project, our coast will be enriched with a new architectural anchor, that accurately represents the character of Middelkerke,” said Jean-Marie Dedecker, Mayor of Middelkerke. “It transmits strength and soberness as well as sophistication, with a lot of love for the sea and the dunes. In addition, this project may mean the beginning of the renewal of Middelkerke’s town center as an appealing place to live and visit.”

Together with a team of urban planning experts, the municipality of Middelkerke studied the four selected proposals for the casino building in detail over the past few months. After a thorough evaluation, the council selected the Nautilus consortium as the winner, a collaboration between developer Ciril, chief designers ZJA (architecture) and DELVA (landscape architecture), OZ (casino and hotel design), executive architect Bureau Bouwtechniek and contractors Furnibo and Democo. They are assisted by experts from COBE, VK Engineering, Beersnielsen, Witteveen+Bos, Plantec, MINT and Sertius.

Image © Nautilus consortium

An integrated approach

The construction of the new casino building was conceived by the designers as an opportunity to work on flood risk management (dike reinforcement), public space quality, making the seawall carfree and connecting the Epernay square to the sea. The uniqueness of this design is that the building typology of a casino - often a closed box - is turned inside out and integrated into a multifaceted project situated in a public dune landscape. It transforms the seawall into a unique destination

for encounter, play, culture and entertainment along the Belgian coast.

Inspiration for the design was found in the story of the town’s origin. Middelkerke originated on the island of Testerep and was able to grow into an abundant fishing village through the natural protection of a dune and a direct connection to the North Sea via a natural canal.

The dunes and water channels of Middelkerke disappeared as a result of urbanization over the last century. The construction of the casino building in Middelkerke will function as a tool to renew this historic coastal landscape and give it a contemporary meaning.

The building program nestles itself naturally in the landscape.

For example, a brand-new event hall, restaurant and casino will be situated behind completely transparent facades under the dune, offering spectacular views of the beach and the sea.

The volume of the hotel has a strong visual presence and yet a modest footprint, and stands like a boulder amidst this elevated landscape.

It is an eye-catcher, but one that displays a strength, soberness and refinement characteristic of the Flemish coastal landscape. Its form is simple yet enigmatic, and refers to the shapes and colors of nature and of the fishing port. The hardwood voile around the hotel, just like the wood of the quays, lock gates and dolphins, will change color under the influence of weather and time. From a distance, the hotel is an inviting visual beacon, a sculpture with soft contours.

An economic impetus for Middelkerke

The new casino building will provide an impetus for the economic renewal of the Epernay square. The entirely car-free public space, which doubles in surface area compared to the existing square and seawall, places cyclists and pedestrians first while remaining easily accessible for cars, thanks to the construction of an underground parking garage.

To make the public space more inviting, hundreds of meters of

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applying more efficient production processes. Environmental criteria have been considered as important as functionality, aesthetics, ergonomics, safety and economic value.

Sustainability

Sustainability is of primary concern in the proposed design.

The design team takes finite energy resources into careful consideration by avoiding waste in the first place, but also by using recycled materials as well as

Image © Nautilus consortium

Not only during the day, but also after dark the 'boulder' remains an eye-catcher. The sophisticated lighting design, illuminating and emphasizing the wooden structure of the hotel, reinforces its special appearance. With this project, Middelkerke casts off the concrete corset and chooses a graceful, sustainable and recognizable silhouette for the Belgian coastline.

According to ZJA, sustainability and environmental criteria are not an afterthought but of the same crucial order as safety, functionality, aesthetics and economic value. The artificial dune and the awning part of it near the terraces of the hotel and the casino are an energy saving element. By offering shadow in summer and insulation during the winter. The choice for wood, specifically cross-laminated timber, in the open casing around the hotel tower saves enormous quantities of CO2, because it is a renewable and circular material.

The four-storey hotel is a striking but modest ‘skyscraper’ on the beach. It is an eye-catcher, but one that echoes the contained strength and austerity of the Flemish coastal landscape in its design. Its shape is simple but mysterious, referring to the shapes and colors from nature or from the fishing port. The hardwood veil around the hotel will weather much like the wood in the quays, the doors of the locks, the mooring posts. A sophisticated lighting design built into the facade highlights the wooden structure after sundown.

By day and by night the hotel appears as a welcoming beacon, a sculpture with soft contours.

Image © Nautilus consortium

In the building, the multifunctional event hall offers space for concerts, exhibitions and events. The restaurant has terraces overlooking the sea and the casino's mezzanine also enjoys a wide view of the North Sea before players head towards the games room. The impressive foyer at the heart of the building connects all these spaces and transitions into the beach hotel, which from a great distance forms a striking beacon along the Belgian coastline.

Image © Nautilus consortium

seating have been integrated into the design, framing green zones filled with beach grass and sea lyme grass. The highest point of the dune landscape offers an extraordinary panorama of the North Sea and the sunset.

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SoLo: a ‘temple to douglas fir’ by Perkins & Will

Image © Andrew Latreille

Self-sufficient, off-grid Passive House challenges conventions in both aesthetics and construction and takes energy efficiency to the next level

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Passive House - An ‘Enclosure-First’ Approach

Image © Andrew Latreille

Given the valley’s extreme climate, it was critical to have an ‘enclosure-first’ approach to ensure energy efficiency and outstanding comfort. With the goal of Passive House certification, Perkins & Will applied a two-layer approach to the enclosure - an outer heavy timber frame acts as shield, resisting the weather, while the heavily insulated inner layer acts as the thermal barrier. To make certain the house functions with

Image © Andrew Latreille

Challenging conventions in both aesthetics and construction, the prototype acts as a testing ground for low-energy systems, healthy materials, prefabricated and modular construction methods, and independent operations

intended to inform the approach to larger projects such as Canada’s Earth Tower. A Passive House certified building, wood was chosen as the primary structural material and is authentically expressed and exposed it its entirety throughout the home - a ‘temple to douglas fir’.

Image © Andrew Latreille

Siting lightly upon a forested knoll overlooking the spectacular Soo Valley north of Whistler in British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, SoLo is not a typical alpine home.

With Delta Group’s intention to pioneer a future zero emissions alpine community, Perkins & Will have designed a prototype that demonstrates a unique approach to building off-grid in a remote environment where every choice has consequences. Performance led, the home expresses a restrained material palette while generating more energy than it uses, eliminating fossil fuels and combustion from its operation.

Image © Andrew Latreille

Image © Andrew Latreille

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exceptional thermal performance and air tightness, Perkins & Will also conducted detailed thermal modeling of each weather condition. With the addition of double height glazing opening the home up to the valley’s incredible views, the home has achieved PHI Low Energy Building certification.

Complementing the home’s solar generation, Perkins & Will provided future provision for wind power. The house collects and treats its own drinking water and processes its wastewater. The result is a self-sufficient house that generates more energy that it uses - beyond net zero energy.

Off-Grid Independent Operations

Prefabricated and Modular Construction

As an ‘off-grid’ home, a number of systems are required for its operational independence.

With the goal to eliminate fossil fuels and combustion from its operation, Perkins & Will incorporated a photo-voltaic array, geoxchange system, and hydrogen fuel cell as a backup energy storage solution. Although it reduces efficiency, the site’s topography, along with the snow accumulation in winter, led the studio to mount the 32kW array vertically on the south façade.

