Timber Design & Technology Middle East - April 2016

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April 2016 | Issue

MIDDLE EAST

25

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Seeing the forest for the trees in the timber industry Performance enhancement is found between the machines Raw Edges designs ‘Endgrain’ inspired installation at Chatsworth House Writers Theater opens new theater center designed by Studio Gang Architects Vincent Callebaut’s ‘Hyperions’ project is a sustainable ecosystem that resists climate change

ANALYSIS

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INTERVIEWS

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DESIGN

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April 2016 www.timberdesignandtechnology.com SUSTAINABILITY | TECHNOLOGY

Farlin group of companies are vertically integrated with an established presence worldwide in timber logs, sawn timber, plywood, panel products and coal for energy sectors.

T: +971 4 8809889 F: +971 4 8809779

www.farlindubai.com info@farlindubai.com

April 2016

Issue 25

EDITOR’S NOTE A change to building regulation codes in Australia earlier this year has meant that architects will now be allowed to build timber-framed structures up to eight storeys in height for the first time. As the result of a two-year research project, the country’s National Construction Code will be altered so that the permitted height of wooden buildings increases from three storeys to eight. The changes, effective from May 1, 2016, are expected to offer cost savings of up to 15 percent compared with other construction systems. This landmark decision in Australia has been hailed by architects who have embraced wood, praising its sustainability, quality and speed of construction, and also highlighting its aesthetic qualities and the feeling of warmth and well-being that it can bring to a space.

In keeping with the global trend for wood, Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has unveiled his latest project - Hyperions - a cluster of connected timber towers, also referred to as a ‘vertical village’, which is due to be constructed by 2022 near New Delhi, India. Hyperions follows Callebaut’s usual design language, and its curving form will be recognizable to anyone familiar with the architect’s previous output. Named after the world’s tallest living tree, a Californian coast redwood, the project comprises six mixed-use towers featuring a mix of 1,000 residential units, offices, restaurants, and urban farms. We take a closer look at the 36-storey tall project, which will be constructed using cross-laminated timber (CLT) in our sustainability feature.

Asif Khan, who recently designed an elevated playground for school in thermally modified hardwood, not only consulted the head teacher but also actively talked to students. The structure is a tribute to the detailed briefing process that he undertook. From Helen James he learnt not only about her lack of space but about the fact that the playground was boring and the result was a certain amount of rowdiness. He also held regular meetings with the school council and every child at the school was encouraged to express, in words and drawings, their aspirations for their new playground. The end result is an elevated structure made from galvanized steel, clad in slats of thermally modified tulipwood and with beams and flooring in thermally modified ash. Khan was keen to use timber, because of its visual warmth, a contrast with the hard playground and the brick of the school building and surrounding housing.

As the official publication of the Dubai WoodShow, our April issue always includes a special supplement on behalf of the American Hardwood Export Council and a preview on some of the key players at the show.

However, this issue also includes a supplement on behalf of Canadian Wood and we throw the spotlight on the eleven Canadian wood companies, who are participating at the show. Preparations for the second seminar and networking evening for the industry - ‘Talking Timber’ - supported by the American Hardwood Export Council, Swedish Wood, Malaysian Timber Council, American Softwoods and Farlin Timber are well underway at the time of going to press. Due to take place on April 5 at The Address, Dubai Mall, the event has attracted positive interest from the different elements of the ‘timber chain’ and we hope to welcome all of our readers and supporters to the event.

As always, I would like to encourage you to log on to the website - www.timberdesignandtechnology.com - for the latest updates and please get in touch if you have any suggestions for subjects we should consider covering.

In closing, I would like to thank our advertisers, our partners and our readers and look forward to meeting you either at our seminar or at the Dubai WoodShow 2016.

Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing

CONTENTS

06 NEWS

32 DESIGN & DÉCOR

12 SUSTAINABILITy

53 COMMENT

16

56 TECHNOLOGy

29 PROFILE

64 WOOD WORKS

SUPPLEMENTS

INDUSTRy FOCUS

SHOWTIME

21 Canadian Wood

37 American Hardwoods 60 Dubai WoodShow

68 Preview

Renewable by Nature.

The Sustainable

Taking a look at key

Sustainanble by Design.

