Timber Design & Technology Middle East - September 2019

Hello Wood uses parametric design elements to bring life to Textúra restaurant The House of Three Trees: a rebirth of East Asian timber architecture that disappeared 100 years ago Marks Barfield Architects design flowing timber lattice for Europe’s first sustainable mosque The Cradle: Düsseldorf's first hybrid timber construction office building University of Stuttgart build the 14-meter-tall Urbach Tower from self-shaping wood Norway is home to the world’s tallest timber tower

Hello Wood uses parametric design elements to bring life to Textúra restaurant The House of Three Trees: a rebirth of East Asian timber architecture that disappeared 100 years ago Marks Barfield Architects design flowing timber lattice for Europe’s first sustainable mosque The Cradle: Düsseldorf's first hybrid timber construction office building University of Stuttgart build the 14-meter-tall Urbach Tower from self-shaping wood Norway is home to the world’s tallest timber tower

Cambridge Mosque © Morley von Sternberg

September 2019 Issue 44 PUBLISHER Andy MacGregor publisher@citrusmediagroup.net +971 55 849 1574

MARKETING DIRECTOR Eric Hammond marketing@citrusmediagroup.net +971 4 455 8400 INTERNATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR James Hamilton james@timberdesignandtechnology.com EDITOR Tony Smith editor@timberdesignandtechnology.com

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EDITOR’S NOTE With the Muslim population of Britain doubling every fifteen years, the pressure on its places of worship is intense. No sooner is a mosque built than it overflows. Enter the Cambridge Mosque project, designed by Marks Barfield Architects, which features a flowing timber lattice for Europe’s first sustainable mosque. With a strongly contemporary design that also reflects both Islamic and British sacred traditions, timber was chosen as the principal material for the building structure because it is one of the most sustainable building materials available. The mosque is testament to the timeless appeal and beauty of timber and perhaps may serve as an inspiration for new mosques here in the Middle East.

We also take a look at the unique Urbach Tower - a 14-meter-tall timber tower made from self-shaping wood.

Engineers have harnessed the natural shrinking process of wood to create the first self-twisted tower in Germany and this pioneering development constitutes a paradigm shift in timber manufacturing from elaborate and energy-intensive mechanical forming processes that require heavy machinery to a process where the material shapes entirely by itself. More importantly, it represents a shift in design thinking, as well as new computational simulations for more accurate predictions, which now allow us to use this moisture induced swelling and shrinking to design and program specific self-shaping movements at a larger scale.

Upon its completion in March of this year, Mjøstårnet in Norway was officially verified as the world's tallest timber tower by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). Designed by Voll Arkitekter, it took the title of world's tallest timber building from the 53-metre-high Brock Commons Tallwood House in Vancouver, which has a hybrid wood and concrete structure and Treet in Bergen, Norway, which is 49 meters high. We take an in-depth look at the construction of this landmark timber tower and we also hear from the architects themselves who outline the design inspiration and thought process behind this engineering marvel.

Looking ahead to the last quarter of this year, we look forward to covering the Middle East Design and Hospitality Week as well as Dubai Design Week. 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.

CONTENTS 10 SUSTAINABILITY

28 DESIGN & DECOR

American hardwoods do not need to be certified concludes revised Seneca Creek Study

The House of Three Trees: a rebirth of East Asian timber architecture that disappeared 100 years ago

14 ANALYSIS

34 DESIGN & DECOR

Hello Wood uses parametric design elements to bring life to Textúra restaurant

Marks Barfield Architects design flowing timber lattice for Europe’s first sustainable mosque

18 ANALYSIS

56 TECHNOLOGY

Sumitomo Forestry makes debut at Milan Design Week with ‘Reevaluating Wood’ installation

SCM Surface Technologies: a unique partner in surface treatment

20 COMMENT

60 TECHNOLOGY

Malaysian timbers used in uniquely creative ways

Fully digitalized processes for designing, simulating and creating solutions without limits

24 COMMENT

63 WOOD WORKS

Mjøstårnet stands proof that tall buildings can be built using local resources, local suppliers and sustainable wooden materials

The Preservation Bench wins award for ‘Best Furniture Design’ at 100% Design South Africa

TALL TIMBER

42 The Cradle

46 Urbach Tower

52 Mjøstårnet

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The Cairo WoodShow, North Africa's leading platform for wood and woodworking machinery, is expected to host over 120 exhibitors from across 25+ countries and 7,000 visitors, at the fifth edition, which will take place at the Cairo International Convention Center from December 5 - 8, 2019. Held under the patronage of the Egyptian government, the event will be held in conjunction with the Cairo International Furniture Accessories & Components & Semi-Finished Products Show (CIFAC).

At the four-day long Cairo WoodShow, companies from the wood and woodwork machinery spectrum will assemble in the heart of Egypt and showcase their latest products and innovations, while CIFAC will give exhibitors an opportunity to exhibit innovative wood accessories. Now in its fifth year, the Cairo WoodShow has become a leading platform in Egypt for wood and woodworking machinery experts and companies from different parts of the world.

Image © Cairo WoodShow

Over 120 exhibitors to showcase their products at fifth edition of Cairo WoodShow

The last edition of Cairo WoodShow assembled more than 7,400 visitors from 25+ countries, primarily senior management and decision makers from the wood and woodworking machinery sectors. More than 1,253 B2B meetings were held, and these meetings successfully created more than 195 business opportunities, including around 112 opportunities for international exhibitors and 138 opportunities for local exhibitors. The show, which is a part of the WoodShow Global series, aims to turn Egypt into a strategic hub for wood industries in Africa.

Image © Cairo WoodShow

More importantly, the show functions as the gateway to thriving wood trading in North Africa, offering access to more than 7,000 quality trade professionals from the North Africa region, and beyond. With the Egyptian wood-based furniture domestic production valued at USD 750 million, and over 3,800 companies registered with the Egyptian Furniture Export Council, the Cairo WoodShow has clearly found a niche market among buyers and experts in Africa and the Mena Region.

Middle East Design and Hospitality Week to set stage for multimillion-dollar growth predicted for GCC design and hospitality sectors International events company dmg events has announced that the Middle East Design and Hospitality Week (MEDHW), comprising of seven prestigious design and hospitality events, will take place from September 17 - 19, 2019 at the Dubai World Trade Center. MEDHW will set the stage for the multi-million-dollar growth expected in the GCC’s design and hospitality sectors by offering exhibitors and visitors a comprehensive and highly specialized platform for industry leading discussions, knowledge-sharing, B2B introductions, and B2C interactions. The seven events that make up MEDHW are INDEX, The Hotel Show, WORKSPACE, The Leisure Show, Surface Design, FIM, and INDEX Home.

According to Ventures Onsite, GCC building construction projects expected to be completed across all sectors are forecast to be worth USD 74.9 billion in 2019. Interior design and fit-out industries are expected to thrive as the demand for new residential properties, hotels, schools and hospitals continues to grow. Ventures Onsite also indicated that the value of GCC hotel projects, expected to be completed in 2019, is worth USD 13.3 billion and the overall interiors and fit-out spend in the region’s hotel sector is an estimated USD 3 million this year.

Tony Crinion, Portfolio Director, dmg events said, “The interior design and fit-out industries in the region are set to experience a

positive wave of demand, and our intelligence partner Ventures Onsite predicts the UAE and KSA will be the highest spenders in these markets in the Middle East. It was an opportune time for us to present a conclave of all events that address design and fit-out requirements across all sectors in the GCC.” Nathan Waugh, Portfolio Director, dmg events said, “Dubai is set to welcome an iconic event, Expo 2020, and the GCC will see many new hotels launching in the region. It was ideal for us to congregate our key design and hospitality events under one umbrella for businesses in these sectors to receive optimum exposure and mileage. And the best part is that people attending one event will have access to the other six events taking place during MEDHW.” The theme for the first edition of MEDHW is ‘The Shape of Things to Come.’ It explores how companies in the hospitality, interiors and leisure sectors will be using asymmetry, typography, geometric shapes and 3D patterns in the planning, sourcing and inspiration stages to create unique and stimulating environments leading up to landmark events in the region. The event enjoys over 50 years of combined show heritage with prestigious events like INDEX being in its 29th year, The Hotel Show, which this year turns 20, WORKSPACE which will be celebrating 21 years, and The Leisure Show now in its 7th edition.

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interzum Guangzhou 2020 to grow in capacity, underscores robust industry demand

Based in China’s manufacturing powerhouse of Guangzhou, the move highlights the booming industry’s insatiable demand and stakeholders’ market confidence in the region. Scheduled to be held from March 28 to 31, 2020, CIFM / interzum Guangzhou serves as a cornerstone for suppliers globally to access the fast-growing Asian and China furniture manufacturing markets.

The accelerated growth of the furniture production market in the region has seen an increasing number of overseas raw material companies shifting their focus to the area. As Asia's leading furniture production and material trade fair, exhibiting spaces at interzum Guangzhou have been highly sought after and oversubscribed year after year. Come 2020, the event will see a boost of 10 percent in capacity to accommodate more exhibitors.

Commenting on these developments, a representative from the organizers said: "Since 2015, the exhibition area at interzum guangzhou has reached saturation point, and many high-quality international brands have not been able to participate because of space limitation. After announcing news of the expansion, we have received positive responses from German, Turkish, Italian and many more overseas brands. In addition, existing exhibitors have also applied to expand their booth space. I believe that the growth will elevate the internationalization and professionalization of the exhibition to a new level."

The product categories to receive a boost from the additional space include upholstered furniture accessories, textiles, pneumatic components and machinery for mattress production, cutting, sewing, woodworking, as well as cutting tools. Among them, upholstered furniture accessories and machinery are the key categories for expansion.

A newly occupied hall - Hall 13.2 - will be dedicated to Upholstered Furniture Production. As one of the world's seven major textile export manufacturers, the Turkish pavilion was one of the first to snap a spot in the new Upholstered Furniture Production Hall. Among the exhibitors featured in the pavilion, several will be showcasing their products for the first time in mainland China.

By 2035, China's urbanization rate will increase from the current 60 percent to 75 percent to enter maturity stage. This signifies that between 100 million and 200 million people will be moving from rural to urban areas in the years to come, which will guarantee stable growth, drive investment efficiency, and provide important support for economic development.

Being a downstream sector of the real estate industry, a large influx of urban residents and an increase in housing demand will inevitably drive the growth of the entire furniture market. Coupled with the habits of Chinese consumers who prefer new furniture when they move into a new home, demand for upholstered furniture is poised to surge.

At present, Asia Pacific is the world’s main upholstered furniture production region, accounting for more than half of the total global production. China has become the world's largest consumer of upholstered furniture. Given the upgrade in the consumption patterns and emergence of younger core consumers, the penetration rate and price of upholstered furniture is expected to continue to climb, ultimately reaching a market value of nearly USD 31 billion in 2020.

Image © CIFM /interzum Guangzhou

To the delight and relief of numerous companies that have been kept out of exhibiting at Asia’s largest and most comprehensive furniture production, woodworking machinery and interiors trade fair every year due to space crunch, the show organizers have announced recently the expansion of exhibition space for the upcoming edition.

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Timber in the City: students awarded prizes for innovative designs using wood

The winning entrants of a student design competition exploring wood as an innovative building material were awarded in August of this year. Timber in the City: Urban Habitats Competition, organized by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC) and Parsons School of Design, attracted more than 920 architectural students and faculty.