Local builders were commissioned to prefabricate modular building elements off-site in an attempt to solve the challenges provided by the site’s remote location and seasonal construction window.

This was also essential to allow for a quick erection of the building in the summer season while decreasing the amount of equipment and materials needed to be delivered to the site reducing the project’s embodied carbon footprint. Minimizing site disturbance, Perkins & Will set the

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modular prefabricated home on a light structure above the uneven terrain, reinforcing its relationship to the site as a ‘visitor’, allowing nature and the site to remain the focus.

outdoor adventurers. With a historical forestry-based economy, today the popular skiing and hiking area is found amid stands of second growth forest. Contributing to the local economy, Perkins & Will ensured that all timber cleared on the project site fed into the local forest industry.

Performance Led Aesthetic

As part of the design process, the detailing of the building prompted a research initiative completed by the Vancouver studio -

‘Increasing Understanding of the Role of Thermal Bridging in Building Performance and the Design Process’. As a Passive House project, the goal is to mitigate energy loss and create outstanding interior comfort through building envelope performance. This study focused on the role of thermal bridging on performance and its mitigation through good detailing, and a detailed thermal bridge calculation protocol and workflow was developed and

applied to benefit the project.

History

The house sits between the traditional territories of the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations, with evidence of occupation in the valley for centuries. Development in the broader region began in the 1970’s in the present Resort Municipality of Whistler, beginning as an ‘off-grid’ settlement of avid crosscountry skiers, naturalists, and

Playing on the project’s remoteness and pioneer mindset, the name SoLo was born. Located in the Lower Soo Valley, the house sits alone perched on top of a hill, and is going ‘solo’ in paving a new path forward to build differently.

The idea, according to architect Alysia Baldwin, who led the project out of Perkins and Will’s Vancouver office, was to build a case study in energy performance and sustainable development, and ‘to prove that you can go above and beyond and do better with the buildings we build’. Let’s just call it a cabin with a conscience; one that serves as a prototype for future projects and also as an educational tool to help school groups and families understand how they can reduce their impact on the environment.

Image © Andrew Latreille

Research - Thermal Bridging

SoLo: It’s in the Name

Image © Andrew Latreille

Propelled by the project’s remoteness, SoLo has been designed to express a distinctive performance led aesthetic that is deliberately authentic and unsentimental. Focusing on the essential characteristics of the building, the home embodies a simple aesthetic through a restrained material palette and edited architectural features.

Unexpected and unique, the interior of the house features only six materials with douglas fir celebrated throughout as both structure and finish. With a commitment to promote health and well-being, Perkins & Will purposely chose materials from its Precautionary List rounding out their holistic approach to sustainability by eliminating harmful chemicals.

Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

Image Image © David © AHEC Cleveland

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Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

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Material-driven project pushes the boundaries of what is possible with American hardwoods and explores how designers and craftspeople adapted their working practices during lockdown

Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

Made Together Apart: ‘Connected’ at the Design Museum

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Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

“This extraordinary exhibition showcases the results of a unique experiment that sets out to push the boundaries of what is possible with these timbers and to explore how designers and craftspeople adapted their working practices during lockdown,” said Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director. “The project demanded that both the designers and craftspeople at Benchmark work innovatively, by relying solely on digital communication and video conferencing, to bring the designers’ visions to life. This

Image © David Cleveland

The onset of COVID-19 significantly changed the way people live, interact and work. As a result, creatives and makers had to adjust their processes using new technologies to work together at a distance and often operate from new, improvised,

home offices. For this project, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Benchmark Furniture and the Design Museum challenged the designers to create a table and seating for their personal use, to suit their new ways of living and working from home. The designers had a choice of three American hardwoods to work with - red oak, maple or cherry. They were also invited to record their creative journeys to demonstrate how they approached the brief and developed their designs at a time of limited physical contact.

approach required a new level of trust in the makers, since the designers had no physical contact with their pieces whilst they were being made at Benchmark’s Berkshire workshop during the summer.”

Image © David Cleveland

Nine imaginative and original tables and seating designs, created by nine leading international designers and beautifully made in one of Europe’s top craft workshops, were unveiled as part an installation entitled ‘Connected’, at the Design Museum in London.

The resulting pieces, on display at the Design Museum, which re-opened to the public, celebrate the act of physically coming back together - reconnecting after lockdown. The designers involved include: Ini Archibong (Switzerland), Maria Bruun (Denmark), Jaime Hayon (Spain), Heatherwick Studio (UK), Sebastian Herkner (Germany), Maria Jeglinska- Adamczewska (Poland), Sabine Marcelis (Netherlands), Studiopepe (Italy) and Studio Swine (UK / Japan).

According to AHEC, this material-driven project is all about three underused hardwoods - red oak, maple and cherry - which combined, account for more than 40 percent of all standing hardwoods in the American

forests. All three are beautiful woods and the aim was to allow the designers to discover their aesthetic and performance potential. The emphasis was also on the environmental merits of making more use of what nature is growing. The resulting responses to the brief are incredibly diverse and personal, with a bold array of natural and stained finishes that bring these sustainable timbers to life in a new way. Each of the designs have challenged the makers with their complexity

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“I am blown away by how each designer was given the same brief and we ended up with nine completely different - and incredible - creative interpretations. The performance of these three hardwoods has been exceptional, and craftspeople at Benchmark have risen to the challenges presented by some complex designs and the results are extraordinary,” said David Venables, AHEC’s European Director. “This is a genuine

The table’s top is laminated and machined, with a colorful

Maria’s collection, Nordic Pioneer, offers a masterclass in Nordic design. With a purity to both the seating and to her gate-leg table, they are intentionally pared back, to let the materials and construction do the talking. Made entirely in American maple, a key design detail is the elegant wooden hinge that runs the length of the tabletop, to lift and drop the leaf. Components for this hinge are turned and drilled to within a fraction of a millimeter, to ensure a smoothness of movement. Turned rounded feet intersect with the square profile of the table leg, and subtle tracks for the gate legs are integrated on

evolution in how we work: the craftspeople have worked tirelessly with the designers over video conferencing to ensure the exact details are met. And it proves that lockdown doesn’t get in the way of creativity and creation.”

Each designer was paired with a craftsman at Benchmark’s workshop in Berkshire, with whom they developed their pieces. Benchmark collated all the production data for each design to enable AHEC to model its

Image © David Cleveland

and attention to detail.

Ini Archibong’s Kadamba Gate is driven by a strong narrative that guides the material choice as well as the piece’s construction. Both the table and bench function as outdoor pieces. The table has a metal base plate and frame that supports the tabletop. The sculptural underframe is made from irregular-shaped extrusions in multiple heights, inspired by the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. This underframe is constructed from a mix of materials - American red oak, cherry and thermally-modified American red oak.

gloss epoxy finish, and intricate removable brass detailing, which doubles as drainage for its outdoor environment. Ini’s bench uses a similar construction as the table, with a metal frame cased within sculptural timber extrusions.

The top has a subtle camber for drainage, and a removable vegetable-tanned leather seat pad with stitched perimeter, made by leather specialists Bill Amberg Studio.

Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

environmental life cycle impact (LCA). The designers also recorded the design process and product development throughout the summer, producing a series of video diaries, which are on www.connectedbydesign.online and social media, using the project hashtag (#connectedbydesign).

These diaries also feed into a documentary-style film that will narrate their individual journeys.

