NZ Wood today announced that Resene, the NZ owned and operated paint manufacturer from Lower Hutt, has committed to a naming rights sponsorship of the 2012 Timber Design Awards.

The competition brings together architects, architectural designers and engineers in a showcase event that builds the passion for timber construction in New Zealand.

Karen Warman, Marketing Manager of Resene, highlighted the affinity between timber and paints and stains – whether for dynamic effect or longevity and protection. “Resene has always enjoyed partnering with the best and the Timber Design Awards enables us to develop new relationships with those that value excellence in timber design – like we do! We are especially pleased that this year’s Awards includes a Canterbury Rebuild category to highlight the significance of the rebuild”.

In announcing the sponsorship Jane Arnott CEO, NZ Wood highlighted how the Timber Design Awards celebrate excellence across functionality and aesthetics.  “The versatility of timber offers infinite possibilities for professionals keen to blend beauty and form.”

“We have to remember that it was only a few decades ago that brutalism ruled, now fortunately we have a better appreciation of design as well as the integrity of construction. From curves to filigree, veneers to engineered timber beams only timber can excite, challenge and change to meet every landscape and every client.”

The First Stage Call for Entries closes on Friday 22 June at 5pm.  Entry forms are available here.

Architects: Harris Butt Architecture ltd. – Grant Harris
Location: Whakapapa Ski Field, Mt. Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
Design Team: Grant Harris, Ian Butt, Kerry Reyburn, Ben Brown
Completion: 2011
Building size: 1,516 sqm
Photographs: Simon Devitt, Sharon Mazey

Knoll Ridge Café is located at Whakapapa Ski Field on Mt. Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park. Situated on the side of a mountain the commercial ski field is also sited on what is New Zealand’s largest active volcano.
The café replaces the original Knoll Ridge Chalet which was destroyed by a fire in February 2009. As a result an ambitious design and build programme was initiated to replace the chalet with a temporary prefabricated facility for the 2009 winter season. Once the debris of the original chalet were removed, a 220sqm temporary cafe was erected on the remaining floor slab. This tested the methodology which was later adopted for the construction of the café.

© Simon Devitt

Rapidly changing weather is typical of the conditions encountered on New Zealand mountains, with Mt. Ruapehu no exception. Designing a building for such a severe environment provided its own set of unique challenges. Limited road access to site and stringent requirements meant extensive planning and logistics were required just to get materials to site. Prefabricated concrete floor panels had to be rapidly constructed and delivered before the snow melted, these were then hauled over snow 700m up to site before construction began the following summer.
A major consideration in the design of the building was the issue of the remote location. The entire building, from foundation beams/floor panels to roof sections and windows was broken down into a modular panelised system, which allowed for delivery, placement and erection by helicopter on site. Insulated sandwich panels constructed of plywood and LVL form a large extent of the walls and roof of the café. These like most of the buildings components had to be designed with careful consideration not exceed the helicopters 800kg max load limit.

A 100% thermally broken purpose built glass curtain wall was designed for what is possibly one the most challenging environments to build in. The glass and framing system had to withstand wind speeds of up to 200km/ph and temperatures well below freezing. Twenty-five tons of glass was used in the 415m2 of glass façade which was all predetermined and ordered from calculations without a site measure. All the glass units were fitted with 3 equalizing tubes to facilitate onsite argon gas filling, equalizing tubes were also used as a precaution for rapid altitude acceleration during flight.

© Simon Devitt

In the summer season the eastern face of the building can be seen set above the volcanic rock formations located on the edge of the drop off to the Te Heuheu Valley. The north face looks back down the mountain whilst to the west is the chair lift and ski area.
The form of the building reflects the strong geological features of the mountain. The “gull wing” roof was to appear to “cradle” the mountains peak. On a practical level is used to manage the snow. The building is designed to cover with up 3.0m of snow.
Timber has been used extensively inside and out to create the warm “feeling” of the “traditional” mountain chalet without adopting the traditional form. The glass exterior (particularly to the east wall) is the other feature of the building – allowing full exposure to the magnificence view to the Pinnacle Ridge.

