A grand design for Finnforest Brittany, France
29/04/2009
A self-build project in France, recently featured on channel four’s Grand Designs, is using Finnjoists, Kerto and plywood from Finnforest to contribute to the environmental ethos of the build.
Blending a range of recycled materials with environmentally sustainable products such as engineered timber has allowed the Groundhouse project to achieve form and functionality without compromising the environment.
The Groundhouse project, is using a selection of Finnjoists, Kerto-S and Plywood from Finnforest across the build to create a stunning and unusual self-build home by incorporating the timber products into the overall look and feel of the project. The use of all these engineered timber products is underpinned by the environmental soundness of the timber materials.
Finnjoists are the market leading i-joists from Finnforest and the UK’s only fully engineered i-joist product. Typically used in floor design, the Finnjoist boasts an outstanding strength to weight ratio. On the Groundhouse project, Finnjoists were used in the roof section with plywood fixed on top to create a smooth and even finish to the roof.
Used to face the building, and selected for its aesthetic appeal, Kerto is produced by Finnforest from 3mm thick, rotary peeled softwood veneers, glued together using a WBP-type glue to form a continuous 2.4 metre wide billet. The billet is then hot pressed and cut to size to make beams, planks, posts or panels.
Daren Howarth, Designer and Project Manager on the Brittany project primarily chose to use Finnforest products based on their sustainable attributes saying, “Through this build, we are aiming to construct a sustainable building with the use of old salvaged materials alongside new, sustainable materials. Finnforest’s engineered timber products are ideal for this, as the timber is guaranteed to be from a sustainable source.
He continued, “The Kerto-S has been used in the front facing structure of the building, primarily due to its strength and aesthetic quality. As a result, we have left one of the longer pieces of Kerto exposed to add to the creative beauty and appeal of the construction.
“The project has a main focus on the use of salvaged materials, such as tyres stacked and filled with earth to create a thermal mass wall. This also allows us to show how salvaged materials can work effectively with new carefully produced, sustainable materials too. For example, salvaged copper will be used to cover parts of the Kerto on the front face. Having worked on a number of similar projects, this is the first time that we have combined the old and the new in this way and are extremely pleased with the end product.”
The Groundhouse is a private self-build project based in Brittany, France. The concepts for building are based on those used in the ‘Earthships’ global projects and share similar environmental standings. The sustainability element of Finnforest’s timber products lends itself well to fit in with the ethos of Daren’s vision of sustainable living and proves that functionality and form can be achieved without causing environmental damage.