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With an organic and modular form, Sebastian wanted to create a landscape where the various elements of his day meet. The name Stammtisch translates as the ‘regulars table’ - a space for friends and family to gather every week. Using a thoughtfully selected choice of materials, the table is made from red oak, bleached, with a white matt natural oil finish. The large tray is made from American maple, ammonia fumed with a clear matt natural oil finish. His stools and small tray are made from scorched red oak. The timber for the tabletop and other components is spindle-moulded to achieve the

characteristic shape that is key to Sebastian’s design. Components were carefully jointed and glued up, with the design playing with contrasting grain directions from the tabletop and the movable trays, which can run along the length of the top within skived tracks.

Maria’s Arco seat and table draw inspiration from sculptural forms and the architecture of Benedictine abbeys. With a focus on a prominent curve, the table uses prime American cherry with planks carefully grain matched and machined. The table’s angled legs are an unusual quartermoon shape and create tension through the top by use of inset metal plates. The chair has been designed to be sculptural, and to mimic the curves of the body.

Image © David Cleveland Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

Heatherwick Studio’s Stem celebrates the power of biophilia by incorporating planting into curved CNC-machined American maple legs, clamped to a glass tabletop. After spending three months at the same desk using video conferencing to communicate, the studio craved nature and began to see the space around them as a mini television studio - what is behind you and around you is now being seen by the world. Initial inspiration evolved from the craft of wooden spoon carving. The same principle is applied to a shelving unit, with carved timber uprights and

glass shelves. The seat will be upholstered in Gotland shearling, with a carved base that references the other elements.

Image © David Cleveland

The Mesamachine is a complex and ambitious multi-element build, providing a single space to work, play, eat and spend time with his family. Like a swiss army knife, functional elements can be opened and extended to serve a multitude of functions.

The main table frame is made up like a hollow torsion box, with tensioning ribs running along its length. The various storage solutions and extending shelves work on timber runners and involve an exacting degree of precision in their manufacture.

Two stools and a bench follow a similar design language, with smiley faces cut out to add a playful element. The timber choice is American cherry with a clear oil.

Image © David Cleveland

the underside of the leaf. Maria’s seat references the functional and linear lines of the table, while stackable stools with rounded seat pads, machined from solid maple act to celebrate the choice of timber.

While appearing structurally simple, the construction choices (such as frame matching) showcase the degree of manufacturing proficiency. The side panels of the chair are coopered - a technique drawn from barrel-making, and the piece will act to celebrate the beauty of the hardwood.

Sabine Marcelis’ Candy Cubicle transforms from ‘working mode’ into ‘hiding mode’ with an element of surprise on the inside - inspired by the suitcase scene in Pulp Fiction. The outer surfaces use veneered American maple with a white oil finish.

The interior has compartments for books and a computer, constructed from the same maple veneer - but coated in a yellow high-gloss translucent

lacquer - hand polished to a fine finish. This offers a bright pop of color when the cubicle is open, with the fine maple grain visible through the lacquer. The unit is on matching yellow casters, allowing the piece to be easily closed when the working day is over. Sabine’s seat, a circular stool, is made from stacked and turned solid maple, with matching casters.

Studiopepe’s Pink Moon plays with the idea of cycles of renewal and new beginnings, inspired by the Pink moon in spring. Its construction involved contrasting inlay details on the table’s legs and a contemporary seat inspired by a Charles Rennie Mackintosh frame. American maple was chosen for this piece. Timber was first selected

Image © David Cleveland Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

Image © David Cleveland

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and then CNC cut for the leg inlays. These pieces were then stained and oiled, a process that dyed the timber through.

The tabletop was planked and then cut on CNC to the desired nature-inspired form. Legs were mitred together, and then the contrast inlay fitted flush.

The chair’s unusual backrest comprises a large maple ‘moon’, CNC machined in two halves, drilled to accept the back legs and then stained. When the two halves are brought together, a seamless joint will be created, with the Pink Moon suspended by the Mackintosh-inspired frame.

The Humble Administrator’s Chair and Table by Studio Swine is a throne-style seat and table inspired by traditional Chinese

gardens and the archetype of the Ming Chair. After spending lockdown in Tokyo, the pair were left craving nature and wanted to celebrate timber in its purest form. American cherry was chosen for its warmth and caramel tones for the solid seat and back leg, with curved steam bent American red oak front legs, arms and backrest.

The steam bend for the arms was ambitious and complex to fabricate, in that it bends across two axes - requiring a team of six craftspeople and a specially constructed jig to create its unusual form. Their table uses a smooth clean piece of American cherry, with the straight leg profile visible through the top as end grain. An inset laptop shelf will act as a tensioning brace for the table.

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Breathing new life into old timber pieces Reclaimed timbers effortlessly feed into the modern and contemporary design of living spaces

Image © MTC

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The buildings, featured in this article and all located in Malaysia, showcase the creative transformation of old timbers to feed into innovative contemporary designs. While some have incorporated new wood materials, most are totally built using reclaimed timber in the forms of columns, beams, trusses, flooring, door and window frames, panels and balustrades. Having been seasoned and conditioned over many years, the durability and technical stability of old timbers such as Belian, Chengal and Meranti are often surpassed and could therefore be reused many times.

Telegraph Pole House

The Telegraph Pole House is

named after its signature feature - the supporting columns in telegraph poles. Perched on top of a hill in the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi, its blueprint adapts the native longhouse design of the indigenous people of Sarawak. In the initial blueprint, the signature of the house - the large and extensive roof - was supposed to be supported by huge, chunky logs.

The architect then substituted the main supporting columns with four telegraph poles, which were left unfinished where the guests can still find the original serial numbers on them.

A sculptural flight of stairs featuring huge, yet seemingly floating timber steps are made of reclaimed telegraph poles too, leading the guests to one of the upperparts of the house, which hosts the resting and sleeping quarters. Moving upstairs, the verandahs run the full length of the house on both sides of the upper floor. The reclaimed timber wall panels for the upper floor were sanded but not completely, leaving the remains of the old paint

Image Š MTC

The word renewal is often associated with the process of restoring an object, the beauty and purpose of which has been eroded or diminished through time. Many wood enthusiasts prefer old timbers and actively seek them out for projects, enabling us to enjoy the timber’s presence in our built space for many more years to come.

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Image © MTC

Image © MTC Image © Wu Qingshan

Image © Wu Qingshan

Gooi Residence

This residential has been constructed entirely of reclaimed materials: timber columns, beams, trusses, floorboards, doors and windows.

This two-storey terrace house was carefully built with entirely recycled materials, including the unpainted antique bricks and timbers, that gives it a combination of rusticity and warmth, and embellished with wooden furniture from the 1950s and 1960s.

The owner sourced a row of timber-louvered windows from old shophouses in Ipoh in the state of Perak and installed them on one whole wall of the reception hall, facilitating natural ventilation and sunlight.

A simple timber balustraded stairway leads to the upper deck that has only one room with a dormer window for stargazing at night. Its 90-square-meter of flooring is finished in Balau.

All the reclaimed timbers are sorted carefully for color consistency, being sanded and

polished for perfection. Its semiopen kitchen is furnished with cabinets and work benches that are made of reclaimed timber as well.

The ‘Longhouse’

Another building that references native longhouses in the Malaysian state of Sarawak is the ‘Longhouse’. This building within the Ferringhi Garden Restaurant is situated along the beach on Penang Island. The restaurant is completely built from reclaimed timbers sourced from old warehouses and schools. It has used up a total of 150 tons of reclaimed Merbau.