Alternative

exhibitors of the Dubai

A preview of the top industr y exhibitions coming up this season

WoodShow 2016

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NEWS

Chabros International Group chooses Scm Group

In particular, the Scm Sigma Prima 67 and SI400 machines were chosen for panel sizing, two Olimpic K560 for edge-banding and the Sandya 900 RRT for sanding. “We decided to go to Scm Group and Basic Elements Solutions (Scm Dealer in Qatar), not just because of the wide range of high-tech solutions that it can supply, but also due to its reliability, safety and the excellent support that is guaranteed” said Nicolas Allam, General Manager - Chabros International Qatar.

With a wide range of specialized products, exceptional service and important know-how in the sector, Chabros is a market leader. It has a number of production units and many distribution points all over the Middle East, meaning that it can reach various types of customers, including joiners’ workshops, carpenters’ workshops, entrepreneurs and consultants.

Established in the early 1960s, today the company offers an array of woodworking services, including sanding, pressing, parquet installation, and a wide range of interior and exterior products. The group’s success is thanks to its ability to retain loyal customers and a strong focus on delivering results, always working responsibly and professionally.

With more than 350 dealers and agents, Scm also has the biggest distribution network in the sector. These include Basic Elements Solutions, the group dealer in Qatar, thanks to which the Scm Group Middle East branch guarantees its specialized machinery and services for companies in the Middle East, such as Chabros International Group.

Image © Scm Group

One of Scm’s distinctive features is its high level of specialization: the group has the widest range of solutions and technologies for the furniture industry, timber construction and craftsmen, covering all functions in the process and

providing the largest number of products. Alongside this exceptional supply is the design of bespoke machinery and plants, the jewel in the group’s crown, produced to satisfy specific market requirements. In addition, Scm also provides excellent after-sales support. This extraordinary service is the result of the know-how developed by Scm over its 65 years in business, the longest in the sector. It ensures a lasting relationship with customers and long life for the machinery supplied.

Image © Scm Group

Chabros International Group, a leading producer and supplier of wood, veneer and a vast range of products and materials for interiors and exteriors in the Middle East, has recently equipped its workshop in Qatar with several solutions supplied by the Scm Group, a leader in the design, production and distribution of machines for the woodworking industry. Chabros maintains that manual work is fundamental and is therefore retaining its skilled craftsman’s quality in production. However, new technologies play a very important role in meeting market requirements. Thanks to these technologies, Chabros International can reduce errors, optimize its use of materials, cut costs, provide higher quality products, whilst at the same time speeding up production processes.

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April 2016

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NEWS

New aspirations for MTC in 2016 Working hand-in-hand with the six national timber-based associations that sit on the MTC’s Board, the Council’s strategies for 2016 have been cleverly skewed towards maintaining its strong foothold in its traditional markets as well as going full throttle at what it considers as emerging markets.

“We have formulated our budgets and programmes to focus on, among other countries, China and India which are the biggest consumer markets in the world today. Apart from our country pavilion in Furniture China in September, we will be setting up the China Export Pavilion during the Export Furniture Exhibition (EFE) to bring buyers over here in March,” said Datuk Wee Jeck Seng, Chairman, MTC. Datuk Dr. Abdul Rahim Nik, CEO, MTC in elaborating further on MTC’s strategies and activities for 2016 said: “We are according appropriate priorities to both our traditional and new markets. While Europe, the U.S. and Australia have been our traditional markets, for the past 12 years or so we have also been developing market share in emerging markets such as the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and the former Soviet countries.”

Activities planned for the Middle East include MTC’s participation at The Big 5 Saudi (Jeddah), Dubai WoodShow (Dubai), Project Qatar (Doha), Iran Confair (Tehran) and Gulfwood (Manama). The range of products that will be promoted

at these exhibitions include sawntimber, panel products, doors and flooring.

“In the Middle East, MTC has continued to maintain a strong market presence in the region through its office in Dubai. The Dubai office covers not only the Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon but also markets in North Africa. We have from this year extended their coverage to the Turkish market,” added Abdul Rahim.

On the drop in oil price, which has stalled some projects in the Middle East, Abdul Rahim sees this as a temporary setback. “The market will bounce back and we must remember that are two major events lined up in four to six years from now. The World Expo will be held in Dubai in 2020, plus the 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar,” he said, adding that these two major events will be a boon to the construction sector, among others, which MTC plans to capitalize on as Malaysian timber products are well received in the Middle East.

