Timber and wood products had a strong presence at this year’s architectural show 100% Detail held at Earls Court.
Organiser Peter Massey said 22,133 people visited the show – up 48% on last year – and there were 130 exhibitors, compared with around 100 last year, in an exhibition area that was 50% bigger than in 2004.
Mr Massey said there was an increase in the number of timber and wood product-related companies taking part at the show which requires exhibitors to go through a selection panel before they are allowed to take part.
Those lucky enough to pass the test got exposure to a wide-ranging audience, with visitors including architects, engineers, developers, local authorities and specifiers.
The show was used as a platform to announce the 2005 Wood Awards shortlist. Twenty-four projects out of 128 entries submitted were unveiled by Andrew Barnett, a director of Hopkins Architects which won the Gold Award with its Norwich Cathedral Visitors’ Centre last year.
Also launched on the first day of the show was the American Hardwood Export Council‘s (AHEC) publication Structural Design in American Hardwoods.
Peter Ross, the president of TRADA and a consultant with Arup, said the publication had come about after Arup, working with BRE, developed detailed design information for the Portcullis House project in London.
“We needed to get over the knee-jerk reaction that American timbers are just for joinery and furniture – they can be used for structures as well,” said Mr Ross.
Arup commissioned BRE to carry out a series of tests which showed that commercially available D50 grade material could be used, and the idea for a publication detailing the structural attributes of four American hardwoods species – white oak, red oak, tulipwood and ash – was born.
AHEC European director David Venables said demand for timber would would “grow and grow” in the building sector and that AHEC was pleased to be providing information to architects and engineers.
The British Woodworking Federation provided a stand which enabled four of its members to showcase five products.
Howarth Timber (Windows & Doors Ltd) launched its new Supply Air carbon reducing window system, which has been developed in partnership with the Carbon Trust. “Smart vents” at the top and bottom of the window allow a controlled air flow between the glass panes. Solar energy heats the air which in turns warms the room, while low-E glass for the inside pane creates an effective radiation barrier.
Howarth also showcased a fully reversible top or side hung window in laminated timber.
JELD-WEN said it was looking to increase its merchant business for its windows and doors through a presence at the exhibition, while Vicaima said it had seen a good response to its Charles Rennie Macintosh-inspired door from architects and designers.
Clifton Joinery exhibited a Gothic arched box sash window in oak on the BWF stand to demonstrate the quality of the company’s craftsmanship. Managing director Stephen Newton said he found the show “useful and a good experience” and, although slightly disappointed in the number of visitors to the stand, he said he would definitely consider exhibiting again.
Finnforest had an eye-catching stand with its replica of a corner of the Serpentine Gallery summer pavilion constructed in Kerto LVL. Chris Hitchmough, product manager for architects and specifiers, said: “Architects are always looking for new ideas. This shows people in the UK what can be done with timber if you put a little imagination into it.”
Laminated timbers were also showcased by two German companies – Wood Trade, exhibiting for the third year, and Seufert-Niklaus GmbH.
Wood Trade’s structural veneer lumber (SVL) is LVL, cut and glued again to enhance its strength and appearance. Made from SFI-certified Douglas fir and marketed as Oregon pine, it can be specified for anything from curtain walling to flooring, partitions and tables. Wood Trade’s Volker Stukenbroch said the product’s appeal lay in its stability and striking appearance.
Seufert-Niklaus was also exhibiting SVL curtain walling and windows and doors, including its speciality of flush glazed windows and doors. The windows are factory glazed and the finish carries a 10-year guarantee.
The company’s UK representative Chris Stewart said: “It’s a very stable, engineered product so you know how it’s going to perform.” Carbon fibre slivers could be added to the SVL to increase its strength while reducing its weight, and the material could also make the provide bomb resistance.
Used as curtain walling, SVL provided a lower U-value than aluminium and performed better in a fire as an aluminium frame would transfer heat through the system. It could also unsupported spans up to 15m high.
Opportunities for architects
“There’s a lot of opportunity for architects,” said Mr Stewart. Among the projects the company has supplied with windows are new offices at Kew Gardens and a private development in Belgravia which included windows up to 3.2m high.
Another German company at the show was Schotten & Hansen, which produces a triple-layered board made from solid wood and suitable for floors, doors, furniture, in fact, “the whole wooden part of a house”, said a company spokesperson.
The board is finished with natural pigments such as oil mixed with amber or shellac, or perhaps smoked.
And in terms of finishes, BonaKemi was promoting Bona Stain, the latest addition to its family of flooring products. The product colours the timber – with a choice of eight hues – but maintains the grain and appearance of the flooring. And the ease of application meant “the dark art” of applying stains was a thing of the past, said technical manager Alec Stacey.
He added that the product gave designers more creative freedom. “We’ve created stains which allow you to alter the appearance of a timber and create specific aesthetics,” he said.
On the Kingspan-Century Homes stand the emphasis was on making architects aware of the company’s two product areas.
Marketing manager Guy Maddock said: “We offer two different product streams – the KingspanTek building system and the Kingspan Century timber frame building system. This is a positive time for the timber trade and we are trying to grow the market in specific sectors, including the major house builders and developers, housing associations and the self-build market.”
Specialist subcontractor Eurban, which supplies and erects solid timber structures, works primarily with architects, according to company representative Liam Dewar. He hoped exhibiting at 100% Detail would encourage interest from some of the big developers, although he added: “It is also a good opportunity to socialise.”