Sharing a similar concept with the Telegraph Pole House, this restaurant has a long, one-room space with exposed timber trusses, beams, battens, flooring and paneled walls and doors. The parquet pattern on the upper part of the wall was sourced from the floors of demolished schools whereas the vertical pattern in the middle was newly created to mediate between the top and the bottom panels.

Image © MTC

showing through.

Image © MTC Image © MTC

Image © MTC

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Villa Samadhi

An Asian-inspired boutique hotel, Villa Samadhi in Kuala Lumpur has used salvaged timbers and components for the interiors predominantly, combined with polished concrete floors and white plastered walls. The usage of reclaimed timbers such as Chengal, Balau, Merbau, Teak and Meranti complements the polished concrete and bamboo, thus creating a distinctively raw yet luxurious ambience. Guests are greeted with timber doors featuring some delicate lacelike carvings at the entrance to the lobby. These doors feature Chinese symbols carved into their lower panels indicating that they possibly once

belonged to an ancient Chinese Mansion.

Almaz’s Weekend Villa

Built on two acres of rubber estate land turned homestead in the Malaysian state of Selangor, Almaz’s Weekend Villa features a plunge pool in the center of the living room and has been constructed from reclaimed timbers - Chengal, Balau and Kempas. The timber was sourced from old shoplots, abandoned houses and sawmills in the state of Perak. Among these old timbers, there are chunky 12” round columns, 8” x 8” posts, 3” x 5” floorboards, 2” x 5” roof rafters and full height adjustable louvred windows.

The owner has also installed

antique teak-famed stainedglass windows that came from Malacca.

Kenneth Too’s Residence

Kenneth Too’s Residence was built with reclaimed Chengal and Merbau salvaged from demolished structures and an old Fraser and Neave soft drinks bottling factory. Located in the Malaysian state of Selangor, the upper roof of the living area is 15 meters high and serves as a clerestory window for natural illumination. Chengal, mainly used for structural purposes, makes up the roof trusses, beams, battens and columns. The remaining timbers have been used for flooring, door and window frames, panels, balustrades and outdoor

furniture.

Wei Ling Gallery

The Wei Ling Gallery’s owner has creatively turned a gutted old colonial-looking shoplot into an airy art gallery space by adding a few wooden platforms that are connected by wooden stairs and bridges. In some areas square plywood floor tiles have been laid over these platforms, whilst other areas feature tempered glass, allowing visitors to observe the charred original timber floors and beams. The owner designed the gallery with a raw and natural finish feel. *More information on MTC and its programmes and services is available at www.mtc.com.my.

MALAYSIAN TIMBERS

THE PREFERRED CHOICE Sustainable Renewable Versatile Durable Diverse

The remarkable performance characteristics of Malaysian timbers have allowed architects and designers globally to feature timber in time-transcending designs that match beauty with functionality.

Your go-to resource for information on Malaysian timbers

www.mtc.com.my

Image © NHG Timber

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COMMENT

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NHG Timber: The hardwood supply challenge Worldwide demand for timber has been good as people have continued to build and use wood but we’re now seeing the strains on the supply chain

Here at NHG, we have noticed

that despite our inability to do the normal amount of travelling to visit sources of supply to verify quality and monitor production, or to visit clients in person, we have found that the trust that already exists with our partners has been crucial in ensuring that business can continue as seamlessly as possible.

We are nevertheless starting to see the knock-on effects of restricted production and disrupted markets. The truth is that worldwide timber demand has been good on the whole as people have continued to build and use wood. Now we are seeing the strains on the supply chain.

To all of our clients in the MENA region, we would like to emphasize the point that it is important to ensure that

orders are confirmed promptly to ensure continuity of supply, especially from Africa: we are already seeing kiln dried capacity in Africa already committed for the first few months of 2021.

Lead time of 4-6 months are not unusual in normal times we would expect these to be stretched rather than shortened now. North American hardwood production in 2020 is likely to be half that of 2019. The good availability and steady pricing of a year ago has now changed to shortages and increased pricing for many key items.

We are fortunate that our supply network built up and nurtured over decades continues to be strong in difficult times.

It is our number one priority to ensure that our clients are properly considered, properly

informed, and well supplied with the hardwoods they need both now and in the future.

NHG Timber specializes in tropical and temperate timber sourcing worldwide with a special focus on West Africa.

Many readers will be familiar with NHG logos adorning packs of Sapele, Iroko, Dabema, Kossipo and many other timbers in various markets in the Gulf.

This success has been built up not only on a deep and practical product knowledge, but also on forging long-term relationships with clients based on mutual respect and trust. *This article has been supplied

by NHG Timber. For more information and to learn more about the company, please visit www.nhgtimber.co.uk.

Hardwood Lumber

NHG Timber specializes in the supply of hardwood lumber from West Africa, North America and Europe. These are available in fixed dimensions as well as standard sizes, and Ben Goodwin, Guy Goodwin and Stuart McBride have the in-depth knowledge and experience of their supply areas to be able to source practically any desired hardwood product that clients require, along with providing advice and support. New ideas for grades, species and specifications are suggested on a regular basis.

Softwood Lumber

Echoing the company’s European sales, species such as Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir and Southern Yellow Pine are sourced from NHG’s North American network of suppliers.

Finished and Semi-finished products

NHG can supply a variety of products such as hardwood decking, machined profiles, moulding blanks and finished sections to give clients a fully bespoke hardwood service from expert and experienced producers.

Image © NHG Timber

2020 has been a most peculiar year for business as no doubt all will agree. It has put into sharp focus how we are all reliant on our business partners to support our supply chains to ensure that everything can continue to function during uncertain times.

For producers worldwide, the pandemic has created many challenges which have inevitably impacted the ability of sawmills to produce lumber, be that labor shortages due to lockdowns or infections, material shortages due to logistical problems, or capital shortages due to funds being required elsewhere to shore up struggling operations. There is no doubt that only the strong, well organized, and well capitalized companies can get through such a period of time successfully.

Logs & Boules

Market trends are progressively realizing the importance of added value, but NHG still has a good business in log supply, and sources African and American logs for those buyers who wish to control their own yields.

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Malaysia to showcase the role of its forest in the global climate battle at Expo 2020 Dubai Malaysia to present a rainforest canopy-inspired net zero carbon pavilion

COMMENT 39

A world that is increasingly worried about the atmosphere that is fast-saturated by greenhouse gases emitted by anthropogenic activities is looking for every possible means to slow down the trajectory of a warming planet. The role of carbon-absorbing forests especially tropical rainforests in regulating climate has never been more important. Once again, protecting the remaining forested areas, which lie in the territories of developing countries regained international attention and is thrust into the forefront of the battle to reverse the planetary emergency.

Image © Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

Forest land accounts for about 31 percent of the world’s land surface area (4.06 billion hectares), with the largest proportion (45 percent) in the tropical domain. And of this, the oldest biome located close to the equator and found within the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn - the tropical rainforests of Amazon, the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia - are touted to be the game-changing carbon sinks of the world. Forestrelated emissions due to land use change and unsustainable logging practices contribute about one fifth of all global emissions. Therefore, protecting these remaining sinks would give mankind the fighting chance to reverse the course of runaway climate change.