“Malaysian timber and furniture products are well sought-after throughout the world. With more activities on our plate this year including marketing missions and fair participation, we aim to not just maintain but enhance Malaysia’s market presence in the various markets,” concluded Abdul Rahim.

MENA region remains a key destination for American softwoods

According to AMSO, total exports of U.S. softwood lumber to the MENA region reached a value of USD 20 million in 2015. Despite an overall decline in softwood exports to the region, primarily on account of the strength of the dollar, AMSO is optimistic that the situation will improve, given that the UAE registered a whopping 1,127 percent increase in the value of American softwood lumber exports in January 2016 in comparison to the first month of 2015. The UAE remains a key timber processing and re-export hub for the entire region and growth in this market is in line with an overall increase in the global trade of softwood lumber. According to Wood Resource Quarterly, softwood lumber trade increased during the first nine months of 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014 and was on track to reach its highest level since 2006.

“The MENA region’s need for high-quality wood products for its construction, furniture, and housing markets amongst others creates widespread opportunities for us to assist in the growth of U.S. softwood exports to the region,” said Charles Trevor, Consultant to American Softwoods. “Amidst the increasing calls for sustainability, we remain committed to addressing the long-term demands of the region and will continue to play a key role www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

Image © AMSO

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains a key destination for American softwoods amidst the increasing demand within the region’s booming construction and housing market, according to American Softwoods (AMSO), the promotional partnership formed by three major U.S. softwood trade associations. Confident of further growth in the region, AMSO has announced its participation at the Dubai WoodShow 2016, which will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhbition Center from April 4 - 6, 2016. In line with its aims to increase awareness in the region, AMSO is also taking significant steps to underline the primary benefits of U.S. softwoods, which are available in a wide range of grades and sizes and come from some of the most sustainably managed forests in the world.

in providing stakeholders with key environmental data and technical information that can help them use American softwoods to their greatest potential.”

“The UAE market is demonstrating stable growth, which we believe marks an important turning point as customers, manufacturers and other industry players become active again. As we continue to monitor increased demand for American softwoods in the UAE and the rest of the MENA region, we will be undertaking further initiatives to highlight the exemplary qualities of our products and how using them can benefit the furniture, construction and other industries in the region. Through the Dubai WoodShow and the Talking Timber seminar, we aim to engage specifiers and manufacturers and supply them with environmental and technical information, and encourage the use of American softwoods for both internal and external projects whilst increasing awareness of our commercially available species,” concluded Trevor.

NEWS

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Image © AHEC

AHEC makes it even easier for importers to obtain American Hardwood Environmental Profiles

Following its successful introduction in 2014, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, has now integrated a new American Hardwood Environmental Profile (AHEP) system into its member website (www.ahec.org).

The new and improved tool, which has been rebuilt from the ground up to be more dynamic, consistent, and easier to use, is available to all the hardwood growers, producers and exporters who make up AHEC’s membership, and will enable them to provide a customized environmental profile for each and every shipment load of U.S. hardwoods shipped overseas.

The American Hardwood Environmental Profile (AHEP) is a consignmentspecific shipping document that provides access to information on the risk of illegality and sustainability of the U.S. hardwood lumber or veneer species contained in the container. The aim is to ensure that credible environmental data specific to individual consignments - adjusted according to key parameters such as kilning efficiency and transport routes and modes - can be delivered quickly and efficiently without significant cost. As such, the AHEP will provide, for every consignment, access to information on the name of the U.S. supplier, product description, quantity of wood, commercial and scientific species name, place of harvest, and documents demonstrating negligible risk of illegal harvest.

“The new AHEP tool has been designed to meet global industry and government drives to increase transparency and provide evidence for the unparalleled environmental credentials of imported timber. It is a sciencebased document and replaces the old RPP in Japan and satisfies multiple ‘due diligence’ laws like the Lacey Act in the U.S., the EU Timber Regulation, and Japanese ‘Green Procurement’ or ‘Gojo Wood’ laws. The included environmental

impact information also encourages wider recognition of the sustainability and low carbon footprint of American hardwoods as a material,” said Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania.

Importers looking to obtain first-hand information on the AHEP are encouraged to visit the AHEC Pavilion at the upcoming Dubai WoodShow 2016, which will take place from April 4 - 6, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center (DICEC). AHEC, together with the Hardwood States Export Group (HSEG), will host an American Hardwood Pavilion comprising individual booths for U.S. hardwood exporting companies in addition to a technical information area.