Entrants designed proposals to imagine the transformation of our cities through sustainable buildings from renewable resources, offering efficient affordable construction, innovating with new and traditional timber materials, and designing healthy living and working environments. The winning entrants, with prizes totaling USD 40,000, were chosen by a panel of leading architects and professors based on the design’s ability to integrate wood as the primary structural material while meeting the needs of the local community.

The competition focused on a vacant waterfront site in Queens, New York, as a vibrant and vanguard model of healthy, biophilic living for the future of the city. Students were asked to design a midrise, mixed-use complex that includes affordable housing, a large community wellness facility, and an early childhood education center, all interlaced with a new exterior public waterfront space. Entrants

were challenged to propose construction systems in scenarios that draw optimally on the performance characteristics of not one but a variety of wood technologies.

First place went to ‘Aperture’ by the University of Maryland. The winning submission won over the jurors with its intelligent use of timber construction techniques. The orientation of the buildings creates a protective plaza linking the buildings to the community with a clear understanding of the urban context. Second place went to ‘ReGen Growth’ - a project by the City College of New York that stood out for its innovative use of wood, which connects spaces, structure and the user experience all together. The density of the project represents a three-dimensional occupiable city.

Third place was awarded to ‘Timber Living’ by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which demonstrated a strong grasp of timber construction and how to assemble it in a clever way. The project showed an advanced integration of sustainable measures.

Additionally, five student teams were selected as honorable mention winners. The competition ran from July 2018 through May 2019 and included over 920 participants. The design jury met in July to select the winning projects and honorable mentions.

Southern Yellow Pine America’s favourite softwood

SYP has a distinctive colour and grain, its sapwood ranging from white to yellowish and heartwood from yellow to reddish-brown. It combines good looks, strength, and extreme ease of preservative treatment with the highest nail-holding ability.

Request your copy of our Guide to American Softwood Species by e-mailing your address to: mail@sfpa.org Left-hand image shows high grade vertical grain SYP flooring.

Main uses Appearance and impact resistance make it suitable for a wide range of decorative uses, such as windows, doors, floors and mouldings. Ease of preservative treatment makes it good for decking and outdoor use.

Physical and mechanical properties Weight ranges from 537 to 626 kg per cubic metre. High density gives it natural strength, weight, and impact and wearing resistance.

It has a higher specific gravity than Scots pine and, although easy to work with, stands up well to rough treatment.

People you can do business with www.AmericanSoftwoods.com

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American hardwoods do not need to be certified concludes revised Seneca Creek Study

Image Š AHEC

Analysis serves as an alternative to forest management and chain of custody certification to demonstrate the low risk of illegal or unsustainable hardwood sourcing from the United States

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American hardwoods are legal and sustainable in line with all relevant international standards, according to the recently revised Seneca Creek ‘Assessment of Lawful Harvesting & Sustainability of U.S. Hardwood Exports’, as well as the Technical Review Panel commissioned by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), to validate the Seneca Creek results. Together the revised Seneca Creek study and the Review Panel conclusions provide a credible, comprehensive and fully up-to-date assurance that U.S. hardwoods are legal and sustainable, and do not need to be certified.

The updated Seneca Creek study concludes that the ‘data and information compiled for the report provides evidence that U.S. hardwood supply chains meet all current due diligence standards as legal and sustainable’. The study also states that ‘the analysis presented in the report can serve as an alternative to forest management and chain of custody certification for purposes of demonstrating low risk of illegal or unsustainable hardwood sourcing from the United States’.

These are the conclusions of the Seneca Creek team comprising experts in U.S. hardwood forest management and related policy and regulation.

The team was led by Alberto Goetzl, a leading natural resources economist, with input from Dr Gary Dodge, a consultant biologist who has worked closely with FSC; Scott Berg, a forest certification expert with years of experience preparing companies for certification under SFI, PEFC and FSC; Dr Stephen Prisley, a leading U.S. expert in forest inventory analysis who is currently the Principal Research Scientist at the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement; and Jazmin Varela and Trevor Cutsinger, both of The Conservation Fund, amongst the largest environmental NGOs in the U.S. with a strong focus on practical measures to conserve forests.

The study confirms that all U.S.

hardwood-producing states are at Low Risk of sourcing illegal hardwoods, according to the requirements of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), Australia’s Illegal Logging Prohibition Act, Japan’s Goho Wood program, and the due diligence and risk assessment requirements of the certification programs operating in America. Drawing on clear, robust evidence from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program, the study demonstrates that forest growth continues to exceed removals in the hardwood forest sector and that forest area is stable.

The study shows that measurable gains have been made in the effectiveness and compliance with Best Management Practices legislation in all hardwood producing states, and there is widespread use of trained loggers throughout the U.S. hardwood producing region.

Every hardwood-producing state now has a logger training and/ or independent certification program, which have contributed to substantial increases in the levels of logger training and professionalism. There has also been a rise in the area of conservation easements (agreements of landowner with government or environmental agency to implement conservation measures). At the same time, the Lacey Act amendment has strengthened scrutiny and control of illegal timber in trade.

Seneca Creek: a model for risk assessment

For added confidence and to ensure a broad perspective, AHEC brought together a highlevel technical panel to fully review the updated Seneca Creek study. The panel was chaired

by Emily Fripp, an expert in EUTR, forest certification, and timber procurement policies, and included Ann Bartuska, formerly the USDA Chief Scientist who now leads the Land, Water, and Nature Program at Resources for the Future, a U.S. NGO; and Katie Fernholz of Dovetail Associates who has more than 20 years’ experience advising the

Image © AHEC

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U.S. forest industry focusing on operations and certification in the non-industrial private forestry sector.

The panel agreed that the updated Seneca Creek study provides ‘comprehensive analysis of risk regarding the legality and sustainability of U.S. hardwoods’ and also found the study ‘to be more focused, logical, rational and defensible than other risk assessment approaches that are currently being applied in the marketplace’ and ‘a model for how future risk assessment activities should be conducted in the U.S.’ The panel concluded that ‘key findings are consistently supported by relevant and high-quality

information and deeper analysis within the report’.

In addition to publishing the updated Seneca Creek study, AHEC is also developing tools to ease communication and improve access to the data it contains. This includes a onepage online tool referencing and linking relevant sections and findings of the study to the sustainability criteria of various procurement policies and certification standards.

The sustainability statements in the American Hardwood Environmental Profile (AHEP) are also being updated to reflect the findings of the Seneca Creek study. AHEC’s on-line interactive map will also be updated with the latest hardwood forest

growth and harvest data from the U.S. Forest Service and to include links to detailed information on state Forest Action Plans.

Structural obstacles to traditional forms of certification

The updated Seneca Creek study and the report of the Technical Panel clearly demonstrate that sustainable forestry practices are firmly entrenched and expanding in the U.S. hardwood sector. It may seem surprising, therefore, that the one metric of sustainability most frequently specified by buyers in some export markets - that timber must be certified - is not also increasing in the U.S. hardwood sector. In fact, the Seneca Creek

study confirms that availability of certified U.S. hardwood is very limited, even declining, and likely to remain so in the near term.

The study highlights that the traditional model of certification, involving annual audits of individual forest owners at forest management unit level, remains a significant challenge in the U.S. hardwood sector. It shows clearly that the relative lack of certification is not an indication of unsustainable practices, only of structural obstacles to certification in the private non-industrial sector including fragmentation of ownership, lack of awareness, weak and inconsistent market signals, lack of other incentives, high costs for individual owners, and inappropriateness of existing

standards.

This led the technical panel to comment, in their statement on the Seneca Creek study, that ‘the U.S. marketplace for traditional forms of certification, relying on tracking of wood to individual forest management units audited to meet specific forestry standards, is fatigued and ready for alternative solutions’. The panel goes on to suggest that ‘the lack of uptake of certification is not necessarily negative, but simply evidence that third party certification remains limited as an assurance mechanism for some U.S. owners’.

“This study serves to highlight many of the strong environmental attributes linked

to U.S. hardwoods, that are not covered within the scope of forest certification. In fact, certification says nothing about carbon footprint, a particularly strong environmental attribute of U.S. hardwoods. By providing comprehensive data on sustainability and life cycle impacts, we aim to be proactive in encouraging specifiers to raise the bar on their environmental considerations. Looking ahead, we want to push for full integration of scientific life cycle data into the design and procurement process, for example through widespread adoption of EPDs and BIM, confident in the knowledge that U.S. hardwood suppliers are able to deliver the data,” concluded Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director.

Image © AHEC

Image © AHEC

Image © AHEC

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Image © Lakos Máté

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Hello Wood uses parametric design elements to bring life to Textúra restaurant Inspired by science and built by mathematics, this design construct creates a natural space for Budapest’s newest fine-dining spot

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As the sister restaurant of popular Michelin-star establishment Borkonyha, the idea behind Textúra was to create a finedining experience that cast aside the typical expectations of such an environment for something more relaxed and comforting. To help create such an atmosphere, award-winning interior designer Anett Ficzere took inspiration

from nature and so contacted Budapest-based studio Hello Wood due to the company’s preference for working with natural materials.

Given the studio’s experience and knowledge, they were the obvious choice in helping with construction of the tree-like installation in the middle of the restaurant. An ornamental lamp using the same innovative construction method and algorithmic design was also built to match, accompanying the unique installation that sits at the center of the room.

Inspired by Textúra’s chef and his scientific desire to create dishes with atomic techniques, it was the geometrical concept of Voronoi cells that sparked the idea behind this central installation.

The result is a formal yet organic feeling to the space as the meshlike pattern adorns the walls, forms partitions and is used as part of the main installation that branches out across the ceiling of the room like a canopy.

After the first step of creating 3D

Image © Lakos Máté

Fine dining doesn`t typically conjure up the words ‘intimate’ and ‘informal’, and yet this was always the goal with Textúra.

This new restaurant in the heart of downtown Budapest is a passion project for its owners, and everything from the dishes that are served to the atmosphere of the space that guests will sit in was designed with this core sensation of tranquility at its core.

Architectural and design studio Hello Wood helped to create an organic yet mathematical structure that sits at the heart of the space, working in coordination with the restaurant’s designer to meet the brief of creating a sophisticated yet easier side to fine dining.

Image © Lakos Máté

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models and renders, however, it was initially believed that the only means for its creation was through 3D printing. During the three-year development of the restaurant’s design and construction, Hello Wood became involved and was able to utilize its experience and technical knowledge in the field to assist with a more natural approach. An algorithm was used to recreate the voronax formula, allowing for the unique mesh to be designed and making this the first example of parametric interior design within Hungary.

Image © Lakos Máté

After creating several prototypes of the components for the complicated installation, Hello Wood finally settled on the processes needed to fabricate and construct this complex project. In fact, this was made possible because of the fiveaxis CNC machining technology that is available at Hello Wood’s workshop. This allowed for the intricate, glue-laminated pine blocks to be created and connected together with 500 individual junctions. Reaching 9-meters

long, 5-meters wide and alongside an 8-meter high funnel, it was necessary to partially assemble the installation at the workshop before completing its construction on-site over the course of three days.

Hello Wood started out as an art camp in 2010, and over the years, has grown into a global hub for architects, designers and woodworkers looking to new ways of sharing and producing knowledge. Today they exist both as a creative architecture and design studio and an educational platform for architectural dialogue and experimentation. Hello Wood’s studio projects are driven by innovation, social responsibility and an unwavering passion for great design. The architecture studio works with wood and other sustainable materials to create large-scale installations that are not only artistic, but also eco-friendly and socially relevant. Through their work, the company aims to raise awareness, encourage community building and bring architecture closer to the general public.