Their importance gained substantial tractions as countries of the world intensify negotiations to enhance international cooperation to combat climate change following the implementation of the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012) in which developed countries would reduce 5 percent of their emissions from 1990 levels. The role of forests as both emission sources and carbon reservoirs was acknowledged and addressed, namely with the mechanism known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing countries (REDDplus) adopted in 2007 at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in

Bali, Indonesia.

It has to be pointed out that the pluses referring to the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks are significantly important for many developing countries where deforestation rates are relatively small. This means that such countries would be compensated for having kept their forests as the lungs of the world, hence REDDplus would be an effective policy approach to prevent deforestation.

Decades of disinformation Contrary to the disinformation surrounding Malaysia’s so-called high deforestation rate, one indisputable fact stands out.

To date, more than 50 percent of the country’s landmass is still blanketed by forests after 63 years of post-independence nation-building. How is it that a country that relies heavily on its primary resources, an economic activity carried over from the colonial period, is able to maintain so much of its forest areas amidst population growth and meeting demands for more infrastructure and pressure to extract more timber?

The answer lies in the appreciation and farsighted vision of the country’s leadership towards sustainable development. In many of Malaysia’s official statements concerning sustainable development at international fora, the byname ‘Rio pledge’ is frequently referenced. It is linked to the bold pledge of maintaining at least 50 percent (16.5 million hectares) of it's relatively small landmass as forest.

The watershed year was 1992.

The venue was Rio de Janeiro, a city in the southeastern region of Brazil on the Atlantic coast.

Nearly 30 years ago, countries of the world got together at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro and agreed that environmental protection and development are not necessarily mutually

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exclusive. And developing countries must not be forced to give up their rights for a better standard of living in the name of environmental protection.

Basically, everyone agreed that achieving sustainable development required balancing the three pillars - economic, environmental and social - the vital aspects of modern-day society.

As a member of the developing world, Malaysia was a vocal advocate for the rights to development, to industrialize, to eradicate poverty and to prosper. This legitimate desire to be a developed nation in the near future will inevitably mean some forested areas will have to give way for Malaysia’s economic transformation.

Nevertheless, through the years

since Rio, Malaysia has adopted world-renowned Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) practices and subjected its timber harvesting supply chain practices to third-party certification scheme.

These efforts have minimized the negative impacts of timber harvesting in the production forests and protected its carbon stock. At the same time, management of specific ecological functions of forests were also enhanced through the establishment of totally protected areas as well as protective status for soil conservation and water catchment within the permanent reserve forests system. Soil protection not only preserves the fertility of soil and prevents runoff and

sedimentation as part of flood mitigation, it also prevents the release of soil carbon.

Impacts of climate change are not restricted by national borders and Malaysia fully appreciates the saying ‘No man is an island’. As a member of the global community and a signatory to the UNFCCC and its supplementary treaties - the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement - Malaysia aims to play its part by building on the Rio pledge in terms of protecting the vital carbon sinks in its territories.

Staying true to our bold pledge To date, no country in the world including rainforestrich developing countries has promised the world to set aside half of their territories as a

COMMENT

It has to be clarified that in the country’s reporting to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN agency tasked with monitoring the world’s forestry resources, rubber and oil palm plantations were never considered as forests nor included in the forest cover statistics. In other words, what Malaysia counts as forest are the dipterocarp forests, the montane forests, the freshwater, peat and mangrove swamp forests.

In addition, following the anti-tropical timber campaign in the late 1980s and early 1990s resulting in the demand for traceability of timber products, Malaysia has gallantly embraced

voluntary timber certification with the establishment of an independent national scheme the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS). Governed by the Malaysian Timber Certification Council, MTCS is both countrydriven given the national commitment towards ensuring SFM and a market-linked tool in line with the adoption of SFM in reforming forestry practices.

Starting off gingerly on the unchartered path of timber certification and overcoming numerous constraints, MTCS eventually gained global recognition. In 2009, it became the first tropical timber certification scheme in the Asia Pacific region to be endorsed by the Netherlands’ Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the largest forest certification programme representing more than 300 million hectares of certified forests worldwide. Operational since 2001, MTCS has generated 2.2 million cubic meters of certified timber and timber products exported to 69 destinations as of 2019. To date, more than 5 million hectares of forests in Malaysia are certified under the MTCS and Forest Stewardship Council Scheme (FSC).

Tracing of timber from the forests to its end products is assured

by the Chain of Custody (CoC) certification process of which 381 companies are being issued with the PEFC CoC certificates out of the total of about 3,500 timber companies in Malaysia.

The total certified forests under MTCS represent 13 percent of the world’s certified tropical forests, a remarkable achievement for a small developing country. In fact, under the National Policy on Biological Diversity (2016-2025), the country has set a target of 100 percent of all timber and timber products are sustainably managed by 2025. Yet, another bold ambition in a challenging business atmosphere amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, little known to the global public, the world’s first tropical rainforest certified by the FSC in 1997 is the Deramakot Forest Reserve in the Borneo state of Sabah.

The decision in the early years is a testimony of Malaysia’s seriousness in implementing SFM and contribute to the trade in sustainable timber and timber products in the international market, thus ensuring that its logging industry is a positive force in terms of global forestry governance as well as living up to the challenge of sustainable development. It also puts the country in a good stead to fulfil its commitment not only to the Paris Agreement but also

Image © Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

Image © Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

contribution to global wellbeing. The bold pledge in 1992 is indeed Malaysia’s generous gift to the world. However, despite the challenges, skepticisms and doubts, Malaysia remains steadfast in upholding its Rio’s pledge. Among the disinformation is the suspicion that Malaysia counts its commodities plantation as part of the 50 percent forest cover, and this has posed considerable challenge to the country’s palm oil industry. As of 2018, approximately 55.31 percent of the total land area of Malaysia was still forest areas.

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At Expo 2020, the achievements of the forestry sector will be the shining example of Malaysia’s theme ‘Energizing Sustainability’.

Depicting the country’s seriousness and commitment to

climate change mitigation and forest conservation, Malaysia will present a rainforest canopyinspired net zero carbon pavilion.

The pavilion will also allow Malaysia an opportunity to share success stories as a forested nation and the country’s approach towards sustainable development.

Going forward, Malaysia seeks to

engage with other participating countries, businesses and the anticipated 25 million visitors in exploring new and innovative ideas and initiatives to assist in its endeavor to continue to be the leading tropical country in conserving its forests for the shared prosperity of humankind.

Malaysia’s participation at Expo 2020, scheduled for October 1,

2021 through March 31, 2022, is led by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), with Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC) as implementing agency. *This article has been submitted by the Malaysia Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai

Image © Malaysia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

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18 - 21 February 2021

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Neutelings Riedijk Architects and Bureau Bouwtechniek restore and reimagine Gare Maritime

Filip Dujardin | Š Neutelings Riedijk Architects

Mixed-use development is the largest CLT project in Europe and an excellent example of a sustainable development

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Gare Maritime dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The enormous building is no less than 280 meters long and 140 meters wide. It consists of three large and four small halls, that now have been made accessible to the public again.

Under the existing roofs of the

The central space in the heart of the building has been kept open for public events. It has a pleasant climate, which follows the changing of the seasons.