Participating companies include Northland Corporation; State of Indiana; Nina Company; Missouri Walnut; Wheeland Lumber; Baillie Lumber; Matson Lumber; Hermitage Hardwoods; Atlantic Veneer Corporation; Midwest Hardwood Corporation; Cardin Forest Products; Republic Forest Products; Snowbelt Hardwoods; American Lumber; TYR Wood Products; and Hanafee Bros. Sawmill.

“The development of Environmental Profile Declarations is a response from the confusion that arises from the wide variety of environmental claims made by material suppliers, some may be genuine while some may just be downright false. The true environmental impacts of materials cannot be summed up by one single attribute, and it is time that consumers and policy makers had the ability to truly compare the environmental footprint of the different products and materials they source. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our service to our members so that they in turn can provide their customers with the level of service they demand. This new, easier and controlled tool means we can confirm that the choice of American hardwood is environmentally sound and exceeds all legal requirements,” concluded Wiles.

April 2016

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10 NEWS

‘Bike d3’, the winner of Urban Commissions 2016 was officially unveiled at Design Days Dubai, which was held in March this year. Architecture student Hinjal Kumar’s design proposes a lifestyle change as well shelter.

The structure is a twisted slatted bicycle storage system, defining intimate space and providing shade for d3 guests whilst at the same time offering an alternative mode of commute in support of a healthier lifestyle. The shelter was designed to initiate a change of lifestyle that caters to the creative growth of the city by providing mobility and enhancing networking within the urban fabric. The concept evolved as a result of research on the mapping and indexing of public life in Dubai and its association with the international use and urban infrastructure of bicycles in cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Chicago and New York.

According to Kumar, cycling, as a facilitator of intermodal transportation, allows for interaction, flexibility and a sustainable alternative from one destination to another. Bike d3 thus challenges the existing transit-oriented development and aims to address the climate with appropriate infrastructure that is yet to be developed in Dubai. The shelter itself is sculptural in order to serve as a landmark and a way finding tool leading to a location for staging www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

Image © Hinjal Kumar

Image © Hinjal Kumar

Image © Hinjal Kumar

Winner of Urban Commissions - ‘Bike d3’ unveiled at Design Days Dubai

up bicycles. Following its launch at Design Days Dubai, the structure is set to move to Dubai Design District (d3).

Urban Commissions is a design initiative launched by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Dubai Design District (d3) in October 2014 to celebrate the UAE’s growing design-conscious urban development and engage with the local design community and product industries. The competition aims to engage with the resident creative community and promote the diverse local production industries of the UAE by inviting both students and professionals to propose a design that is entirely locally-manufactured with a AED 50,000 grant and installed permanently in Dubai Design District.

For Urban Commissions’ second edition, the brief was to design a public shelter that will become a meeting point for users, establishing an important functional, social and community building role within the community. The three finalists were selected by a group of design professionals: Noora al Jamea - Dubai Culture; Lindsey Miller - d3; Rawan Kashkoush - Art Dubai Group; Meitha al Mazrooei - WTD Magazine; Audrey Miller - Eight Inc. and Tarik Al-Zaharna - T.Zed Architects.

Sustainable Softwoods America’s forests produce over 80 million cubic metres of sawn timber a year, making America the largest timber producer in the world.

Modern forest management ensures that felled trees are replaced and that every year more wood is grown in US forests than is harvested. 1.6 billion seedlings are planted in the US every year, equal to 4.4 million trees every single day of the year. As a result, the US has more trees today than 70 years ago.

People you can do business with info@americansoftwoods.com

12 SUSTAINABILITY

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April 2016

SUSTAINABILITY

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Image © Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Vincent Callebaut’s ‘Hyperions’ project is a sustainable ecosystem that resists climate change

April 2016

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Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut continues to refine his distinctive style of futuristic sustainable architecture with his latest project Hyperions. The project comprises a cluster of connected timber towers, also referred to as a ‘vertical village’, and is due to be constructed by 2022 near New Delhi, India. Hyperions follows Callebaut’s usual design language, and its curving form will be recognizable to anyone familiar with the architect’s previous output.

Named after the world’s tallest living tree, a Californian coast redwood, the project comprises six mixed-use towers featuring a mix of 1,000 residential units, offices, restaurants, and urban farms.