The new café is located approximately 50m down the mountain from the original chalet site, with the main café floor at approximately 2010m ASL. The new building accommodates café seating for approx 400 people with servery, kitchen and support facilities all on one level. At this same level, a deck area for approximately 200 people is provided. The main public toilet area, staff facilities and storage are on the level below with separate access from the outside as well connection to the café via an internal stair.

Architects: Herbst Architects
Location: Piha North, New Zealand
Contractor: John Armstrong
Photographs: Patrick Reynolds

© Patrick Reynolds

The site with which we were presented was extremely challenging in that it was 90% covered in mature pohutukawa trees, the site being a part of a continuous belt of forest that edges the road along the beach front.

The circumstances not so much allowed, but dictated a sensitive poetic response to a building that, in order to exist would require the destruction of a large number of mature trees. To do this we looked to the trees themselves to give us the cues that we needed.

We separated the brief loosely into private and “public” components, giving us smaller individual masses with which to articulate the forms. The private functions of bedrooms and garage are housed in two towers which are construed as freshly sawn stumps of the trees that were removed.

© Patrick Reynolds

To allude to the bark of the stumps the skins of the towers are clad in black/brown stained rough sawn irregular battens. The interior spaces are then seen as carved out of the freshly cut wood, achieved by detailing all the wall / ceiling and cabinetry elements in the same light timber.

© Patrick Reynolds

The public space connects the two towers and attempts to engage with the surrounding pohutukawa forest by defining a crossover space between the powerful natural environment and the built form. The plane of the roof form pins off the towers to engage with the continuous tree canopy, disintegrating from a rigid plane to a frayed edge which filters light in a similar way to the leaf canopy.

© Patrick Reynolds

The primary structure holding up the roof is a series of tree elements which allude to the trunks and branches of trees but are detailed in a rigorous geometric arrangement which suggests an ordering of nature as it enters and forms the building.

© Patrick Reynolds

The height of the public space with its light glass division responds to the height of the surrounding trees, the roof plane is partially glass to allow the full extent of the trees to be felt as they lean over the building. A walkway links the towers at the upper level allowing engagement with both the natural and man-made canopies.

Architects: BattersbyHowat Architects
Location: Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Project Year: 2010
Project Area: 540 sqm
Photographs: Sama Jim Canzian

Located in a Whistler neighbourhood halfway up the mountainside, this house was designed for clients who appreciate the timber structure characteristic of a Whistler Chalet, but desired a unique family home for seven that would capture this ambience without its typical organization and aesthetic. Situated in a prominent site, the visual mass of the structure was diminished by making a substantial portion of the house appear to be below grade through the strategic removal of bedrock, and by the extension of the living room terrace over the garage. An upper courtyard deck area was also carved in to the massing to gather light centrally into the house. The result is a home that looks deceptively modest in relation to the neighbouring properties.

© Sama Jim Canzian

The careful allocation of program allows for retreat zones for both adults and children on the uppermost and lower floor levels respectively. Privacy is also achieved through edited views from within the home that capture the many distant mountain peaks along with the immediacy of the rock and flora that embed the house in its site.

© Sama Jim Canzian

The lowest level, which connects directly to grade, has a maze-like disposition of private and communal spaces. Exposed concrete walls bracket seamless wood lined alcoves that provide access to the sleeping quarters and service spaces located on this level. The main floor is a large open room animated by multiple natural light sources and varied views to the forest and mountains beyond. As on the first floor, walls extend past corners obscuring the space’s sense of containment. On the exterior, walls operate in a similar manner by extending the perceived limits of the interior and cropping views to control exposure and privacy.