Inspired by the ‘Ramblas’, a green walking boulevard has been created on both sides of the event space. The 16-meter-wide pedestrian routes give enough room for spacious inner gardens, with a hundred large trees. The gardens have been planned by landscape architects OMGEVING, who designed a total of ten gardens based on four themes: the woodland garden, the flower garden, the grass garden and the fragrance garden. The choice

Filip Dujardin | © Neutelings Riedijk Architects

Public gardens and squares

side aisles, twelve new building volumes have been added to accommodate the new program of 45,000 square meters.

According to Michiel Riedijk, Co-founder, Neutelings Riedijk, the twelve pavilions create a new structure of boulevards and street, parks and squares, that follow the existing urban context and the building structure in a natural and logical way, like a true city.

Filip Dujardin | © Neutelings Riedijk Architects

The monumental Gare Maritime on the Tour & Taxis site in Brussels has been transformed into a new city district by Neutelings Riedijk Architects and Bureau Bouwtechniek.

Once Europe’s largest railway station for goods, Gare Maritime has now been turned into a mixed program of working and shopping and plenty of public space to relax. An inspiring place for companies, ranging from start-ups to renowned brands, together they surround an impressive public space for all kind of events. Commissioned

by Extensa, the mixed-use development is the largest crosslaminated timber (CLT) project in Europe and an excellent example of a sustainable development.

Sarah Blee | © Neutelings Riedijk Architects

Filip Dujardin | © Neutelings Riedijk Architects

Filip Dujardin | © Neutelings Riedijk Architects

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of plants has been adapted to the specific growing conditions, which are comparable to a Mediterranean climate. For the little squares, Brussels visual artist Henri Jacobs designed eight mosaics.

Largest CLT-project in Europe Together with Ney & Partners and Bureau Bouwtechniek, the construction of the new built-in volumes has been realized in cross-laminated timber (CLT) with façade finishings in FSCcertified oak. This has translated into an enormous reduction in the amount of cement; in concrete, the building would have been five times heavier. The choice of wood also had a favorable effect on the construction process.

Thanks to prefabrication and a dry construction method, the construction time was considerably shorter than when using traditional construction methods.

Neutelings Riedijk Architects followed the principles of the circular economy - where materials are kept in circulation rather than discarded in favour

of extracting new raw materials - for the project. The modular CLT structures can be easily taken apart and the panels repurposed at a later date. This resulted in the design of demountable connections and modular wooden building elements. In fact, using a large amount of CLT was part of the plan to make the development of Gare Maritime as sustainable as possible.

State-of-the-art in sustainability

Gare Maritime is entirely energy neutral and fossil free. The glass facades on Picard street are provided with solar cells. On the roofs a total area of 17,000 square meters of solar panels has been installed. At all levels construction, climate, circularity, biodiversity, health - far-reaching sustainability measures have been implemented. Use of geothermal energy and reuse of rainwater for watering the gardens are a few of the measurements taken.

By using CLT, the architects have saved 3,500 tonnes of C02 emissions, which would have

Filip Dujardin | © Neutelings Riedijk Architects

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been generated had concrete been used instead. In addition, wood, paving stones, and steel columns from the original building were re-used and retained where possible, saving costs and materials as well as integrating the site’s history into its future.

Sustainable renovation

In the first phase, the existing historic building was carefully restored by Jan de Moffarts Architects, Bureau Bouwtechniek, Ney & Partners and Boydens. The supporting structure, consisting of riveted lattice girders and

characteristic three-hinge trusses, was sustainably renovated and reinforced where necessary. An extensive analysis with various scenarios led to the sustainable renewal of the original ‘skin’. As an adaptive reuse project, Gare Maritime conserves energy and materials by making use of an existing structure instead of demolishing and building an entirely new complex in its place.

In the second phase, twelve new building volumes were added under the existing building side aisles to accommodate 45,000

square meters that includes office and retail spaces, event spaces, and public green spaces. Taken together, the original building and new pavilions combine a network of boulevards, streets, and public parks and squares into one ‘covered city’ reflective of the existing urban context.

Flexible pavilions and a healthy working environment

As for the offices, the key focus was to create a healthy working environment with light, open and inspiring workplaces. The

pavilions are composed of a ground floor, first and second floor with an additional mezzanine under the ridge. Large oak windows on the ground floor also serve as balconies for the offices above. The pavilions are interconnected by sculptural oak ‘staircases’ above the inner streets. Based on a modular system, various functions can easily be accommodated, such as offices, workshops, shops and showrooms. Because the twelve separate pavilions all have their own address, the huge project still has a human scale.

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Enter Projects incorporates natural, renewable rattan for the interiors of Spice & Barley Design narrative aims to connect the past and present via a complex web of free-flowing rattan structures

Image Š William Barrington-Binns

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Image © William Barrington-Binns

Image © William Barrington-Binns

Image © William Barrington-Binns

Image © William Barrington-Binns

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In their signature style, fusing 3D digital technology with traditional arts & crafts, the Enter Projects team sought to incorporate natural, renewable rattan into the 30-meter-high space. By generating free-flowing liquid geometries, to mimic beer as it’s

“Working with skilled arts and crafts people in Thailand was key to the success of this project.

Such artisans need exposure to commercial projects and to gain experience as they face marginalization from inferior plastic goods. They now have

relevance in the marketplace and we are designing several commercial, residential and hospitality projects to continue working alongside them, using sustainable construction materials,” concluded Keane.

The site overlooks the Chao Priya River and the natural rattan structures act as twin towers, referencing the high-rise towers in the backdrop. The vast geometries flood the ceiling in an uninterrupted balustrade of twists and turns, which bounce the light and become a beacon from far away. In keeping with the original brief, the design sensibilities at Spice and Barley are intrinsically Asian Fusion, a phenomenal marriage of ideas, creating a space in which you innately sense that the client and architect have understood one another perfectly.

Image © William Barrington-Binns

poured into a glass, the design aesthetic gives a strong nod to Spice & Barleys anchorage as a craft Belgium Beer destination.

The sweeping rattan columns flawlessly frame the backdrop of the three sisters, a dual nod to the Sichuan cuisine, which ingeniously complements the beer offering.

Whilst the form itself is visually awe-inspiring, the gold painted rattan also serves to hide the beer pipes, air-conditioning and other related services, paying homage to the belief that ‘form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union’.

Image © William Barrington-Binns

“The client was looking for something natural that

would fit into the context and heritage of Thailand but to an international design standard.

The venue is a showcase first venue for the new brand 'Spice and Barley'. As an office doing parametric architecture, we worked using Maya and rhino developing non orthogonal geometries. We fused local art and craft weaving and basketry techniques to cloak the columns in rattan, thus hiding internal services like air-conditioning, electrical and beer service equipment,” said Patrick Keane, Design Director, Enter Projects.

Image © William Barrington-Binns

In March 2020, just as lockdown measures were put in place, Enter Projects Asia completed the design installation for Spice & Barley at Riverside in Bangkok. Minor International were clear on their brief: to introduce innovation and eco-awareness, giving the new brand a local context - to an international design standard.

The initial concept centered around the adventures of three sisters, May, Zaza and Fei who were born in Sichuan decades earlier. As they explored the story in more depth, a design narrative was formed, connecting the past & present in a complex web of free-flowing, statuesque rattan structures, as intoxicating as the characters themselves.