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Image © Michel Giesbrecht

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Sumitomo Forestry makes debut at Milan Design Week with ‘Reevaluating Wood’ installation Effects and benefits of wood through design were expressed as wooden objects such as table-top partitions and canopies

At Milan Design Week 2019, Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. presented ‘Reevaluating Wood - Research into the Benefits Wood Brings,’ an installation introducing their research into wood, in collaboration with Kosuke Araki and Akira Muraoka. The company’s debut at Milan was presented at Superstudio Piu. The knowledge accumulated

by Tsukuba Research Institute on ‘the effects and benefits of wood’ were, through the design,

expressed as wooden objects such as table-top partitions and canopies.

Engaging in global businesses including forest management, manufacturing and distribution of timber/building materials, housing construction, and the environmental energy, Sumitomo will be celebrating its 350th year anniversary in 2041. They are now concentrating more energy on researching and reevaluating

wood from various perspectives, with a view to develop new technologies and accumulate knowledge to construct a 350-meter-tall wooden high-rise building by then.

of wood, and eventually created a space comprised of wooden canopies and desktop partitions to encourage visitors to explore and feel the benefits brought by wood in a welcoming atmosphere.

Araki and Muraoka were commissioned as Creative Directors to design a space communicating the research activities. They, under Sumitomo Forestry’s vision, decided to focus on seven space-related benefits

In its first-ever exhibition at Milan Design Week, Sumitomo created a space that enabled visitors to experience the gentleness of wood through these objects. In addition to promoting the benefits of wood, the company also listened

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to visitor voices and opinions, and fed this back both into research aimed at further exploring the possibilities and attractions of wood, and into the realization of comfortable spaces that make use of this natural material.

The table-top partitions and canopies were made using walnut, oak, teak, cherry, and cedar. The designers proposed designs for objects based on information and verification data on the benefits

of wood provided by the Tsukuba Research Institute. Utilizing the warm colors of wood in an inorganic space, these products conveyed the benefits of wood - such as its capacity to improve work efficiency and to relax the mind - to be implemented in an easy manner. The products were made by the Group company Sumitomo Forestry Crest Co., Ltd. Each of the benefits is displayed in a sentence on the wall.

Sentences included ‘Wood induces you to relax and increase your concentration’ and ‘Wood helps you to manage your stress more easily’ amongst others. Both canopies and partitions were designed with the intention to create a personal space within the open space but without drawing a clear line between others.

They enable wooden space to be inserted in almost any kinds of space like office, cafe, library or at home in a very simple manner.

According to the research, the seven benefits of wood include: wood induces you to relax and increase your concentration; wood allows you to have a longlasting ability to think; wood grains laid out horizontally to the wall vitalize cerebral activity; wood helps you to manage your stress more easily; wood enables you feel the passage of time more slowly; wood bounces the light which is easy to the eyes; and wood facilitates memory recall.

Malaysian timbers used in uniquely creative ways

Image © MTC

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Chengal, Balau, Merbau, Kapur and Meranti used to create breathtaking functional structures that become icons in themselves

Named after the road it crosses at an elevation of 36 meters, the Henderson Waves connects Mount Faber Park and Telok Blangah Hill Park in Singapore in a rather dramatic fashion. This 274-meter bridge, the highest pedestrian walkway in Singapore, has intermediate supports at 24-meter intervals with a central span of 57 meters. The bridge effortlessly harmonies itself with the natural landscape, connecting existing pathways and parks to provide natural and continuous access from both hills.

This engineering feat of a bridge comprises four distinct sections, i.e., seven undulating curved steel ribs; supporting hollow sectioned vibration-dampening steel frames; Balau timber deck with curved balustrades, wooden seats and alcoves. The undulating curved steel ribs form a ‘wave’ that

alternately rises over and under its decks. The curved ribs form alcoves that function as shelters hugging seats within.

The bridge’s sinuous curves, designed to look like threedimensional waves, and its 1,500-square-meter timber deck required a great variety of different modular panels to form the complex dimensions.

Five thousand pieces of 70mm x 32mm Balau modular boards were used to clad the bridge in areas meant for interaction between man and material, such as the walkway, alcove seating and sidewalls. The boards were fabricated with numerical precision using proprietary software, which provided exact dimensions of the surface at regular 500mm intervals, thus reducing material wastage. Timber specialist Venturer Pte. Ltd. of Singapore supplied the Balau strips, which were certified as originating from sustainable sources by Certisource, a UK-based timber legality verification standard.

Docked at Raffles Marina, Singapore, an unusual looking structure with portholes and a huge timber drum is actually a boathouse named Nautique - the home of Kevin Hill and his wife Kelly Chan. Kevin is the third of three generations of English professionals and craftsmen involved in the construction industry, specializing in timber. Having lived in Singapore since 1992, he understands tropical timbers very well and often specifies Malaysian timbers due to their legal credentials. As a specialist timber contractor, he conceived the idea of a boathouse that

met all the requirements of a boat with the comfort of an apartment. It is effectively a floating water villa, the construction of which did no harm to the seabed.

The 2,000-square-foot Nautique consists of three levels; the lowest level is equipped with a kitchenette, bathroom and a lounge that opens out to a patio. A master bedroom with an en suite bathroom occupies the middle floor while the top level is an open-air entertainment deck complete with a jacuzzi. The eye-catching timber drum is actually the stair tower, which is framed in Balau and clad in Merbau. The decking is made of Teak while the floors are Balau joists with tongueand-grooved Merbau strips.

The interiors are furnished with Merbau floors, solid Teak furniture and cozy sofas. The boathouse, apart from being the owner’s ideal retreat, is meant to be a prototype for floating luxury villas that could be tugged to exotic locations and quiet islands for a truly private escapade, without feeling that one is on a boat.

Inspired by the Alhambra Palace in Spain, the design of the Four Seasons on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi is a combination of Moorish, Arabic and Indian influences in a Malay kampong setting. Latticed timber screens and Moorish architectural features are recurring themes in this resort. High walls with plenty of indoor courtyards to provide privacy are typical characteristics of built forms adopting Moorish architecture.

Located between its reception

Image © MTC

Malaysian timber has come a long way since those days where the mention of a wooden structure would conjure up imageries of traditional, vernacular built forms in rural villages such as the ubiquitous village houses or native longhouses on stilts with thatched roofs. This article showcases the application of timber in extraordinarily imaginative and creative ways. It features some of the most uniquely daring and different uses of Malaysian timber, which sees perfectly eye to eye with beauty and functionality, and more. The Henderson Waves and Nautique in Singapore, Four Seasons Resort Langkawi and the Shangri-La's Villingili Resort as well as Viceroy Resort in the Maldives, whose distinctive time-transcending designs are testaments to the versatility and flexibility of Malaysian timber for innovative and experimental uses.

Image ©AHEC

Image © MTC

COMMENT 21

and outdoor floating pavilions, the consultation area sports a lattice of Chengal rafters and battens beneath a fiberglass roof. This roofing installation is not only structural but also serves as a filter for the otherwise too intense sunlight streaming into the doublevolumed space. The roof is asymmetrically held up by painted masonry wall on one side, and square timber columns on masonry piers on the other.

The roofing structure frames the pastel-colored walls to provide an uplifting yet calming space for consultation and preparation before any spa treatments.

These are complemented by the judicious use of timber in slats as simple screens and the polished Balau flooring.

Image © MTC

As part of the Addu Atoll, Villingili Island is a five-minute boat ride from Gan International Airport. Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa is located on the northern tip of the island with 6km of coastline and 2km of white sandy beaches. The

132-villa resort's structural works were all constructed with a mix of Balau and Kapur whereas Meranti was used for interior timberworks. There are seven distinctively designed villas, two bars and three specialty restaurants in the resort.

Image © MTC

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The Fashala Restaurant, which offers seafood cuisine, features the most dramatic design of the three restaurants and affords spectacular views of the ocean. The slightly tilted giant central columns in the restaurant are clad with strips of Meranti. The floors are in Balau and the screen walls are of meranti slats. All the timberworks have been finished to a consistent lime-washed look and feel, which binds all the disparate materials to provide a harmonious and relaxed spatial experience.

Over at the 61-villa Viceroy Maldives located in the isolated northern edge of Maldives, on Shaviyani Atoll, the 17-acre private island of Vagaru is a haven of unspoiled nature dotted with palm trees and pristine sand encircling a blue lagoon. The design of the villas is an interpretation of the hull of an inverted Maldivian dhoni - a traditional fishing boat. A deliberate move away from a stiff square or rectangular design, the villas have irregular shapes with curved walls, lending a sensuous feel to the spatial experience. Every villa comes with a private pool and a private sun deck.

The villas are well spaced around the island for maximum privacy with 32 villas over the water and 29 on the beach. Some of the villas are single-storeyed while others are double-storeyed with either a room or an open deck on the upper floor. Those with a room on the upper floor have a dormer window for stargazing.

An interesting mix of Balau, Kapur and Meranti were used for different parts of the resort’s structure and interiors ranging from roof trusses, ceilings,

flooring, doors and windows. A giant chill-out swing suspended over the Balau deck from the ridge beam of the villas’ roof heightens the enjoyment of the Maldivian sea breeze and the boundless sky.

These projects are just a few of the many found within the region as well as other parts of the world that prove that a discerning eye for aesthetics and a deep understanding of timber’s technical qualities as a building material could result in breathtaking functional structures that become icons in themselves. And whatever the design script is, Malaysian timbers such as Chengal, Balau, Merbau, Kapur and Meranti help dramatize and liven the construction stage.

Information on these and other popular Malaysian timber species is available on the MTC Wood Wizard, which is accessible on the MTC website (www.mtc.com.my)

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The Malaysian Wood Expo 2019 aims to bring together international timber-based and woodworking machinery suppliers and buyers for trade and networking opportunities as well as tap into some of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia.

Make the most of your time at MWE as opportunities to network and generate new business deals await you.

Contact us at: Jointly organised by:

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Image Š Voll Arkitekter

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COMMENT 25

Mjøstårnet stands proof that tall buildings can be built using local resources, local suppliers and sustainable wooden materials Øystein Elgsaas, Partner at Voll Arkitekter outlines the design process from the earliest sketches and initial ideas to the final design of the building As the Architect in charge of overseeing the construction of Mjøstårnet, I will give you an insight on how Mjøstårnet came to be and after the introduction, some thoughts around our design process from the earliest sketches and initial ideas, to how we reached our distinct design for this building, Voll Arkitekter is situated in Trondheim and has 22 employees.

Our vision is that every project we do, should be built. We always strive to take the project one step closer to realization. We don't like idea projects that never leave the sketching phase. So with this perspective, taking on the vision of Arthur Buchardt, our builder, to design the world’s tallest building made from wood, was a challenge we just couldn’t decline.

comes from and where it was processed. About 11,000 - 13,000 trees were used in the production of the glulam structure. A healthy and sustainable forest is therefore very important if a project like Mjøstårnet and other timber building is to succeed.

The construction industry is a major contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions. Given the focus on climate change, we all have a responsibility to choose environmentally friendly materials whenever possible. Wood is a natural renewable raw material

and has a small negative impact on the environment, provided it comes from certified and sustainably managed forests. The use of wood as a building material will contribute to reducing the CO2 content in the atmosphere.

