Uploaded on 2014-10-20 by Kobiyoshimaru
The picture depicts the use of various different external materials, most of which are manufactured if not sourced in the UK. For example the external composite cladding was manufactured less than 150miles from the development and the steel was produced less than 50 miles from the development, both in England. However the picture also depicts the use of timber cladding on various areas of the façade. The timber was sourced from outside the UK having actually been sourced from Scandinavia. The timber was also specially treated using a heat treatment process, (thermowood or thermally modified wood). This heat treatment was originally studied in Germany in the 1930’s. Further research into this treatment type was conducted in United States in the 1940’s. Continued research took place in Germany throughout the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. However more recent development of the heated treatment type was researched and studied in the 1990’s in Finland, France and the Netherlands, with the most comprehensive results coming from the Finnish research. The heat treated timber was sourced for a number of reasons: The process gives the timber a darker colour/appearance which can be deemed to be more attractive. The timber becomes more stable than normal timber in conditions of changing humidity, which is particularly beneficial in England where the climate changes regularly depending on the different seasons meaning the timber could be subject to many different conditions over the course of 12 months. The timbers thermal properties can also be improved via the heat treatment process as well as increasing the timbers resistance to decay. These reasons are strong reasons why the selected timber with thermowood treatment was specified and installed as a material on the building. The heat treatment technology research having been developed in Finland and the use of Scandinavian timber is an example of a globalised economy in a building in England which is a country itself that is near the forefront of building technology in the world and produces a large quantity of timber. However in this instance the development in England has used materials and processes of another country within the building due to companies in England not specialising in the particular processes of heat treatment of timber. ][1] [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14138126578441967.jpg