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Fold House: a sculptural pavilion with an undulating roof that pushes the boundaries of compression-bent wood

Image Š PARTISANS

Historic guesthouse lost to fire reincarnated as an undulating escape by PARTISANS

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To minimize environmental impact and follow the Niagara Escarpment’s regulations, a 3D scan was performed to finetune the structure’s positioning. The green roof blurs the distinction

between landscape. In order to maximize sunlight in all seasons and reduce solar gain in the summer, the windows are structured in a checkerboard pattern along the guest houses and the pool room features southfacing glazed sliding doors with deep overhang.

Scott Friedmann purchased this sweeping property just outside of Hamilton Ontario in 2014. The heritage estate lies on the edge of an escarpment, hidden behind a stone wall and 200-year-old maple and oak trees. The property includes a rambling Georgian Revival Mansion comprised of multiple additions dating back to the 1870s, including a four-storey

Image © PARTISANS

The facade and interiors deploy

compression-bent wood, an artisanal fabrication technique typically used on furniture and musical instruments, and rarely deployed at this scale. The roof has a significant wave-like curvature that is visually striking from the exterior of the building as well as from the inside of the pool room opens space to cradle the cascading external steel staircase and creates a sculptural slope in the white oak ceiling of the pool room.

Image © PARTISANS

Fold House is a residential property in Hamilton, Ontario that ‘folds’ into the contours of a hillside through its undulating wood and steel structure. The two-storey residence is concealed through the land’s topography with the pool pavilion nestled into the lower part of the hill and features an eighty-foot-long by ten-foot-tall sliding glass facade that provides sweeping views from a burrowed vantage point. The undulating structure disguises the ninety-foot steel structural beam that creates a cantilevered canopy making the front of the pavilion appear as though it is floating.

Image © PARTISANS

Image © PARTISANS

Image © PARTISANS

Image © PARTISANS

Image © PARTISANS

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Image © PARTISANS

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Image © PARTISANS

tower, a solarium, coach house, barn, and a guesthouse housing Canada’s first heated swimming pool. The grounds featured expansive lawns, fruit and nut orchards and perennial gardens.

In 2017, while dining in the original guesthouse, Scott and his family had to evacuate mid-meal as a fire broke out in the furnace room. Enter PARTISANS to support his vision to re-build.

Years earlier, Scott got to know co-founders Pooya Baktash and Alex Josephson in the local food and art scene. Scott, Pooya, and Alex got excited about creating a folly that is born out of the site and opens up to it. It would be a nature-oriented escape to share with immediate family, friends and collaborators, centered around a swimming pool/spa and a guesthouse with a feature kitchen. It would be a place absent of the clutter of regular life.

Eat, swim, sleep. That, in a nutshell, was the brief for the re-build, according to

PARTISANS. The loosely defined programme of the new pavilion is the outcome of the clients’ involvement in the process and their broadminded take on what architecture entails, not only to meet their immediate needs but future ones. As a food and beverage venture investor and innovator, Scott has used the property as an inspirational setting for his family of five, and for food and drink-centric experimentation and experiences.

Scott has also added an experimental vegetable garden, established beehives, started raising heirloom chickens, and he has been foraging for reishi mushrooms and wild black raspberries. He also expanded the family kitchen to double as a lab for fermenting, crafting, tasting and exchange. Ultimately, the family has created a selfsufficient home and property that has allowed them to weather COVID-19 relatively independently while enjoying the fruits of PARTISANS labor of love on the new pool pavilion.

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Kengo Kuma and Associates build temporary crosslaminated timber pavilion in Tokyo CLT Park Harumi resembles an image of leaves made up of CLT that seem to spiral upwards towards the sky

Image © Kawasumi • Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

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Image © Kawasumi • Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

Image © Kawasumi • Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

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In order to prevent rain and wind from entering the structure but also to allow light to filter through the CLT leaves like trees in a forest, the architects used TEFKA (high-performance fluororesin film) to create super transparent kite-shaped pieces.

These elements closed off the gaps between the CLT panels whilst filtering light through.

The CLT fins along with the TEFKA pieces form a four-sided pavilion that contains a small park with a lawn of artificial grass in the middle.

“TEFKA is lighter than glass and so pliable as to be rolled to transport it,” said Kengo Kuma.

“It is the ideal material for relocation and reconstruction.

It also has the perfect transparency we have sought.”

Digital screens in the middle of the lawn play graphics that change in response to people walking across them. In addition, two events spaces stand adjacent to the park pavilion; one which features a staircase covered in a sweeping sculpture made from stacked planks of CLT. The other has a reading room with books and wooden toys, as well as interactive games to play on screens.

The pavilion is being been used as a site for the dissemination of culture and information and to highlight the benefits of building in CLT. The project represents the exchange of natural and cultural resources between the city and regional areas by realizing the application of the CLT panels in a relocatable, sustainable construction system.

The Meiken Lamwood Corporation in Maniwa used Japanese cypress from Maniwa city in Okayama prefecture to make the CLT panels. After their period of use in Harumi comes to an end, the panels will be transported back to the Hiruzen National Park in Maniwa and reassembled in an area surrounded by greenery.

Image © Kawasumi • Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

Image © Kawasumi • Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

Image © Kawasumi • Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office

Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) have designed a temporary pavilion made from cross-laminated timber (CLT) for events and performances in an open area in Harumi, Tokyo. Called CLT Park Harumi, the complex is located on Harumi, a residential area built on an island of reclaimed land in the Japanese capital. The semi-outdoor pavilion was built by combining CLT boards, measuring 160 cm x 350 cm and 21 cm thick, with a steel frame.

The end result is a structure that resembles an image of leaves made up of CLT that seem to spiral upwards towards the sky.

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SCM and Italco Middle East strengthen relationship with signing of new agreement Italco will now exclusively provide a wide range of SCM technologies

SCM has announced the development of its partnership with Italco Middle East as its distributor for the UAE and Oman market. The aim is to provide the customer with an even wider range of state-of-the-art technological solutions, ready for delivery and capable of meeting the diverse production needs of the entire secondary wood processing industry.

Despite the challenges posed

by Covid-19, the Italian Group's ability to accompany and support woodworking businesses in maximizing their production processes and business projects has never ceased. Quite the opposite. The SCM Middle East team has continued with even

greater determination and resources to stand alongside its customers, providing not only a state-of-the-art product but widespread sales consultancy service and technical support, in line with the needs of the market.

According to Giovanni Masino, SCM Middle East Country Manager, 2020 brought with it several important changes. One of these is the new agreement between SCM and Italco Middle East, a partnership that has been successfully on-going for decades, but which has experienced an important turning point, bringing considerable advantages to the end customer.

Italco Middle East, founded and

managed by Abdalla Al Sayeh, is one of the most trusted suppliers of woodworking machines in the entire Middle East and East Africa area, with more than a decade of experience in the field. Italco will now exclusively provide a wide range of SCM technologies, be able to respond to all market needs and offer readily available stock. Customers will also be able to find all of SCM’s state-of-theart machines and services in the Italco showroom and discover and test all the technical features and advantages provided.

"Nowadays, the market is giving positive signs of a recovery,” said Masino. “As well as the establishment of new companies, we are seeing an evolution of

the already existing ones that are proving to once again be willing to invest in technology to enhance their production processes and develop new business projects. The market is buzzing and the trend, for most of the companies in this sector, is to shift from an artisan production to increasingly more advanced industrial processes, with a growing focus on design and the quality of the finished product".

With almost twenty years of experience in the woodworking sector, Masino came to SCM in April 2020 as the Regional Manager for Middle East and India. Since then, he has also led the SCM Middle East team.