Mjøstårnet is meant to be a symbol of this ‘green shift’, and proof that tall buildings can be built using local resources, local suppliers and sustainable wooden materials. For us, it was important that the design of the building also reflected this. I will now show you three different stages from

Mjøstårnet officially opened its doors to the public in March this year after two years of construction. However, the foundation of Mjøstårnet was not laid two years ago, or four years ago when our builder presented us a napkin with a drawing of what was to become the world’s tallest timber building.

Standing on top of the viewing platform of Mjøstårnet, you can actually see where the timber

Our initial idea was to design the tower with an exoskeleton, and just a transparent shell wrapped around on the outside to protect the timber construction from the weather. The climatic walls would stand on the inside of the construction. Because why build a tower made from wood, if you can’t actually see the wood construction.

Our goal was that everyone passing by on the main road should immediately understand that this is a timber building. To further enhance the visibility of the wood construction, we had the tower raised from the ground level, separating the tower from the two lower storeys, thereby making the tower rest only on its main glulam columns. In this way, visitors were given the chance to really embrace the construction.

Raising the tower was not only a design choice, it also had a practical purpose. The tower and its neighboring smaller tower also needed to be raised from the ground due to the potential flooding of Lake Mjøsa. The building had to withstand a 200year flood (the equivalent of an increase of 3 meters in the water level). Taking into account the potential of waves and more bad weather, we raised the building by 4 meters.

Image © Voll Arkitekter

No, the foundation for this project was laid over 80 years ago, when the spruce seeds, which later became the glulam structure of Mjøstårnet was planted in the surrounding areas of Brumunddal.

This area is famous for its forestry and wood processing industry, dating hundreds of years back.

the design process.

The overall shape of the building, took its base in the most efficient hotel room layout, thus creating a narrow rectangular shape. The roof was slanted, giving it an ideal angle to place solar panels,

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which also emphasized the environmentally friendly design concept of the tower. This shape also gave the building a distinct characteristic silhouette.

This first draft of the tower created a semi-transparent building with a lot of glass in its facade, with the focus on showcasing the wood construction. However, the complexity of the construction was too great, and we had to abandon this design. We had to be reasonable, and search for a more solvable construction, simplifying and reducing the elements in play, to make it possible to reach a buildable solution within the time and budget.

Image © Voll Arkitekter

Instead of glass, we continued our work with the idea of using wood as the main facade material. It is a timber house after all. By working with different sized boards, and changing the direction of which we placed them, we created a layout which reflected the main construction, and by interlacing the boards, also created a more

playful pattern.

The amount of glass was reduced to suit its function and at designated areas showing the construction. Diagonal beams were placed as much for design purposes as for stability. The end calculation of the construction was not yet ready, so in close collaboration with Moelven and Sweco, we kept our option open for as long as possible. Towards the lake, the facade still consisted mainly of glass showing the network of diagonals. To the north, a massive glass wall was implemented to show the elevators vertical movement, and thus giving the facade more life.

Before the final stage of the design process, we achieved a breakthrough in the calculation of the glulam structure. We were finally able to find a system that was both efficient and strong enough to deal with the height, fire proofing and wind forces.

The main load bearing consists of large-scale glulam trusses along the façades as well as internal columns and beams. The trusses handle the global forces in horizontal and vertical direction and give the building its necessary stiffness. CLT walls are used for secondary load bearing of three elevators and two staircases. The CLT does not contribute to the building’s horizontal stability. The average columns being 60x 60cm and with the largest in the corner being almost 1.5m had an impact on the plan layout as well as the facade design.

There were also new inputs from other consultants regarding fire safety, building physics, element production, and on-site production, giving us a set of rules to play within. A framework for the design that was not initially there when we started. For us, this meant some major design changes.

The facade elements had to be produced off site, and because of transport regulation, the best way of utilizing the pre-produced elements was to place them horizontally for each floor. This allowed us to make the most out of the length and height of each

element, thereby reducing the number of elements needed and the amount of time needed to mount them.

The large prefabricated façade elements are attached to the outside of the timber structures and make up the envelope of the building. These sandwich type elements come with insulation and external panels already fixed. However, these wall elements do not contribute to the overall stiffness of the building.

Resembling more of a traditional small treehouse in the detailing, compared to earlier versions of the tower, and also using details firmly rooted in traditional Norwegian wood architecture, meant that we were quite sure that this design would stand the test of time.

Every wooden part in the facade construction had to be fireproof, limiting our possibilities in choosing different wood materials and treatment of the wood. A fire safe pine product from Woodify was chosen for the facades. The facade begins with a slightly brownish glow and over time naturally turn grey if not treated.

COMMENT 27

in a more controlled environment, we could safely showcase the structure as initially intended with minimal protection and still keep our original silhouette. The risk of snow slides was also minimized.

Image © Voll Arkitekter

As the glulam structure had been reduced to a bare minimum, but was still very large in size, exposing the structure in the facade became more difficult. The plan layout is similar on each floor with the same function, and so a wide spread of different windows and window placement was not possible, it had to be a straight system. This is also in accordance with the prefabricated wall elements, which were all similar, in a bid to keep costs down.

Many people will realize themselves that after placing a heavy cube in a fireplace, it will not burn up as long as you do not add small wood. The big cube will soon get a layer of charcoal, but the fire will eventually die out of its own.

The glulam constructions retain the carrying capacity in a complete fire cycle. Our fire tests show that glulam wood gets a protective layer of coal that makes the fire unable to entertain itself and it dies out.

Even after long-term exposure to fire, a glulam structure with such solid dimensions as used in the Mjøstårnet will have a sufficiently large load-bearing core of fresh wood. The structures are also spaced apart so that a fire fails to keep alive when it is only the constructions that burn. Therefore,

The idea of the glass wall to the north was kept, but by using several smaller windows that create three vertical ribbon patterns instead. We also kept the idea of exposed elevators that gave the user a view of the surroundings. And after having tested it for myself, I am glad to say that this is one elevator ride you will remember; the view towards Brumunddal is amazing.

Different materials will be used side by side for many years to come. And Mjøstårnet is not the blueprint of a tall timber building.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this building is to show that it is possible to build large, complex timber buildings, and in that fashion, inspire others to do the same. We hope that sharing our experiences we will inspire others to do the same. We all have an overall responsibility in choosing environmentally friendly solutions whenever possible

the tower will not collapse, even after a fully-flared fire in the interior.

A number of extra measures have also been put in place, which would normally not be available in a regular building of steel and concrete. For example, the facade is protected from fire spreading, in that the building has an extra powerful, and two separate sprinkler system. Each room on each floor is designed as a single fire cell and this has been done so that the flames cannot spread so easily to the next room.

The final design

Instead of raising the tower from the ground to withstand a potential flooding, the overall terrain level was raised instead, creating a secure evacuation route for the inhabitants and emergency personnel. Due to heavy snowfall during winter months, the angled roof could potentially create large snow slides. So instead of exposing the timber structure on the ground level, we chose to create an open roof structure, replicating the structure of the tower. Situated

Image © Voll Arkitekter

Speaking of fire, the fire protection measures in Mjøstårnet make it far safer than a corresponding building with traditional steel and concrete construction. Mjøstårnet is designed to withstand a complete fire. This means a fire that is allowed to develop freely without active firefighting effort.

We made sure that we placed the windows as close as possible to the columns, so that you would get to feel the size of the columns. Through windows, you also get glimpse of the trusses stretching from the ground floor and to the top, which helps to create a readable face where you can see and understand the wood

structure. The glulam construction on the roof is of course also another source to help understand the wooden structure of the tower.

Image © Rohspace

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The House of Three Trees: a rebirth of East Asian timber architecture that disappeared 100 years ago Project serves as an example of how design computation and digital fabrication can reinterpret traditional architecture

Image © Rohspace

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JK-AR has completed ‘The House of Three Trees’ with a canopy of tree-like timber columns crowning the double-height living space at the center of this polycarbonate-clad house located in a rural area of South Korea. Featuring a forest-like structure at its center, the residential project has been designed as a contemporary reinterpretation of the typical wooden bracket systems ubiquitous in East Asian timber buildings. Functioning both structurally and aesthetically, the intricate canopy uses modern fabrication techniques to convey how today’s technology can breathe new life into traditional architecture.

The house: architectural fantasy

The House of Three Trees is the realization of an architectural fantasy; the fantasy explores an alternate reality in which several historical events of the past century have not occurred.

What if timber resources were not depleted in the late Joseon Dynasty of Korea in the 17th to 19th centuries? Despite the

exhaustion of timber, what if globalization had begun earlier and had introduced the import of wooden materials from Russia, Canada, Northern Europe and Japan as affordably as it is now? Finally, what if the reinforced concrete structure had not dominated the architecture of the 21st century?

Then, the timber buildings of East Asia may have continued to evolve. These premises can give us an opportunity to retain a culture of timber architecture that we had kept for at least 1,500 years, and may further lead us to experience a new architecture.

The house is the rebirth of East Asian timber architecture that disappeared 100 years ago. More specifically, the project is the reinterpretation of the iconic wooden bracket systems ubiquitous in the East Asia timber architecture.

Called ‘Gong-po’ in Korea and ‘Dougong’ in China, the system was the most symbolic part of East Asian timber buildings from both structural and aesthetic perspectives.

Image © Rohspace

Image © Rohspace

Image © Rohspace

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The house criticizes today’s application of traditional buildings that is superficial, merely imitating traditional expressions in architecture, or too abstract. Rather, the house redefines the virtue of East Asian timber buildings in its tectonic aspect, which is a combination of structure and ornamentation. Moreover, the house serves as an example of how contemporary technology such as design computation and digital fabrication can reinterpret traditional architecture. Technology can give East Asian timber construction the potential to evolve in a new direction.

Three trees and becoming a forest

The three trees within the house create an interior space, responding to the hexagonally shaped building footprint. Three trees as anchor points are also a minimum requirement to support the roof. Apart from the structure, the wall enclosing the house was required to insulate during the cold winter in Korea, as well to tailor the

visual experience while inside the space. As a result, people inside experience only an enclosed space dominated by the tree structure, yet they still have a curated view to the outside through apertures.

The change of time can be felt through sunlight’s movement as it filters into the gap between the roof and wall. It resembles the sunlight falling into a forest.

In this way, the trees become a forest. The tree structure of the house is solely composed of wooden joinery. The construction method without using additive fastener such as nails is not only intended to follow traditional methodology, but to show the sheer strength of engineered timber as a structural element.

Building form and material choice The footprint of the house follows the erratic shape of the site. Despite its irregular hexagonal form, the house can follow an order generated by algorithmic tools. The order by the tools sets the guideline for placing Three Trees.

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Algorithmic tools again guided the design and analysis of the complex form of Three trees.

The 4,006 pieces of wooden elements generated to form the three trees resulted from the optimized numbers for construction efficiency and logistics.

Image © Rohspace

Image © Rohspace

In addition to designing a building form, the typical rural houses around the site inspired the roof design and material choice. Rural houses built in the 70's and 80’s, which were designed by construction standards given by a government, have a flat roof that results in poor drainage and rainwater accumulation, which pose serious threats to the homes’ water-resistance these days. The voluntary solution to rainwater leakage is to cover an existing flat roof with a pitched roof made of sandwich panels.

This spontaneously made roof inspires the design of a thin and floating roof with the notion

of lightness. Also, the use of asphalt shingles, known locally as cheap materials, helped to emphasize the lightness of the roof.

Moreover, other commonly used materials in the rural area of Korea were selected for the exterior finish of the house.

