A carbon-friendly family home in Scotland, refurbished using world-leading Accoya, has been named Modified Wood Project of the Year by the Wood Protection Association at its inaugural awards ceremony.
Owner Dr Robert Hairstans, Head of Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Offsite Construction + Innovative Structures (COCIS), chose Accoya to clad the exterior of his family home and to provide the external support beams of a cantilevered glazed kitchen extension.
Tasked with sourcing low carbon materials for the build, Dr Hairstan’s appointed architect David Blaikie, who opted to use Accoya which is 100% non-toxic and Cradle to Cradle Gold certified. Mr Blaikie cited its BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating as a key factor for the build on the 1930s Edinburgh bungalow.
To eliminate the need for expensive new foundations underneath the extension, Accoya was used to cantilever the space. Structural Accoya sections were re-engineered to form the beams from glue-laminated timber for enhanced strength, stiffness and durability. The beams were placed underneath the suspended floor of the cantilevered glass box extension.
Commenting on the Award of the WPA Modified Wood Project of the Year to the Edinburgh house restoration, WPA Director Steve Young said: “Whilst modest in scale, this project actually is a showcase for the benefits of Accoya in sustainable construction and technique that help to reduce the cost and time of building on site."
Accoya is manufactured by Accsys Technologies. John Alexander, director of sales & product development said: “We’re delighted that this ground-breaking project has been recognised by the Wood Protection Association. The varied use of Accoya throughout the property in Edinburgh is testament to the product’s performance and appeal. The Accoya support beams beneath the bungalow have undergone extensive testing, and have outperformed many other traditional foundations. With its impressive durability and low maintenance requirements, Accoya makes the ideal construction material for dual applications such as this.”
Accoya is one of the most advanced wood products on the market, using wood modification technology to deliver outstanding levels of performance, stability, durability and cost effectiveness. It is created by using a proprietary process called acetylation on sustainably sourced woods. This results in a non-toxic, attractive wood which matches or exceeds the properties of tropical hardwood.
The wood’s dimensional stability reduces swelling and shrinkage by up to 75%, matching or exceeds the durability, stability and aesthetic qualities of the very best tropical hardwoods and maintaining the highest environmental credentials.
The Cradle to Cradle Gold certified product has been used in some of the world’s most extreme environments, including joinery applications, submerged pedestrian bridges, commercial decks and structural applications such as vehicular bridges.