Image © SCM

Image © SCM

Image © SCM

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SCM technologies and stateof-the-art digital services have been further strengthened in these delicate times. The ‘Maestro connect’ IoT platform provides instant access to a wide range of services, to allow woodworking operators to be flanked and supported by the SCM team, even in ‘virtual’

mode.

In addition, the ‘Smartech’ augmented reality assistance, thanks to a wearable computer and a specific control software, allows SCM experts to diagnose and solve problems in real time. Smartech incorporates video, camera, microphone and loudspeaker functions with wireless connection. This ensures a hands-free, two-way communication with interactive data sharing. Lastly, thanks to the SCM ‘e-Campus’ platform, training and all-round service offered to clients are further enhanced with increasingly more personalized courses based on the specific individual needs of companies in the woodworking industry.

Image © SCM

Technological innovation, digital factory and all-round support services to the customer are SCM's primary objectives which, today more than ever, aims to continue to remain at the side of all industry professionals.

According to Masino, SCM Middle East is here and wants to play an active role in this change.

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Three COVID-proof outdoor benches unveiled at Dubai Design Week 2020 ‘Please Sit Here’ challenged three prominent Emirati designers to develop versatile public seating solutions in thermally-modified American hardwoods

Image © Natelee Cocks

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The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, has unveiled three COVID-proof outdoor benches at Dubai Design Week 2020. The design collaboration - Please Sit Here - challenged three prominent Emirati designers to develop versatile public seating solutions in thermally-modified American hardwoods.

In response to this, three prominent Emirati designers Aljoud Lootah, Khalid Shafar, Hamad Khoory and their teams - were invited by AHEC to each design and develop a hardwood bench for outdoor use in a public space. The bench needed to be designed in such a way that people who sit on it are forced to separate by the current social distancing minimum of 2 meters.

According to AHEC, social distancing - a captivating oxymoron coined to reference the space we need to leave between each other - has begun to dominate the way we live and the decisions we make. While incredibly important in the fight against the spread of the virus, it also curbs our freedom of choice and forces us to behave in an unnatural way. People are social by nature and regulations that inhibit normal social behavior do not come naturally.

This would negate the need for warning signs and allow for people to sit in a relaxed way without having to think about whether they are too close to the next person. However, the design of the bench would also allow for conversion to accommodate more people, closer together, as and when the time comes for social distancing regulations to be relaxed. This will ensure that the benches retain a legacy as functional public seating in the future.

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Image © Natelee Cocks

Please Sit Here draws inspiration from the AHEC’s many high-profile and ambitious collaborations to date, in the UAE and also in Europe, Australia and South Africa. These projects have included multiple design teams, imaginative briefs, innovative designs and the very best of wood craftsmanship, to celebrate the beauty, performance and sustainability of American hardwoods.

The three designers were offered a choice of two American hardwood species - hard maple and red oak.

Together, these species account for nearly 25 percent of the eastern hardwood forests of the USA, one of the largest and most sustainable hardwood resources in the world. Because the benches are for outdoor use, the maple and red oak offered was thermally-modified, involving high heat in a vacuum, carried out after normal kiln drying.

Thermally-modified timber (TMT) is ideal for exterior application, as it has both increased durability and dimensional stability.

Thermally-modified American hardwoods are suitable for applications such as cladding, decking and shading structures, as well as in outdoor furniture and their environmental impact is extremely low. They have much to offer as a natural and low-environmental impact alternative to many other wood and non-wood products.

Image © Natelee Cocks

Image © Natelee Cocks

Jalees by Aljoud Lootah

Made from thermally-modified American red oak, Jalees

by Aljoud Lootah has been designed to recognize the primitive characteristics of outdoor benches found around the UAE and in every Emirati home. Jalees in Arabic translates to being seated securely in place and also means companion.

According to Lootah, this seating design pays tribute to its minimal structure and attributes. The essential vertical and horizontal red oak members have inspired the minimalist design of this outdoor bench creating an appealing modern

interpretation.

“Taking into consideration the post-COVID social distancing requirements, this bench creates a flexible seating system for all users. Contrasting the horizontal octagonal thermally-modified American red oak members are circular seats with metal inserts that slide along the length of the bench to create social distancing when needed between strangers and to bring family together at the same time. Additional seats could be added or removed from the bench according to the requirements of the user,” said Aljoud Lootah.

Contrasting the natural hardwood is a playful pop of color - yellow - that is minimally added on the interior of the bench both for visual aesthetic and structural purposes, along with three metal arches to stop the seats from moving further along the bench. Smaller sliding and removable tables are also placed between the two seats to provide users with a space to place their cups of coffee, phones or small personal belongings.

Pop Up by Khalid Shafar

Made from thermally-modified American hard maple with thermally-modified American red oak detailing, Pop Up by Khalid Shafar has been inspired by the ‘80s. Neon linear lights, ad-boards, the energy in the era's synth wave music, catchy pop colors in the fashion industry and the retro cybertechno theme all served to inspire the design of the Pop Up smart outdoor bench to portray the ‘80s energy and to convey the optimism and strength that we need to overcome the current COVID-19 pandemic with the hope for a brighter and stronger future.

“From the launch of the first space shuttle and the release of the first IBM computers to the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Cold War, the ‘80s offered hope to humanity to once again achieve the impossible and for people to chase their wildest dreams. The energy and passion expressed

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equivalent out of the atmosphere.

Using material volume data collected by the UAE-based manufacturers - Urban Studio and Alfa Interiors & Furniture and based on AHEC’s Life Cycle Assessment tool, it has been calculated that all the maple and red oak used to make the three benches would be replaced in the US hardwood forest through natural regeneration in just 5.8 seconds. At the same time, for the duration of their existence, the three benches will keep approximately 1 metric ton of CO2

“It is a delight to see the different approaches that all three designers took with this topical brief. Aljoud, Hamad and Khalid clearly enjoyed this challenge and their designs are innovative, playful, practical and beautiful. The attention to detail on the benches is high and the craftsmanship excellent, which serves to highlight the beauty of the thermally-modified American maple and red oak used,” concluded Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director.

in their supercharged aesthetics still reflect the 1980s in the current decade,” said Khalid Shafar.

Wahda Bench by Hamad Khoory

Made in thermally-modified American hard maple, the Wahda Bench by Hamad Khoory has been inspired by the traditional majlis with its inherent values of humility, equality and community.

According to Khoory, the Wahda bench is an exploration of connection and separation.

“Employing thermally-

modified hard maple in cuboid modular units of seat, tree, planter and sanitization, the modules engage with a linear comb-like thermally-modified maple base, a plug-and- play approach of slipping into and out of the comb, with many possible configurations. The bench is thus an expression of community and disunity, with the separated seat modules slipping out of the main bench, and then slipping back when the social distancing measures of the COVID-19 pandemic are no longer required, creating the final bench form,”

Image © Natelee Cocks

Image © Natelee Cocks

Image © Natelee Cocks

Image © Natelee Cocks

added Khoory.

We Know

Wood.

And we want to share what we know about some of the most beautiful, sustainably-grown species in the world.

Softwood Export Council is your go-to resource for information on U.S. wood products, and we’re invested in creating and maintaining relationships world-wide. With industry connections across the United States, there’s no better avenue into importing the highest quality American species.

For more information, visit www.americansoftwoods.com