These include plywood and plastic panels for the exterior walls. Especially, polycarbonate corrugated panels, for the exterior wall finishing material, are often seen as the cladding of warehouses and greenhouses. This translucent panel subtly reveals the plywood finishing inside and, similarly to the roof, gives an ethereal lightness to the building which simultaneously contrasts from adjacent houses and recollects other structures common in the region. Functionally, the panels generate an additional air layer and increase insulation performance, as well protect inner plywood from rainwater.

Image Š Morley von Sternberg

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Marks Barfield Architects design flowing timber lattice for Europe’s first sustainable mosque Cambridge Mosque has a strongly contemporary design that also reflects both Islamic and British sacred traditions

Image Š Tom Ferguson Photograpy

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Image © Chris Heaney

Image © Morley von Sternberg

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With the Muslim population of Britain doubling every fifteen years, the pressure on its places of worship is intense. No sooner is a mosque built than it overflows.

The response has until now been to run up cheap but vast barns to keep the rain from the heads of the worshippers, with scant attention paid to architectural nuance. But a newer generation, both more educated and more reflective about religion, is growing restless.

Cambridge is a magnet for upwardly mobile, young Muslims.

With a Muslim student population from over seventy countries and a steady trickle of conversions among undergraduates, it breaks stereotypes of mosque goers as monoglot Bangladeshi elders or Kurdish kebab sellers. The mosque is probably the most ethnically

diverse place in Cambridge; but it is also becoming one of the most adventurous and articulate.

The existing mosque on Mawson Road, just off Mill Road, is a former chapel which was rededicated as a mosque in 1981. Since that time, its Friday lunchtime congregation has grown from around forty to seven hundred. Its location on a narrow Victorian street makes further expansion, or any provision for parking, an impossibility.

Enter the Cambridge New Mosque Project. In 2008, the former Robert Sayle warehouse on Mill Road was bought by a charity headed by Yusuf Islam, the former pop idol Cat Stevens. The project’s leaders recognized that a conventional solution on the site would be inappropriate. As a

major international city, with a rich existing skyline of sacred buildings, Cambridge required a landmark, not a barn with a dome.

Interesting cultural arguments ensued. Mosque design has historically reflected the local cultures of the Muslim world.

A mosque in Java bears no resemblance to a mosque in Bosnia, or a mosque in Senegal.

And with Cambridge Muslims claiming such a diversity of origins, it was far from clear what the chosen idiom should be.

A hybrid seemed inevitable, and one with local references. But if mosque design has historically reflected local culture, how could British architecture figure in the shaping of the Cambridge building? One could quarry the past, and build a Gothic or a

Palladian mosque. The dangers of pastiche would be immense.

So, too, would be the potential alienation of the mosque’s users, unused to a form so alien to the religion’s heritage and its particular notion of the sacred.

An international competition was held, calling for inventive and innovative ideas. Entrants were told to propose a mosque that would hold a thousand men and women, and announce Islam’s presence in Cambridge as a spiritual and cultural asset not only to Muslims but also to the wider community. Solutions poured in. Brutalist concrete answers were offered, together with Star Trek futurism, replicas of medieval Syrian buildings, and revivals of Victorian railway architecture. In an age of recession, architects were

Image © Morley von Sternberg

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desperate for the work; but they also seemed passionate about the scheme.

Confronted by four superb finalists, the jury finally picked a design by Marks Barfield, designers of the London Eye. Their scheme exploited the overlap between the color and texture of Cambridge white brickwork, with some of the great brick buildings of Central Asia and Turkey. But the building is strongly modern in inspiration and temper. It acknowledges Islam as an ongoing tradition, not as a cultural fossil.

The design allows visitors to experience a gradual transition, through a garden with a fountain, then a vestibule, and an atrium, into the main prayer hall, oriented towards Mecca. Trees give way to a covered space, and then to

the mosque itself, a private, inner space which soars to a height of three storeys. There are no clichéd references to either Islamic or English themes, although both can be strongly intuited.

The link with the local and the Islamic is expressed not by exploring the distant medieval indebtedness of the Gothic style to Islamic building. Instead, the natural world is proposed as the point of connection. The inner sanctuary is faced with wood, and forms a forest of sixteen wooden columns, each of which opens up to support the roof, which it joins by means of geometrical structures inspired by Islamic design. The connection between the horizontal and the vertical, which is the symbolic message of a sacred building, is effected by a quiet celebration of the miracle

of nature, and the ability of faith to detect mathematical order within it.

This focus on nature informs other aspects of the building’s design values. A minimal carbon footprint is required, to emphasize spiritual beliefs in humanity’s role as a humble and responsible custodian of creation.

The building is energy efficient, with heat pumps, water recycling, and the strategic use of glass and other materials to gain and conserve heat. The great domes culminate in glass oculi, which bathe the interior in natural light.

In the hours of darkness, high efficiency LED lights provide a soft but effective luminescence.

Design Process

The design process started with research into the architecture of

mosques, globally. The architects discovered that for centuries and throughout the world, mosques have adapted to local cultural and climatic conditions and adopted the local vernacular, using building materials and technologies available in their place and time.

The intention was to develop a strongly contemporary design, of its place and time yet reflecting both the Islamic and British sacred traditions. So the question they asked themselves was how should a British mosque be designed for the 21st century?

The idea emerged of a calm oasis of contemplation within a grove of trees, inspired by an image of the garden of paradise - with its water fountain symbolizing the source of all life. Marks Barfield Architects were inspired by elements from both the Islamic and British

Image © Morley von Sternberg

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religious architectural traditions for example the Eşrefoğlu mosque in Turkey; Córdoba in Spain and the Gt Mosque Tlemcen in Algeria as well as innovative English fan vaulting as seen in Kings college chapel, Cambridge and the chapter house in Westminster Abbey.

The design also seeks to incorporate the application geometry, inspired by natural form and Islamic principles. Marks Barfield imagined the site planted with a grove of trees, bringing the community together for gentle discourse under the shade of the trees. The trees then became the main structure of the mosque, joined to form an interwoven octagonal canopy - a lattice vault structure - which supports the roof. This is then surrounded by structural timber walls (cross laminated timber) clad in masonry tiles topped with a castellated parapet to symbolize the meeting of heaven and earth.

Timber

Timber was chosen as the principal material for the building structure because it is one of the most sustainable building materials available. Trees absorb CO2 as they grow, they have

low embodied energy and are a renewable resource. The timber used for the tree structure is sustainably sourced spruce and comes mostly from Switzerland, Germany and central Europe.

Concept and strategy for construction: Executing the roof support structure required a high degree of discipline and organization. The architects created a detailed 3D parametric model. Blumer Lehmann then commissioned digitalization experts from Design-toProduction (D2P) to develop the CAD model of the timber construction. Blumer Lehmann and Marks Barfield worked closely with D2P and the engineers from SJB Kempter Fitze to create the complete digitalized prefabrication and assembly concept.

Through this process, a total of 2,746 segments were reduced to just 145 different component types, which in turn are based on just 23 different types of laminated timber blanks. These blanks, some of which are straight and some with single- and double-curved source elements, were all processed with 5-axis milling. The approach required a

Image Š Morley von Sternberg

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meticulous production strategy and further development of the software. The joints between the segments in the complex support structure also required painstaking planning.

Slotted plates and Idefix connectors, among others, were used for the cross-grained joints in the lengthwise direction of the beams. Lateral butt joints were lap-jointed and screwed together, but not glued. With the curved areas in particular, the insertion of the halving joints had to be simulated in advance to validate the geometry of the assembly sequence.

Implementation and result: A total of 80 lorry loads with just under 3,800 individual components made the roughly 1,500 km journey from Gossau, SG, to Cambridge, England.

This required careful and timely planning, including the proper assignment, labelling and sequence of all parts. Only if each individual part arrived at the construction site at exactly the right moment would the assembly go to plan. This occupied the team from Blumer Lehmann for approximately six

months.

Structure

Price and Myers joined the project after planning had been achieved. The brief was to design a large awe-inspiring timber superstructure, above an elegantly detailed but utilitarian basement car park and plant area, on a brownfield site where former uses included a cement and lime works, a sawmill, a foundry, a petrol station, and most recently, a warehouse. The latter was destroyed by fire in 2009 and the site lay unused until work started on the mosque in later summer 2011. These myriad site uses had resulted in some localized contamination of the soil, which was either removed as part of the basement excavations or contained at depth below the landscaped areas.

The building is supported on concrete bored piles ranging between 13m and 22m deep.

The piles provide support to the basement floor slab and columns, which in turn support the ground floor and the timber columns which form the striking ‘trees’ of the superstructure. Piled walls

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Through frank discussions and careful collaboration with Marks Barfield Architects and Blumer Lehmann, Price and Myers

Image © Morley von Sternberg

Sustainability

As a religious building that emphasizes spiritual belief in humanity’s role as a humble and responsible custodian of creation, the mosque has been designed with a minimal carbon footprint. The design intent is for environmental and energy concepts for the building to achieve low carbon emissions and none on site. Energy use will be minimized by using mixed mode systems - static heating and natural ventilation, supplemented by displacement cool air supply at times of high occupancy or high heat gains.

Image © Morley von Sternberg

Significant challenges of the structural design included working out how each structural element would behave under different loading conditions and temperature variations, and how the blend of materials selected for the various elements would respond to each other.

Differential movement of the foundations would have led to uneven movement of the timber trees, which would in turn be likely to cause the joints to open and appear untidy. It was also necessary to determine how much deflection of the ground floor slab could be tolerated by the timber wall panels and whether this would cause issues with the masonry cladding and glazed curtain wall.

were able to find an assuredly economical and elegant structural solution, where every element has a function and nothing is purely decorative: an approach which has allowed the client to spend the budget where it mattered most to them.

The building form and fabric specification ensure it can be naturally lit during daylight hours and naturally ventilated throughout the year - even during periods of peak occupancy. The

Image © Morley von Sternberg

hold back the ground around the basement as well as providing support to the cross-laminated timber walls and masonry cladding to the perimeter of the superstructure.

building fabric is designed to ultra-low U-values with airtight construction to minimize energy need and energy loss. Each timber vault sits beneath a glass oculus, and the overall effect is an interior bathed in natural light.

The striking timber construction means that embodied energy is very low.

Air source heat pumps are used for underfloor heating/ cooling which also includes an innovative system of direct hot water heating via buffer tanks.

Given that the grid electricity becomes increasingly less carbon intensive, the overall footprint will reduce year on year. The building is part powered by a PV array and rainwater is harvested for flushing WCs and irrigation.

The power produced by the PVs is sufficient to cover all of the hot water used in the building, all of the cooling and 13% of the

heating.

It is clear that the very secular city of Cambridge is about to be challenged by a new monument, which will remind us that for many, the principle of sanctity is still interesting, and that it can still inspire subtle and intelligent artistic expression. In a time when religion is often judged by its fundamentalist extremes, the Cambridge mosque may function as a signpost to a forgotten reality, a symbol not only of religion’s ongoing appeal, but of its aesthetic and moral challenge to a culture most of whose monuments are frankly dedicated to the gods of money and of consumption. *This article includes text written

by Tim Winter, Shaykh Zayed Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge; and Chair, Cambridge Mosque Trust.

17 – 19 SEPTEMBER 2019 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

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The Cradle: Düsseldorf's first hybrid timber construction office building

Image © HPP Architekten

Tower features innovative wooden façade that performs structural and shading functions in addition to housing the natural ventilation concept

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Approximately 5,200 square meters of office space, as well as 600 square meters of space for gastronomic use on the ground floor will be created between the Trivago and Heimathafen projects, which are already under construction. The Cradle has not even been built yet, but its pioneering concept has already received its second distinguished architectural prize. Designed by HPP, the building was awarded the ICONIC AWARD 2018: Innovative Architecture by the German Design Council.

material depot. The ‘Material Passport’ lists all the materials used, which provides precise information about the available stock and for later dismantling.

