Sep 17 2013
Kebony’s revolutionary, sustainable alternative to tropical hardwood has been awarded the Timber Trades Journal awards for Achievement in Engineered Timber.
This award recognises that the design and construction of KREOD took engineered wood to a new level with technically demanding and ground-breaking applications in joinery and construction.
Kebony was used for the construction of the new London landmark, KREOD. The structure is innovative, organic in form, environmentally-friendly and inspired by nature. Kebony, KREOD’s primary component, is a pioneering company at the pinnacle of global, environmental and sustainable innovation.
The brainchild of Chun Qing Li, Managing Director of Pavilion Architecture, the primary objective was to demonstrate the structural capabilities and use of sustainable materials. The structure pushed digital fabricators and materials to new limits and required a highly creative approach to structural design.
Using state-of-the-art parametric design tools and digital fabrication, the three timber pods are created using cutting-edge, digital technology, an entirely new fabrication technique. KREOD was transformed from a concept into a tangible form using bespoke software and imaginative engineering. The structural design aims to show a sustainable and forward thinking building method, pioneering a new way of thinking, designing, engineering, fabricating and installing.
The Kebonization process takes sustainable soft wood species and treats them under conditions of heat and pressure so they are given the same aesthetical and physical properties as rainforest timber. The end product is durable, attractive, low–maintenance, non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
For some time wood had become unacceptable for use in construction due to environmental pressures and regulation. Kebony’s new wood, which is fully compliant with the EU Timber Legislation, which came into effect earlier this year and bans illegal tropical timber from entering the market, allows wood to again become the material of choice for architects, developers and designers. Diverting demand from tropical forests, Kebony’s new wood has been used in high-profile, international projects, including the new Mary Rose museum, the Bexhill Beach Shelters and KREOD.
Source: http://www.kebony.com/