According to Callebaut, the 36-storey towers will be constructed using cross-laminated timber (CLT) and will be covered with orchard gardens.

The project has been named after the tallest tree in the world, the Hyperion, a Sequoia Sempervirens found in Northern California, whose size can reach 115.55 meters (close to 380 feet). Due to be primarily constructed from wood harvested from a Delhi forest, which is sustainably managed, the cluster of towers will also feature concrete and steel reinforcements, including the foundations.

The decision to use wood is primarily a result of the area’s seismic activity, which requires each edifice to use

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April 2016

Image © Vincent Callebaut Architectures Image © Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Image © Vincent Callebaut Architectures

Image © Vincent Callebaut Architectures

14 SUSTAINABILITY

strong but flexible construction materials. Cross-laminated timber has been preferred as the primary material to build the towers given that wood provides the best environmental footprint during its lifecycle - from harvesting to recycling, through transportation, processing, implementation, maintenance and reuse. Wood’s manufacturing processes also require less energy and are less polluting than those of standard materials such as steel or concrete, which negatively impact the environment.

In order to optimize the residential buildings, the design calls for a mixed structure, with a steel and concrete substructure for the earthquake-resistant foundations, parking areas and vertical core bases; and a superstructure made of solid wood columns, beams and walls, reinforced with steel blades where columns and beams meet. Each wood-based structural component is made of multiple panels laid perpendicularly to each other, and bound together with pintles and gudgeons or organic structural adhesives. As such, the Hyperions’ skeleton is made of 25 percent inert materials and 75 percent bio-sourced materials. This mixed structure is reputed for its strong mechanical resistance (including in the event of earthquakes); for its high resistance to fire; and for its high acoustic and thermal performance.

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Image © Vincent Callebaut Architectures

SUSTAINABILITY

Wood, by definition a natural and renewal material, will help to minimize the ‘inherent energy’ of the materials used to build the six towers. Seeking a neutral environmental footprint, Callebaut wanted to go even further, by producing the ‘operational energy’ (for lighting, climate control, hot water, etc.) on-site, while recycling all liquid and solid organic waste into natural resources, recycled and recyclable in a closed loop, also on-site. With this in mind, wind lampposts that rhythm the greenbelt along the site produce their own electricity thanks to magnetic-levitation, vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) integrated on their pole.

Callebaut says the towers will feature extensive greenery and will enable occupants to grow their own

vegetables on balconies, the facades, the rooftops, and in specialized greenhouses. The design also calls for fish to be bred, and their waste used as fertilizer, in addition to small farms with livestock within the towers. The interior is taken up by apartments of varying size, student housing, social areas, and office spaces. In addition, furniture will be made from natural and recycled materials, and a network of skyhigh suspended bridges will enable residents to move between towers.

The six towers are like a vertical village with a high social, cultural and use mix. The flexible, evolutionary spaces dedicated to business incubators, living labs, co-working spaces, multi-purpose rooms and concierge services are located behind the solar facades. All apartments big or small, as well as student housing,

open onto cascading hydroponic balconies. Indoor furniture is made of natural materials such as tamarind and sandalwood, and come from local cabinetmakers, fab labs and recycling shops.

Divided into three blocks, each building is connected by a network of sky-high suspended walkways, which allow residents to move from one tower to the other, from one use to the other, and to forge social and interdependent relationships among neighbors. The skybridges will not only allow residents to easily access each section of the community, it will also create large platforms punctuated with urban farms for anything from dairy products and eggs to crops of grains, fruits, and vegetables. The compound will be irrigated by collecting rainwater and resident grey water. Circulating April 2016

in a closed loop, this system will eventually help to eliminate up to 90 percent of the water needs throughout the year.

With a population of approximately 47 million, India’s National Capital Region spreads way beyond the New Delhi municipal borders, to include parts of the surrounding states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

As a self-sustaining community, Hyperions aims to help contain the sprawl and enhance the quality of life for those living within this densely populated region. Designed with the double objective of energy decentralization and food deindustrialization, Callebaut’s design is an ambitious project, and only time will tell if the final outcome will resemble the concept. www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

Image © Helen Binet

16 ANALYSIS

Asif Khan Architects design elevated playground for school in thermally modified hardwood When the children at Chisenhale Primary School in East London come rushing outside to play, they know exactly where they are going. They make a beeline for the elevated play structure on one side of their playground, running up either side of a mound, assisted by ropes or handholds, or using a climbing net.

