The conference - an annual event of the Association of Wooden Housing Construction - this time was held within the walls of the St. A. L. Stieglitz. Presentations by participants from seven countries demonstrated the incredible variety of ways to use wood in modern architecture and, at the same time, its many advantages: not only beauty and environmental friendliness, but also accessibility, efficiency and safety.
Acetylated Accoya wood in the projects of the Dutch bureau Ro & Ad
The Dutch from the Ro & Ad bureau were the first to speak, infecting the audience with their enthusiasm and "light" approach to design. The most famous work of these guys is the Moses Bridge, which runs through the moat of the De Rovere fortress below the surface of the water. The architects chose this option in order to minimize changes in the appearance of the fortifications of the early 17th century. The idea was realized thanks to the acetylated Accoya wood, which withstands the most severe operating conditions (in winter, when the moat freezes, people skate right above the bridge). From the same material, the Dutch made a bridge for another fortress in the city of Bergen-op-Zom - it spreads like a snake over the surface of the water, repeating the path of boats that once swam to the fort. The bridges are expected to last 50-80 years. An additional advantage is that such wood can be completely recycled, which makes it a truly environmentally friendly material.
By the way, the Dutch have found an original way to make wood fire-resistant. They distributed the money for the construction of the observation tower for the De Rovere fortress among local organizations - schools, churches, etc. They themselves found people who will produce parts of the future object. As a result, the project not only became cheaper (the saved funds were used to build an information center, an open-air theater and a cafe): many residents were involved in the construction of the tower, for whom construction has become a common affair. Fire protection thus turned out to be social - it would never occur to anyone to set fire to a tower that you yourself, your friend or relative built.
Ro and Ed tried to show that sustainable building is easy, affordable and expedient, and wood is the material that best meets the main task of their work - to make the world more beautiful and cleaner.
Amanda and Robert Mosley, UK: Siberian larch in central London
Anyone can create high-quality wooden structures. A couple from Great Britain, Robert and Amanda Mosley, took up architecture seriously not so long ago: their hobby began with the purchase of an old house in central London, which they decided to restore themselves. When they learned that the neighboring site would be built up with buildings completely out of context, they again took the initiative into their own hands. A year and a half of design and only twelve days to assemble - the result was a house that attracted both critics and the public. The Carmarthen Place house was built of Siberian larch, and it does not copy the historical environment, but does not violate it either.
Robert Harvey Ostatz, USA: Glued Timber Beams for Complex Shapes
The tree allows you to embody the most daring architectural fantasies. This was demonstrated in his report by the US architect Robert Harvey Oshatz using the example of glued wooden structures, which have become his hallmark: the buildings of Oshatz are distinguished by their unusual streamlined forms and interesting "geometry". The architect showed photographs of both new and old projects, which over the years not only do not decay, but even become more interesting. The peculiarity of using the bending of glued beams is that you cannot get two identical radii or a full circle, and this must be taken into account when designing. According to the architect, a number of properties that wood has - warmth, texture, density, color, individuality - allow, among other things, to preserve the spirit of the place, harmoniously fitting a new object into the existing context.
Wood and digital technology
Finnish architect Tony Österlund is also looking for new uses for traditional material: he is exploring what wood structures can be digitally created. Thanks to this, it was possible to bring to life the Hila pavilion - the product of the imagination of the students of the Faculty of Architecture of the City University of Oulu, who worked on the project during the summer holidays. Over the course of four days, the students developed the concept of the pavilion: their imagination was not limited by anything, except that the object should be made of wood and accommodate six people. After consulting an engineer, one lattice structure was selected that best interacted with the surrounding landscape. Then Tony spent a month creating a digital project. In an ordinary factory, the details of the pavilion were made, which the students assembled themselves. By the way, the DigiWoodLab project, within the framework of which the pavilion was created, is sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland.
"Project OBLO" - a classic made of wood
Architect Nikolai Belousov is now the most famous Russian architect who works exclusively with wood. Several years ago he closed his Moscow practice and decided to deal only with log houses: he organized the OBLO Project (oblo - a block of a wooden block, where the ends of the logs are released outside the house) and opened his own production in the Kostroma region, where high-level carpenters are employed. Nikolay Belousov strives to apply the technologies of manual felling, which are already thousands of years old (sludge structures, “dovetail”, mica plates, etc.), in modern structures. As a result, objects appear that collect many awards, fans and followers.
Energy efficiency in Belarusian
Architect Alexander Kucheryavyy spoke about the implementation of the project “The First Multi-Comfort House in Belarus”. This project was initiated by representatives of big business and implemented a year ago near Minsk. The challenge was to create a precedent for energy efficient individual home construction. The project was handled by a very large team, which included VELUX.
The traditional solar symbols on the main façade reflect the main idea of the house - to maximize the use of solar energy. The house also collects rainwater, which fully meets the needs of the family. The air quality is controlled by a hybrid ventilation system: in winter, mechanical ventilation with recuperation works, at temperatures from + 12 ° C, natural ventilation starts to work through the roof windows. The structure of the house is made of wooden I-beams.
Should I upgrade a tree?
Austrian architect Walter Unterreiner explained that a wooden building is not necessarily sustainable and resource efficient. An important role is played by the method of processing, combination with other materials, design, and the possibility of disposal. He cited several “unsustainable” examples from wood construction: a hotel in Norway where the timber quickly cracked due to heavy rainfall, and a house where, 7 years after completion, the façade had to be changed and expensive - and ugly - metal plates were cut in. for drainage of rainwater. Such moments are important as the origin of the material - whether the timber is brought to Sweden from Siberia or local timber is used; whether renewable forest resources are being used or trees are being cut down without subsequent restoration.
According to the architect, the more we try to improve the tree, the worse it becomes. Long-term drying makes it a useless product; the chemical materials that are used to process it (glue, paint, impregnation) can easily turn it into a toxic material that does not "decompose" by itself, without human effort. Wood, in combination with silicone, does not last long; it often has to be replaced. If you approach the material correctly - choose it carefully, use manual processing, precisely adjust the details - then over the years it does not lose its strength and becomes even more beautiful and more comfortable.
One of the sponsors of the conference was VELUX, which has been supporting such an event for many years and architects, including young professionals. The VELUX group of companies not only produces high-quality roof windows, but also contributes to the development of a new generation of energy-efficient housing that guarantees its residents comfort and provides a healthy indoor climate with sufficient fresh air and daylight.