© Sama Jim Canzian

Standing seam metal roofing and black stained shingles clad the main form of the structure. In contrast, recessed areas are lined with clear finished red cedar, douglas fir beams and large planes of glazing that bring warmth and light into the interior spaces.

Architects: Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects
Location: Coromandel, New Zealand
Client: Crosson Family
Photographs: Patrick Reynolds

Photographs: Courtesy of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects

The house was conceived as a container sitting lightly on the land for habitation or the dream of habitation. The intention was to reinterpret the New Zealand building tradition – the crafting of wood – the expression of structure, cladding, lining and joinery in a raw and unique way.

Photographs: Courtesy of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects

The construction is reminiscent of the “trip” or “rafter” dams common in the Coromandel region at the turn of last century. Heavy vertical structural members supporting horizontal boarding. The unadorned natural timber, a sustainable and renewable resource, provides a connection to nature and the natural.

Photographs: Courtesy of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects

A simple mechanism to the deck allows the “box” to open up on arrival – providing a stage for living – and to close down on departure – providing protection. The house has a simple rectangular plan that sits across the contour in a patch of cleared bush in the manner of the rural shed, facing north and the view.

Photographs: Courtesy of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects

The living room is open to the outside and the sun, a metaphorical tent or campsite, while the bunkrooms are enclosed and cool. The large fireplace allows winter occupation and the open bathroom and movable bath allows the rituals of showering and bathing to become and experience connected to nature.

Photographs: Courtesy of Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects

This bach is an attempt to provide an environment to capture the essential spirit of the New Zealand holiday in the New Zealand landscape.

Hastings company Kanuka Engineered Wood Products is set to have a major part in the Canterbury rebuild, with the University of Canterbury opting for engineered timber for its new Students Association Events Centre.

The 60m x 20m multi-purpose building uses laminated wood. All components were manufactured at Kanuka Engineered Wood Products in Irongate Rd in Hastings and prefabricated at Timbercore’s premises in Christchurch.

Andrei Martin, University of Canterbury capital projects manager, said the construction method used safer, lightweight timber structures. “Any potential risk of damage and business interruption attributable to ongoing seismic activity is significantly reduced,” he said.

The proprietary building system, which was developed by timber design and build company Timbercore, was selected because of the advantage of using a building system that can be adapted without having to go through a detailed and lengthy planning process.

Timbercore directors Kevin Barron and Peter Roil said ensuring the performance advantages of engineered timber were recognised and understood was more than half the battle to getting projects off the ground.

Renewable engineered timber offers fire resistance and enhanced resilience to seismic hazards. Other benefits included the value-added use of wood that had previously been exported as logs. Kanuka was also involved with the university’s Enterprise Precinct and Innovation Campus (EPIC). The 71m x 35m building has a double-storey portion and is the first rebuild of its size and scale to be built in the Red Zone.

Jane Arnott, CEO of NZ Wood said the increasing preference for timber and engineered timber solutions for the rebuild reflected the learning gained through earthquake damage in all known earthquake zones. “From Turkey to Italy and now in New Zealand the benefits of timber as a sustainable and resilient building material are coming home to roost,” she said.

Mr Roil is also managing director of Kanuka. He said the company had 15 buildings in the Canterbury earthquake zone and all escaped damage.

“It’s not surprising. It’s a good product,” he said.

B.C. is moving ahead with plans to build what is expected to be the tallest wood  building in North America and possibly the world, Jobs Minister Pat Bell said.

Courtesy of Michael Green Architecture

The proposed 10-storey Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George will  become a test case for creating a value-added forest products industry around  tall wood building construction methods that would differ radically from the way  traditional mid-rise and even highrise buildings are constructed.

Bell told The Vancouver Sun that within 30 days, the province will seek qualified firms to design and construct the building out of engineered wood beam products instead of traditional concrete and steel beams. The province has already received 34 expressions of interest…for the full article

Courtesy of Michael Green Architecture

Michael Green has recently released “The Case for Tall Wood Buildings”, it is a more than 200-page document that aims to encourage architects, engineers and designers to push the envelope of conventional thinking about wood construction.