When they get to the top there is another area of net, a deliberately quiet space and also access to two slides, one of normal width and the

other large enough to accommodate six abreast.

This simple, elegant timber-clad structure is a far cry from the offthe-shelf play equipment that head teacher Helen James believed she needed to address the problems of her largely dull and very small playground. ‘I said that I just wanted it to be bigger,’ she said. In the manner of good head teachers, she called on the expertise of her

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April 2016

parents, in this case architect Asif Khan who has two children at the school.

He soon persuaded her that a bespoke structure could be better and they set about developing a design and raising money. The result is a surprisingly ‘adult’ looking piece of architecture, a rectilinear box where the only color comes from the warm tones of the thermally modified timber. It is marvelously

flexible, a place where the children can play in their own way, rather than following prescribed activities.

And this was something, said James, that the children understood immediately, knowing instinctively how they wanted to use the space.

This is a tribute to the detailed briefing process that Asif Khan undertook. From Helen James he learnt not only about her lack of space but about the fact that the

Image © AHEC

18 ANALYSIS

playground was boring and the result was a certain amount of rowdiness.

One part of the space was already devoted to a very successful vegetable garden and a dedicated area had to be left for ball games.

Lifting up the play space therefore effectively created more room - as well as the potential for excitement.

But James was not the only client who Asif Khan consulted. He held regular meetings with the school council and every child at the school was encouraged to express, in words and drawings, their aspirations for their new playground. Some were brilliantly impractical - giant slides issuing from top-floor windows - and others uncannily like the end result.

One of the lessons that Khan learnt was that, as well as wanting play and adventure, the children wanted some quiet space and privacy.

All this fed into his design, with the space between the structure and the building being good for quiet activities, as well as the ‘chill-out’

area in the actual play space. Nothing is signaled and there are no signs - the architecture simply caters for the children’s needs, both rumbustious and reflective. It is the work of a very good architect, a reflection of the fact that Asif Khan is not ‘merely’ a parent who happens to be an architect, but a highly talented and up-and-coming member of his profession. His projects include the ‘Mega Faces’ pavilion at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and the CocaCola Beatbox at the 2012 Olympics in London. Most recently he has been commissioned to design a summerhouse to sit alongside’s BIG’s Serpentine summer pavilion.

The structure is of galvanized steel, clad in slats of thermally modified tulipwood and with beams and flooring in thermally modified ash.

Asif Khan was keen to use timber, because of its visual warmth, a contrast with the hard playground and the brick of the school building and surrounding housing. ‘I was keen to introduce a natural material that would age and grow with time,’

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April 2016

he said.

He had seen the American Hardwood Export Council’s (AHEC’s) use of thermally modified timber in a project for the London Design Festival, in particular a contemplative shed that was designed for use by fashion designer Paul Smith by Nathalie de Leval. ‘When we decided that we wanted to work with wood,’ Khan said, ‘I felt that they would know technically what would work outside.’

Both he and Helen James are great fans of the tulipwood because it is so smooth to the touch - an important factor when considering how often small hands are going to be gripping it. The thermal modification, as well as changing the color to make it darker, makes timbers that would not otherwise be durable for use outside stable and long-lived.

AHEC is particularly keen on the use of tulipwood because it is one of the most abundant timbers in U.S.

hardwood forests, so there is a strong environmental argument for its use - the resource is increasing much faster than it is being harvested. Ash already widely used for thermal modification. Both are lighter in weight than traditional durable hardwoods such as oak, allowing the entire structure to be more lightweight. And oak, while it has many advantages, would not offer such a smooth finish.

The slats create a sense of enclosure for the children, while still allowing teachers to see into all parts of the structure - important as they want to keep an eye on behavior.

Another crucial factor is that the slatted panels allow plenty of light to pass through which, since the structure stands close to first-floor windows, was a prime consideration.

Carpentry company Aldworth James & Bond had not worked with thermally modified timber before but found it easy and a pleasure to use.