“To understand buildings as part of the Circular Economy and to specify materials and products according to their reusability,

is the guiding principle and lies at the heart of our concept. We aim towards circular solutions along the entire length of the value chain, such that we not only retain existing values but also create new ones. This new method of construction is a challenge - one, that is eminently worthwhile conquering,” said

Gerhard G. Feldmeyer, Managing Partner at HPP Architects.

The Cradle aims to do things better than just make them 'less bad' and to generate a positive footprint for people and the environment. It is in this sense that the basic principle of designing a timber hybrid

Image ©HPP Architekten

Düsseldorf's first hybrid timber construction office building is being developed by HPP Architekten. Approved by the City council in October last year, the building on Speditionstrasse 2 in the Media Harbor will be built

by Ratingen project developer INTERBODEN and will open development on the southern part of Harbour A.

The project is inspired by the cradle-to-cradle-principle, whereby, according to the biomimetic approach to the design of buildings, individual components are recycled after use, CO2 emissions are reduced, and the use of non-recyclable materials is minimized. The latter is reflected in the hybrid wood construction. Load-bearing timber ceilings are connected reversibly to concrete filigree roofs, thereby meeting sound insulation, fire protection and weatherproofing requirements.

Image © HPP Architekten

Image © HPP Architekten

Image © HPP Architekten

In the spirit of the circular economy, components are reversibly connected so that they can be recycled after use.

In addition, healthy and fully recyclable building products are used or even leased from the manufacturer for their lifetime - The Cradle thus becomes a

Image ©HPP Architekten

"I am convinced that the principle will prevail in our industry, because it is more sustainable than ENEV, which rather promotes the production of stronger, non-reusable, and hard-to-dispose-of insulating materials," commented Vanja Schneider, Managing Director of INTERBODEN Innovative Gewerbewelten GmbH & Co. KG.

Image © HPP Architekten

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architectural response for the new building at Speditionstrasse 2,” added Feldmeyer. “The innovative wooden structure was created in integrated cooperation with structural engineers Knippers Helbig and Transsolar's energy planners. The façade performs structural and shading functions as well as housing the natural ventilation concept and provides loggias with a view on to the Media Harbor.”

The depth of the external wooden structure varies depending on direction: on the south and west sides, it forms an effective, broad sunshade; on the north and east sides, the depth is reduced.

Baffles on the upper floors act as structural wood protection, as sound insulation in front of the opening windows and as a guardrail in the loggias. The ground floor is constructed in concrete, such that baffles can be dispensed with in order to facilitate an open design and public access.

The façade, which integrates all functions, creates open floor plans that allow for flexible use and a variety of layout options.

Due to the immediate proximity of the 76-meter office building SIGN! by Helmut Jahn, the roof is constructed as the ‘fifth façade’ and set-back staggered storey, integrating the HVAC/r systems and forming a rooftop terrace that runs around the circumference.

In addition to the climatefriendly construction, the building has a cutting-edge mobility concept: a mobility service center - a ‘mobility hub’ that will be positioned on the ground floor. Here, building users and local residents will have access to a range of charging stations or car-sharing and bikesharing services primarily geared to e-mobility.

building must be understood: timber stores CO2 and thus improves the CO2 footprint of the project right from the start.

In addition, the user is offered a healthy and pleasant working atmosphere, which is achieved, among other things, by using non-toxic materials. The air in the neighborhood is improved by

green roofs and the environment is alleviated by the use of rainwater and grey water.

The building manages to retain a distinctive and singular appearance within the context of the Media Harbor, due to its characteristic diamond-shaped wooden façade structure.

Designed according to the circular economy concept, the characteristic building is a visible sign of sustainable urban development. Completion is planned for 2021.

“The exposed location in Düsseldorf's Media Harbor calls for a special and innovative

“Our work here is developmental; we have the opportunity to create fresh impetus in a prominent part of Düsseldorf.

In many ways, The Cradle is a pilot project - we are trying out innovative solutions here, in order to develop the foundations for the standards for the future,” concluded Feldmeyer.

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University of Stuttgart build the 14-meter-tall Urbach Tower from self-shaping wood Engineers harness the natural shrinking process of wood to create the first self-twisted tower in Germany

Image © ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

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Image © ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

Image © ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

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The University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) have joined forces to create the 14-meter-tall Urbach Tower in Germany. The tower is one of 16 permanent structures completed for the Remstal Gartenschau 2019.

Located on a prominent hillside in the center of the valley, the tower visually connects several of these structures, while providing shelter, views, and a venue for internal reflection.

The Urbach Tower is a unique wood structure. The design of the tower emerges from a new self-shaping process of the curved wood components.

This pioneering development constitutes a paradigm shift in timber manufacturing from elaborate and energy-intensive mechanical forming processes that require heavy machinery to a process where the material shapes entirely by itself. This shape change is driven only by the wood’s characteristic shrinking

during a decrease of moisture content.

Components for the 14m tall tower are designed and manufactured in a flat state and transform autonomously into the final, programmed curved shapes during industry-standard technical drying. This opens up new and unexpected architectural possibilities for high performance and elegant structures, using a sustainable, renewable, and locally sourced building material.

The Urbach Tower constitutes the very first structure worldwide made from self-shaped, buildingscale components. It not only showcases this innovative manufacturing approach and resultant novel timber structure; it also intensifies the visitors’ spatial involvement and landscape experience by providing a striking landmark building. Externally, the timber structure appears soft and textile-like, with an aperture in the thin wood envelope opening like a curtain to present sweeping valley views.

Material programming and predictability of shape change

In timber construction, moisture typically causes problems with cracking and deformation; hence, moisture changes and stress development must be carefully controlled. In contrast, in this project, the wood is programed and arranged in a way to utilize this powerful, naturally occurring deformation to trigger a designed self-

shaping behavior. In the same way that machines can be programmed to perform different movements, wood parts can be programmed to transform into predetermined shapes when dried.

While methods of bending wood into different shapes for structure and aesthetics have existed for centuries and have become recognized industrial processes, they still

Image © ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

Image © ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

Image © ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

Image © ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart

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mostly rely on brute mechanical force for the shaping process.

Similarly, an understanding of how wood deforms due to changes in moisture content is well known in practice and academics. However, a shift in design thinking, as well as new computational simulations for more accurate prediction, now allow us to use this moisture induced swelling and shrinking to design and program specific self-shaping movements at

larger and larger scale.

Self-shaping manufacturing at building-scale The pioneering development of large-scale self-shaping constitutes a paradigm shift in timber manufacturing from elaborate and energy-intensive mechanical forming processes that require heavy machinery to a process where the material shapes entirely by itself. This shape change is only driven

by the wood’s characteristic shrinking during a decrease of moisture content. The curved cross-laminated timber (CLT) components for the tower’s structure are designed and produced as flat panels that deform autonomously into predicted curved shapes when dried.

The 5 meter x 1.2 meter spruce wood bilayers parts are manufactured with a high wood moisture content and specific layups and dried in an industry standard technical drying process. When removed from the drying chamber, the parts are precisely curved. The parts are overlapped and laminated together to lock the geometry in place, forming larger curved CLT components with stable geometry.

Material specific computational mechanics models have been developed to both design, predict, and optimize the material arrangement required to produce different curvature

types and radius. The technology of self-shaping manufacturing for solid timber boards and the rapid adaptability of the process to different curvatures open up new and unexpected architectural possibilities for thin shell wood structures, using a sustainable, renewable, and locally sourced building material.

The Urbach Tower is the very first implementation of this technology on building-scale, load-bearing timber parts.

Sustainable wood construction and functional timber cladding The self-shaping components are made entirely of spruce wood boards sourced regionally from Switzerland. Individual components span up to 15m with a radius of 2.4m and a structural thickness of only 90mm. The components are 5-Axis CNC cut and detailed from half cylinder blanks and pre-assembled into building groups of three components for transport, including water barrier and external wood

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cladding.

transfers.

With precise curvature and optimal fiber alignment from the manufacturing process, each component is cut in detailed in just 90 minutes of machine time. A custommade protective cladding layer consisting of glue laminated larch wood is added on the outside. This also includes the application of a transparent and durable inorganic coating, which protects the wood from UV radiation and fungi attack.

Instead of ripping and turning silver-grey when exposed to outdoor weathering, the larch wood will take on an even white color over time.

The prefabricated assembly groups of the tower, each consisting of three curved components, were assembled in a single working day by a team of four craftsmen without the requirement of extensive scaffolding or formwork, and topped-off by a transparent roof. The structure showcases the possibilities for efficient, economical, ecological and expressive wood architecture that arises at the intersection of master craft, digital innovation and scientific research.

The entire process chain, from cutting regional logs in the sawmill to the production of the self-shaping panels, the drying process and final machining and pre-assembly takes place within the same group of companies and at the same location. This not only allows for sustainable and innovative production, but it also shows, how the self-shaping manufacturing can seamlessly integrate in established industrial wood processing and manufacturing workflows.

Thin-shell high-performance timber structure

The Urbach Tower consists of 12 curved components made from cross-laminated timber. The tower’s load-bearing structure exhibits a thickness of 90mm while cantilevering over 14 meters resulting in a span to thickness ration of approximately 160/1.

The inherent curvature enables a highly slender and lightweight tower structure of only 38kg per square meter surface area.

In the assembled state, the tower acts as a surface-active structure through its expressive curved geometry. The lightweight building elements are connected by crossing screws, the arrangement and specific angle of which is optimized throughout the structure in relation to their utilization while preserving a continuous connection along the seam for homogeneous load

Unique architectural landmark for the Rems Valley

The Urbach Tower is one of 16 stations designed by some of the most renowned German architects for the Remstal Gartenschau 2019. The stations are small, permanent buildings that evoke the traditional white chapels distributed in the fields and vineyards along the scenic Rems Valley. Located on a prominent hillside in the center of the valley, the 14m tall tower is a striking landmark that visually connects several stations.

It provides a place of shelter, internal reflection and outward view by revealing stunning vistas and framing the landscape. The distinctive form of the tower constitutes a truly contemporary architectural expression of the traditional construction material wood.

It celebrates the innate and natural characteristics of selfshaped wood in its upwards spiraling shape.

The concave curvature of the structure on the outside results in sharp lines and crisp surfaces, which is further accentuated by direct day light and whitening of the larch cladding over time.

In contrast, on the interior, the convex curvature creates an unexpected visual and tactile material experience, with the timber structure appearing to be almost soft and textile-like, highlighted by the light washing the gently undulating surfaces.

Opposite the entrance, the thin wood envelope opens like curtain, putting the Rems Valley on center stage.

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Norway is home to the world’s tallest timber tower

Image © Voll Arkitekter

Mjøstårnet represents a genuine milestone in its use of timber for construction and cladding

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Upon its completion in March of this year, Mjøstårnet in Norway was officially verified as the world's tallest timber tower by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Designed by Voll Arkitekter, it took the title of world's tallest timber building from the 53-metre-high Brock Commons Tallwood House in Vancouver, which has a hybrid wood and concrete structure and Treet in Bergen, Norway, which is 49 meters high.