It was commissioned by the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) on behalf of the Wood Enterprise Coalition (a partnership of Wood WORKS! BC, FPInnovations, and BC Wood Specialties), with support from Forestry Innovation Investment, and prepared by mgb ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN, Equilibrium Consulting, LMDG Ltd, and BTY Group. The report represents the views of the many interviewed developers/marketing groups/contractors/fire chiefs/ building authorities, and introduces a new construction model for tall buildings which utilizes mass timber panels.

For more details see the NZ Wood news The Case for Tall Wood Buildings.

Two buildings soon to be constructed in Christchurch could lead the way for a seismically safer New Zealand.

The Garden City will soon be home to two commercial buildings built of EXPAN, a revolutionary post-tensioned laminated veneer lumber (LVL) building system that makes lightweight, seismically safe multi- story timber buildings commercially viable.

Developed at The Universities of Canterbury, Auckland and Technology Sydney, as part of The Structural Timber Innovation Company (STIC), EXPAN buildings can be constructed quickly, at an equivalent cost to steel or concrete – and with all the reassurance of lightweight construction. EXPAN’s unique post-tensioned technology combined with the flexibility of timber also enables unique superior seismic capabilities. And if needed, buildings can be deconstructed and rebuilt somewhere else – a real benefit for developers and businesses facing uncertain geographic futures.

The Christchurch timber buildings will be hugely significant examples of cutting-edge seismic design, and damage avoidance technology, Dr Finch says.

“Commercial property owners, and insurers, are now demanding buildings that are not only safe in a major event, but can be rapidly reoccupied afterwards and therefore minimise business interruption. Seismic capabilities are certainly top of mind for building owners in New Zealand now.”

With a national focus on building safety in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes, Dr Finch has seen a steady stream of interest in EXPAN’s seismic capabilities from around the country.

“We’ve seeing a number of queries from Wellington, and throughout New Zealand, as building owners take a fresh look at the seismic risk associated with buildings. We’re also taking calls from people contemplating new builds who are looking to construct something that will offer resistance to seismic activity.”

There are already seven EXPAN buildings in New Zealand, including Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT)’s new Arts and Media Building, and The TUMU ITM Building in Napier.

That number looks set to grow substantially, with more than 260 companies across Australasia signing up for the EXPAN design and installation, and fabricators licences, and more coming on board each week.

“People have always loved timber,” Dr Finch says, “They love that it’s a natural product, it’s sustainable, with a warmth to it you don’t get with other materials. Thanks to LVL and glulam technology, it can now hold its own against steel and concrete as a viable alternative for commercial buildings. Design professionals are now realising timber is a real option, it’s not just a nice idea anymore.”

Dr Finch says there’s a strong correlation between the interest they’ve seen from licensees, and global building industry trends. Timber is certainly riding the wave of the global movement to build green.

“Sustainability and a lowered environmental footprint are the main drivers behind the renaissance of timber in Europe. And we’re getting there in New Zealand. The green aspect is considered a nice bonus here – seismic qualities are what everyone is looking for in this part of the world.”

“New Zealand licensees have been very interested in the post-tensioned technology and the flexibility of timber that enables unique seismic strengthening properties.  As each EXPAN building goes up, momentum increases too.”

Jasper van der Lingen, the architect behind one of the new timber buildings soon to be constructed in central Christchurch, says he sees a big future in wooden building technology – and a definitive reason why New Zealanders are so keen to build in wood.

“I think this technology is very special to New Zealand, after all – we are a timber country. It’s fantastic to be able to use a local, sustainable resource, and locally developed technology, to design a unique looking, long-span commercial building that’s not been possible here before.”

For more information, please contact Dr Robert Finch, EXPAN.

Email robert.finch@expan.co.nz