ANALYSIS

Image © Jon Cardwell

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For Helen James and Asif Khan this is an important first step in rethinking the school and its grounds, with the aim of making it more flexible and enhancing the facilities for the children. The play space is modular and has been designed so that it could extend, possibly to the roof of

It is exciting to see this scale of ambition and imaginative thinking, driven by the head teacher, the school council and the architect. Even if these further ideas do not come off, the school is benefitting from an innovative and beautifully designed play space.

Image © Jon Cardwell

This degree of precision was used throughout the project. So, for example, Asif Khan gave the driver of the digger that was constructing the mound a three-dimensional model to follow to achieve the perfect conical shape. The mound is made from demolition rubble, and topped with a surface made from recycled tires.

a nearby outbuilding, where an additional classroom could be built for specialist activities.

Observers will admire it and anybody with any appreciation of architecture will grasp the sophistication of thinking that has gone into its design. And the children? They will just continue to enjoy playing in it, not noticing how much exercise they are getting or the physical confidence that they are acquiring. And that is exactly as it should be.

Image © Jon Cardwell

They worked out a method of using a CNC (computer numerically controlled) machine to cut all the individual elements, making allowance for example for the rebates where the slats fitted to the steel frame. In this way it could make the panels relatively rapidly and simply.

* This article was written by Ruth Slavid. Ruth is a freelance architectural writer, editor and consultant.

April 2016

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Image © Helen Binet

Image © Jon Cardwell

20 ANALYSIS

Image © Helen Binet

This is an important first step in rethinking the school and its grounds, with the aim of making it more flexible and enhancing the facilities for the children.

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April 2016

Renewable by Nature. Sustainable by Design.

Canadian companies at Dubai WoodShow 2016 Jazz Forest Products (JFP) Global Lumber Resources Inc. SPF Precut Lumber Boscus Canada Inc. Coast Fraser Quebec Wood Export Bureau Goodfellow Inc J.M. Champeau Almassa International Vexco Inc. Interpro Forest Products

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Canadian Wood

This year, eleven Canadian wood companies will be participating at the 11th edition of the Dubai WoodShow - the GCC’s largest business-to-business meeting place for the wood, wood accessories and woodworking machinery industry - which will be held at the World Trade Center in Dubai from April 4 6, 2016. These Canadian companies bring a wide selection of wood species, combined with the integration of all processing operations, either for cutting or kiln drying; they offer the highest quality certified lumber, 4/4 - 8/4 ship dry as well as kiln dry - white ash, red oak, walnut, hard maple, soft maple, cherry, white oak, aspen and basswood, among other species and sizes that will be displayed at the Canadian pavilion.

Canadian Forest Products

The Canadian forest products sector has been quick to realize the benefits of continual environmental improvement through research and development. From rapid uptake of sustainable forest management principles to development of advanced manufacturing techniques to soften its industrial carbon footprint, the

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forest products sector is addressing environmental issues along its full value chain.

Innovation and technology have helped the industry to reduce fibre losses during harvesting and manufacturing processes, and to replace fossil fuels with energy derived from residuals and waste biomass. Waste in forest products manufacturing is quickly approaching zero - fully 97 percent of all the wood fibre harvested in Canada is turned into wood, pulp, paper or other products, or used as fuel.

The industry has also made significant inroads in reducing energy consumption in harvesting and transportation through more efficient material handling and fuel reduction measures. As an early innovator in the development and use of life cycle assessment for its products and processes, the Canadian forest industry has been able to scientifically measure its environmental impact, implement and monitor improvements, and compare itself with other industries.

April 2016

For further information about Canadian wood products please contact: Ana Ferro Trade Commissioner Email: uae-eau.infocentre@international.gc.ca Phone: +971 2 694 0376 Website: www.canadainternational.gc.ca/uae-eau www.canadawood.org

Canadian Wood

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SPF Precut Lumber

Booth Number: B160 Established in 1990, SPF Precut Lumber is an award-winning exporter and remanufacturer of Canadian wood products, based in British Columbia, Canada. A world leader in lumber export, SPF Precut Lumber exports 200 million board feet of lumber to 20 countries around the globe; promotes Canadian softwood lumber by developing ‘blue ocean’ markets; and supports the environment, industry peers, and the community.

Image © SPF Precut Lumber

For over twenty-five years, SPF Precut Lumber has connected its global partners to on-grade wood products with the fastest delivery times, the most competitive pricing, and the largest access to supply of Canadian softwood lumber on the principle of respecting, valuing, and honoring partnerships - international and local alike. This philosophy, history, and work ethic has made SPF Precut Lumber the largest exporter of Canadian softwood lumber products to the Middle East.