With its distinct architectural appearance, Mjøstårnet is a landmark, both in the way it stands tall at 85.4 meters in amongst the landscape, but also in its revolutionary use of timber in the construction and cladding. A modern mixed-use tower, with facilities that the residents, locals and visitors can exploit, the tower has already attracted a lot of attention both in Norway and abroad. Voll Arkitekter has been responsible for the regulation of the site, the design of the tower and the storey layout, as well as the design and layout of the public bath connected to the tower.

The tower consists of 18 storeys with different programs. With a footprint of only 17m in width and 37.5m in length, each floor is about 640m2. The total program for the tower is about 10,500m2 with an additional 4,900m2 for the public bath. The ground floor is public space with a lobby, reception and restaurant. In addition, there is an adjoining public bath on the ground floor with two 25-meter length pools.

The second storey is reserved for rentable meeting rooms and technical facilities. The next five storeys are dedicated to office space.

Mjøstårnet has 72 hotel rooms, 18 on each floor from the 8th storey to the 11th. In total, there are 33 apartments in the project, ranging from 50m2, to 180m2, with 6 apartments on each floor on the 12th to

16th floor, and 2 apartments on the 17th floor together with an event room that can be used for weddings, celebrations and larger conferences. On the top floor is a penthouse apartment and a public viewing terrace.

The design concept for Mjøstårnet was inspired by the Paris Agreement to combat climate change and began as an idea to reduce carbon dioxide

emissions while sustainably sourcing construction materials locally. Wood was chosen as the structural material due to recent advancements in the field of mass timber particularly following the increased availability of large glue-laminated timber and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structural elements. Notably, wood is also the world’s only truly renewable building

Image © Voll Arkitekter

Mjøstårnet is located in Brumunddal, a small city with 10,000 residents, about an hour and a half drive north of Oslo.

Standing alone on the riverbank of Brumunda, Mjøstårnet has a majestic appearance, overlooking Lake Mjøsa, the largest lake in Norway. The name ‘Mjøstårnet’ is Norwegian and means ‘The tower of Lake Mjøsa’. Mjøstårnet is to be a symbol of the ‘green shift’, and proof that tall buildings can be built using local resources, local suppliers and sustainable wooden materials.

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All key structural components of Mjøstårnet are composed of engineered timber, utilizing glue-laminated timber for beams and columns and crosslaminated timber for the core walls containing the building’s elevator and stairway shafts.

The glue-laminated columns were fabricated with pre-drilled

holes and assembled onsite into vertical trusses of up to five floors in height, providing stability to horizontal and vertical forces.

levels 12 and above have floor slabs fully composed of concrete to increase weight and achieve the desired dynamic behavior in periods of strong winds

Floor slabs for levels 11 and below are also crafted from timber beams, topped with laminated veneer lumber and a thin 50-millimeter layer of concrete for acoustical and vibrational performance, while

The main load bearing consists of large-scale glulam trusses along the façades as well as internal columns and beams.

The trusses handle the global forces in horizontal and vertical direction and give the building

Image © Voll Arkitekter

material, as it sequesters carbon throughout its lifecycle.

Image © Voll Arkitekter

Image © Voll Arkitekter

its necessary stiffness. CLT walls are used for secondary load bearing of three elevators and two staircases. Large prefabricated façade elements are attached to the outside of the timber structures and make up the envelope of the building.

These sandwich type elements come with incombustible insulation and external panels already fixed.

Moelven Limitre, the project’s structural engineer, supplied glulam columns, beams and diagonals, CLT elevator shafts, stairs, and floor slabs. The company was also responsible for the direct installation of the wooden structures in the building. In addition, every wooden part in the facade construction had to be fireproof.

As such, a fire safe pine product from Woodify was chosen for the cladding. As Brumunddal is in an area of Norway with a major forestry and wood processing industry, the materials were primarily sourced locally.

Mjøstårnet was built four storeys at a time in five construction stages. An internal scaffolding and a large crane was used to hoist the pre-fabricated sections and floor slabs into place.

Mjøstårnet has a base width of 16 meters but Moelven Limitre believe that it would have been possible to build taller if this was increased. The width traditionally determines the height of a timber building: greater width means the building sways less.

A wider building would make it unproblematic to build higher than 100 meters, and even perhaps 150 meters or more.

Its height may not be all that impressive compared to the average non-timber skyscraper, but Mjøstårnet represents a genuine milestone in sustainable construction. Different materials will be used side by side for many years to come, and Mjøstårnet is by no means the ultimate blueprint of a tall timber building.

However, the most important aspect of this building is to show that it is possible to build large, complex timber buildings, and in that fashion, inspire others to do the same.

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SCM Surface Technologies: a unique partner in surface treatment

Image © SCM

Market leader offers a wide range of integrated technologies for sanding, pressing and finishing

SCM has always placed importance on surface treatment and was the first to believe in the importance of having technologies for finishing as part of its range, which, thanks to the synergy between the sanding, coating and painting processes, has proven to be invaluable on the market. Thanks to its vast and consolidated know-how, SCM today is in a position to offer a wide range of technologies for sanding, pressing and finishing, distinguishing itself as a unique partner in the entire surface treatment process. A complete range of products and services

as well as exclusive, soughtafter finishing solutions that are integrated with each other to meet all the process and end product type requirements is the SCM promise.

The innovative DMC system operator units which transform the concept of sanding machine into a flexible abrasive modular center; the Superfici systems, a vast and varied range of automatic spraying machines or robotic solutions, both for painting and gluing; and the Sergiani 3d form presses, which allow for uneven surfaces to be ennobled, are some of

the key technology players in this ‘integrated vision’. These solutions allow for surfaces to be prepared and treated to produce finished products with a 3D finishing effect like wave designs, hand smoothed, structured, band saw and worm hole, capable of conveying unique touch and visual sensations.

"We are talking about 360-degree surface treatment,” explains Alberto Fiorani, Business Unit Manager in charge of SCM technologies on the subject of sanding, sizing, pressing, assembly and packaging. "This is market demand, constantly in

search of an integrated approach and solid points of reference with specialized skills, thanks to which a large part of a process can be handled well and safely."

Gloria Valtorta, Superfici's Business Unit Manager adds: "We deal with finishing, painting, tactile aspects, aesthetics and sensitivity. This is our mission within the Group. An important challenge because we are talking about appearance, that first impression when you find yourself in front of a unit, a piece of furniture, a door or a window.

We are specialists strongly integrated into the Group's work,

world leader in technologies for secondary wood processing. The technical and technological part of the finishing and painting is in our DNA and everything is devised, designed, planned and manufactured: whether we are talking about a line to integrate into a new plant produced by the Group's Engineering or a machine that a long-standing or new client asked us for. At Superfici, we cover everything."

The Integrated Project

Sanding: DMC system sanding machines are distinguished for being flexible abrasive machining centers used to create exclusive

3D surface finishing by pairing carving and brushes units. These innovative carving units allow SCM to obtain refined design lines and finishing effects that evoke manual woodworking processes, providing an authentic and valuable characteristic to wooden furniture. With this technology, SCM can also create a wide and varying range of different surfaces, changing from one 3D surface design to another one in a very short time and an amazing productivity.

The carving unit is able to rapidly reproduce, by brushless servomotors, various carving

Image Š SCM

Image Š HOMAG

Image Š SCM

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Image © SCM

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effects that differ in depth, direction and shape of the pattern grooves. This multifunctional solution also creates the look of a truly carved surface on solid wood, veneer and MDF, and the technology can be applied to many application sectors such as parquet flooring, home furniture and internal wall manufacturing. Moreover, these modular machines can use different units inside whose action, from longitudinal or transversal sanding to super finisher units, or units like the Planetario, which allows many different sanding processes due to three different movement types - for example by using orbital brush discs it can perfectly sand solid wood door frames, windows frames or kitchen cabinets.

The system is full of possibilities, and that means almost any kind of surface can be achieved, from the simplest sanding job to genuine sculptures. The machines can produce regular or perfectly ‘random’ weaving, as

is the case with the ‘band saw effect’ on a wooden surface, a floor, to create a completely natural surface. Thanks to SCM’s DMC system, the surface is ready to be finished with Superfici technologies.

Finishing: Superfici mini Plug&Spray spraying machine offers all the advantages of an automatic spraying in a small case of efficiency and simplicity.

Adding Superfici mini - SCM’s entry level automatic spraying machine - enables users to either paint panels and doors, or coat them with glue. According to SCM, the machine a a plug and spray solution for anyone who wants to make the move up from hand spraying to automatic spraying and it has been priced to suit smaller users. Superfici mini can handle different working programs and be fully connected, making things easier for the user to handle orders and keep quality under control. All the parameters can be controlled and that means high quality and consistency, as well being able

to control cost. More and more customers want this kind of integration.

applied to the surface. Superfici offers different nozzles to spray inside groove.

Another Superfici technological solution that can be perfectly integrated with SCM models for sanding and pressing is the Superfici Bravorobot. This machine is more suitable for higher production. It offers increased accuracy when glue spraying, and it has the technology on board to cope with more complicated shapes.

Typically, for spraying glue, you would want one gun dedicated to edge spraying that has specific nozzles; a fan size that’s effective on vertical sides; and two guns on a robotic arm for the surface with different nozzles to apply very little glue.

With the Bravorobot, the gun nozzle angle can be controlled for the edge but for the surface, the guns are fixed on the arm.

As such, this solution can select where to apply more glue and where to apply less glue very easily so more can be applied on the edges and a mist can be

Pressing: to complete the integrated project developed by SCM, there is also the new range of Sergiani 3d form pressing solutions for laminating curved panels and those with threedimensional effects. This model can offer a vast range of standalone or integrated solutions in automatic lines to meet the varying production needs. The pressing cycle is electronically adjustable and programmable at each stage to ensure the best panel finish according to the material being processed, guaranteeing top quality surfaces and gluing, plus a highly versatile application. The Sergiani 3d form is the last piece in the SCM labelled finishing process puzzle. This way the client has an opportunity to have a unique partner capable of providing ad hoc solutions for all the production needs for surface treatment - sanding, glue application and pressing.

SCM SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES

TOTAL TOUCH EXPERIENCE

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN SURFACE TREATMENT The wide range of SCM and Superfici solutions for the most complex and customized surface treatment processes.

dmc systems wild belt sanders

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SCM MIDDLE EAST FZE Dubai - United Arab Emirates Tel. +971 4 8321674 - www.scmgroupmiddleeast.com

sergiani 3d form presses

Image ©Biesse

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Fully digitalized processes for designing, simulating and creating solutions without limits B_CABINET from Biesse manages furniture production from the 3D design phase to production flow monitoring

Software and management processes are integrated in real time, new digital programs are interfaced and integrated, and with the arrival of new technologies, company competitiveness increasingly depends on rapid, flexible production. IT systems are behind this revolution/transformation and guarantee optimization, monitoring of operations, data tracking and correct management of the stages of production.

In order to control the complexity of use and programming of machines as far as possible by interpreting and making the concepts of Factory 4.0 their own, Biesse has, in recent years, invested heavily in the world of software, with its main aim being to make machines human. By working with a dedicated team, it develops software solutions, which are conceived through close observation of the customer's everyday work, with simple interfaces designed to guarantee the practical daily use of the machine.

One of these solutions is B_ CABINET FOUR, a new module that supplements the tried and tested B_CABINET software, which can guarantee total control and maximum optimization of furniture design and production

to achieve a maximum level of efficiency. This is a unique solution for managing furniture production from the 3D design phase to production flow monitoring.

The software, which specializes in furniture design, allows users to develop designs for a given space, and quickly identify the individual elements in it. It provides a virtual environment that replicates the actual space, where the user can design individual pieces of furniture or complete furnishing solutions with the greatest ease. The switch from design to production mode then requires just a few clicks, which means significant cost savings.

B_CABINET is a software application that can be purchased separately from the machine software (bSuite) and can also be used to operate competitors' machines in the production process. Also designed for designers and architects, B_CABINET can be used for fully customizable, quick and flexible designing of each item of furniture, panel programming for machining centers, cutting lists for panel saws, edgebanding

sequences, assembly diagrams, requirement reports as well as offering a powerful photo rendering engine.

B_CABINET, in line with the principles of Industry 4.0 and through the development of services that have helped to achieve complete data digitalization, is complemented by a new supplementary module called B_CABINET FOUR. This makes it easy to manage all the machining phases (cutting, milling, boring, edgebanding, assembly, packaging) with just one click.

By controlling the materials, hardware, machining technology and data routing, B_CABINET FOUR can be used to quickly and efficiently send information which is useful to the production process to each workstation.

B_CABINET FOUR also includes an environment dedicated to real time monitoring of the production process. This means complete control of the order status, step by step, thanks to charts and 3D images. Each workstation receives the job order, the production sequence, additional information on each assembled part or project,

Image ©Biesse

The digital revolution has brought about a massive change based on technological innovation that involves production systems, companies, the market and the relationship between them and man. In this industrial context, software is interconnected, and the key word is ‘digitalization’.

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large numbers of components.

the machining and cutting lists, and the PDF assembly diagram.

With B_CABINET FOUR, ideas take form and shape: the solution is available worldwide including in the Middle East region and Biesse is ready to help customers optimize their production processes. To show all the features of B_CABINET FOUR, Biesse Middle East will in fact open the doors of its Dubai Campus from November 25 - 28, 2019.

B_PROCESS is also part of the Industry 4.0 framework: the software, with intelligent tools for product engineering through automatic integration of the machines, is an open component that unifies and centralizes the interface between management and production. B_PROCESS is a logical information manager that uses rules defined in the customer's ERP to control production in the specified system. B_PROCESS can also track production and represent it as a mimic panel so that the state of the system can be constantly monitored, both in terms of production and machine status.

Biesse also offers innovative software, which can be used to access the most cutting-edge technologies. With B_SUITE, design has no limits. B_SUITE is a coordinated series of perfectlyintegrated software applications designed to meet every production requirement, including

design, programming, simulation, implementation, factory testing and data analysis. The suite consists of: B_SOLID: a 3D CAD CAM software application that, with a single platform, supports every type of machining operation thanks to the use of vertical modules designed for specific production processes.

It enables the graphic illustration of the final product and the full automation of the design, engineering and production optimization processes.

B_EDGE: a bSuite plug-in which, by using the suite's design and

simulation capabilities, makes edgebanding even the most complex shapes very simple.

B_EDGE sequentially orders edgebanding operations (preedgebanding, edgebanding and post-edgebanding) to maximize efficiency and prevent any programming errors.

B_WINDOWS: a software application for the door and window market used to design door and window frames.

Boasting enormous potential, this product allows the user to design any type of door or window frame, and is even capable of handling extremely complex projects with

The Biesse range of software includes and is complemented by a set of specific optimizers: B_ NEST, a bSuite plug-in which can be used to easily organize nesting projects in a straightforward way while at the same time reducing material consumption and machining times. It identifies the most efficient shaped cut sequence for flat elements and also optimizes production times.

In addition, OPTIPLANNING is a software application to optimize cutting patterns and maximize efficiency for both material costs and consumption and cutting times. It provides extremely reliable algorithms for production batches in small- and mediumsized companies and can be used to automatically import software-generated cutting lists for designing furniture and/or ERP management systems. With its simple, user-friendly interface, it offers intelligent, assisted management of the cutting stages.

Image ŠBiesse

Image ŠBiesse

B_DOORS: a fully integrated, intuitive, practical software application for designing doors.

Due to its ease of use, the B_ SUITE plug-in can be used for the simplified and parametric design of door uprights and rails, the handling of routed doors and the parametric design of joints and blank horizontal and vertical slats.

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The Preservation Bench wins award for ‘Best Furniture Design’ at 100% Design South Africa

Image © Brett Rubin

Thermally-modified American red oak is celebrated by Houtlander in a sensational, gravity-defying play on their contemporary folk style

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South Africans enjoy a great indoor/outdoor lifestyle, so it made a lot of sense to Houtlander creatives, Phillip Hollander and Stephen Wilson to take their highly successful contemporary folk style furniture range and bring it outside. To do so they partnered with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) to explore the groundbreaking thermally-modified American red oak, which has been developed to be durable and weather-resistant.

Houtlander is only a few years old, but they have made a massive impact on both the local South African and international market.

Launching at 100% Design South Africa in 2017 where they won best furniture design for their Coronation Bench, they rapidly went on to exhibit with the worldrenowned design gallery Southern Guild, won the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa 2019 with the Interdependence Two bench, a twisted slatted seat for two people to sit intimately facing each other, and have recently exhibited in the Rossana Orlandi Gallery in Milan and at the Grand Palais in Paris.

“We are a company that strives to be as sustainable as possible - we don’t use screws or mechanical fixings in our production - just good traditional joinery,” explains Phillip Hollander. “We not only want to design furniture that is useful and lasting, we only work with timber that is honorably sourced.

We love the story of how American hardwood is grown - how it is harvested - how the forest re-generates itself - it is a beautiful thing.”

Houtlander launched its commercial outdoor range in Johannesburg at 100% Design South Africa 2019, but the real showstopper was a tribute to the wood from which the furniture is made - the Preservation Bench. Known for its modern take on spindle furniture, the two designers re-worked their signature style to celebrate the sapling growing from the forest floor, seeking the light and growing up towards the canopy.

Three grounded benches curve into one gravity-defying twisted

form that seemingly disappears into the air.

“We were contemplating the launch of our outdoor range and wanting to show a piece that was in some way representative of a tree as we wanted to give a sense of the furniture we were showing being outdoors. At the same time, we really wanted to communicate something that is often overlooked about the material we use to manufacture our products - namely American hardwoods - and that is that

timber is in fact carbon that has been captured out of the atmosphere and locked into a functional item for a very long time,” said Stephen Wilson.

According to Houtlander, no other material that furniture is made out of can claim to be carbon negative - a property which is becoming increasingly important for the wellbeing of our planet. The bench therefore is a visual representation of the furniture ‘coming out of the air’” and meant to suggest the form

and function of a park tree with a bench offering some shade.

The Preservation Bench and new outdoor furniture range were on display at 100% Design South Africa 2019, which ran from the 7th to 11th of August in Johannesburg. Once again, Houtlander picked up the 100% Design Award for Best Furniture Design at the show.

“As a business, we have a policy of pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones with slightly crazy projects like this precisely because

Image © Brett Rubin

Image © Brett Rubin

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they are a way of fast tracking a learning process. We decided that we wanted to make an outdoor range in TM because of its unique properties and we learnt a great deal about those properties by pushing the envelope of what the material can do in terms of load bearing, how it responds to various types of machining, bonding, jointing,” added Wilson.

Houtlander discovered that the material becomes incredibly brittle - but importantly also

dimensionally stable. They overcame the brittleness by cross laminating which one couldn’t do with the unmodified timer because it would warp and crack due to the difference in rates of expansion and contraction. Some other very pleasing properties they discovered included: color consistency - often not the case with American oak; weight - the TM process makes the material much lighter; it machines very easily and seems kind on tools generally; and it sands very

beautifully - the grain is not raised by water, making it easy to finish with water based finishes, particularly if it’s being used as an indoor material.

“The Preservation Bench is an expression of the fact that the material we are using in our furniture comes out of the air - it is carbon which has been absorbed out of the air by the living forest and converted into timber,” explains Wilson. “The thermally-modified red oak is so counter-intuitive for someone

who has been working with solid timbers for any length of time. All of your training and experience prepares you to expect the timber to behave in certain ways, that it’s going to warp and change shape, that it can’t come in to contact with moisture.”

“All of your construction and design processes take these material properties into consideration - this is why all wooden outdoor furniture has the same loose plank - mechanically fastened construction. With thermallymodified oak, however, this is not the case, the material does not move or warp, it is perfectly happy when coming in contact with moisture, since it doesn’t absorb it at all. The stability of this material in the presence of moisture - unique to this form of timber - have allowed us to create a form hitherto unimaginable in an outdoor setting,” added Wilson.

The biggest challenge was the extreme brittleness. The designers compared it to like working with charcoal at times - prone to cracking along the grain. Their recommendation was to cross laminate to improve strength. Tensile strength was lowered and so they thickened sections to regain strength. All in all, it took Houtlander 3 months from concept to completion - the first month was spent on design; the second on engineering/machine programming; and the third to machine and assemble.

“Not only is the Preservation Bench a masterpiece in timber design and craftsmanship, it also has a minimal environmental footprint, which speaks to the inspiration behind it. We have calculated that all the red oak used to make the bench would be replaced through natural regeneration in the U.S. hardwood forest in less than 1 second. Additionally, while in use, it is estimated that the Preservation Bench will keep 635 kg of CO2 equivalent out of the atmosphere,” concluded Roderick Wiles, AHEC Regional Director.

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CIFF Shanghai

IFMAC

Furniture China

Intermob Istanbul

FMC China

SICAM

SoFab / Furnica / Drema

HOLZ

BIFE-SIM

Belgrade Fair

Middle East Design and Hospitality Week

FIMAP

LISDEREVMASH

Big 5 Dubai

Timber

Cairo WoodShow

September 8 - 11 National Exhibition & Convention Center & Convention Center Shanghai, China www.ciff.furniture/index.php ...........................................................................................

September 9 - 12 Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) and Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center (SWEECC) www.furniture-china.cn/en-us .............................................................................................

September 9 - 12 Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) Shanghai, China www.furniture-china.cn/en-us/fmc .............................................................................................

September 10 - 13 Poznan Congress Center Poznan, Poland www.sofab.pl/en | www.furnica.pl/en | www.drema.pl/en .............................................................................................

September 12 - 15 ROMEXPO Exhibition Center Bucharest, Romania www.bife-sim.ro/en .............................................................................................

September 17 - 19 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center Dubai, UAE www.designhospitalityweek.com ............................................................................................

September 24 - 27 International Exhibition Center Kiev, Ukraine http://lisderevmash.ua .............................................................................................

October 8 - 10 NEC Birmingham, United Kingdom www.ukconstructionweek.com/timber .............................................................................................

October 9 - 12 Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran Jakarta, Indonesia www.ifmac.net/index.php ..............................................................

October 12 - 16 Tuyap Fair Convention and Congress Center Istanbul, Turkey www.intermobistanbul.com .............................................................................................

October 15 - 18 Pordenone Exhibition Center (Fiera di Pordenone) Pordenone, Italy www.exposicam.it/english/index.asp .............................................................................................

October 15 - 19 Messe Basel Basel, Switzerland www.holz.ch .............................................................................................

November 7 - 9 EXPONOR Porto, Portugal http://sajamnamestaja.rs .............................................................................................

September 10 - 13 Poznan Congress Center Poznan, Poland https://fimap.exponor.pt/?lang=en .............................................................................................

November 25 - 28 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center Dubai, UAE www.thebig5.ae .............................................................................................

December 5 - 8 Cairo International Convention & Exhibition Center Cairo, Egypt www.cairowoodshow.com .............................................................................................

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