Key contacts: Muhammad Amir - President (amir@spfprecut.ca) Mo Amir - General Manager (moamir@spfprecut.ca) www.spfprecut.ca

Quebec Wood Export Bureau Booth Number: B176

The Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) is a non-profit organization showcasing wood products from Quebec in export markets. Representing more than 125 manufacturers in different sectors, QWEB provides direct access to Quebec’s vast array of wood products including softwood lumber; value-added softwoods; hardwood lumber; value-added hardwoods; hardwood flooring; wood construction; and wood pellets.

QWEB also provides foreign buyers with a range of services including connecting them to suppliers; providing technical and promotional information about wood products and the companies that manufacture them; highlighting the characteristics and uses of wood products from Quebec; informing them on codes and standards that apply to wood products from Quebec; and supplying prompt Internet bids from members on pricing and product availability.

Key contacts: Sven Gustavsson - Softwood Manager (sgustavsson@quebecwoodexport.com) Bruno Couture - Hardwood and Flooring Manager (bcouture@quebecwoodexport.com)

www.quebecwoodexport.com April 2016

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Canadian Wood

J.M. Champeau

Booth Number: B178 For four generations, the Champeau family has been processing choice hardwoods into an impressive range of quality products. Established in the early 1900s in Saint-Malo, Quebec, near the Canada/U.S. border, the company has a state-of-the-art 200,000 square foot facility that uses only the latest cutting-edge technology. With a team of over 140 dedicated and highly qualified employees, J.M. Champeau is committed to its continuous improvement program that encourages exceptional creativity and competitiveness for the benefit of its clients.

Given that the woodlands have been a part of the company for generations, significant effort is made to optimize the potential of every tree harvested.

The company’s commitment to excellence is reflected in its respect for the environment. In addition to its Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, J.C. Champeau are strongly committed to managing the forests in a responsible way, thus assuring a perpetual supply of natural resources for future generations.

Key contact: Denis Parenteau - Rep. Ventes Exportation (DenisParenteau@champeau.com)

www.champeau.com

Interpro Forest Products Booth Number: B170

Interpro was incorporated in 1990 in British Columbia, Canada as Interpro Forest Products, which is the organization’s flagship company. Interpro is the corporate name of the organization and has four companies worldwide and multiple satellite offices operating under this entity. Over the past 20 years, Interpro has grown from a locally-based and regionally-serviced wholesaler of lumber into a global forest products business with worldwide operations in three key divisions.

Its export division consists of lumber, sawn wood, and panel products, which are exported and distributed by Interpro Forest Products and Interpro Forest Products Dubai. Interpro Forest Products is the organization’s chief exporter and works alongside with the groups global satellite offices. The regional headquarters of the export division, Interpro Forest Products Dubai markets products exclusively into the Middle East and Asian Subcontinent.

Its Dubai-based manufacturing subsidiary, Interpro Wood Industries LLC (IWI), is a custom manufacturer of wooden packaging and handling material, furniture components, value-added wood products and customized packaging solutions. Testament to the Interpro Group’s commitment to continued improvement, Interpro Wood Industries was certified with the ISO 9001:2008.

Key contact: Faizan Choudhry - Director of International Marketing (faizan@interprogroup.ca)

www.interprogroup.ca

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April 2016

Canadian Wood

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Jazz Forest Products (JFP) Booth Number: B164

Jazz Forest Products Ltd (JFP) is a softwood supplier in Abbotsford, B.C. Canada and has been committed to offering high-end quality, on-time delivery and excellent service to its clients since 1998. As a proud member of the Canadian Mill Service Association (CMSA), the company offers its clients quality lumber that is up to the National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA) standards. The company is dedicated to keeping a safe and friendly working environment for its team, which it believes is key to maintaining the excellence in quality and service for its clients.

Image © Jazz Forest Products

The main products offered include SPF, Douglas Fir, Hemlock, Ponderosa Pine, Western Red Cedar and Southern Yellow Pine. Currently, the company supplies softwood lumber to markets all over the world including Europe, China, India, Korea, the Middle East, and Australia amongst others.

Key contacts: Sanjay Mahajan - Export Sales Manager (sanjay@jazzforest.ca) Sunny Binning - Director (sunny@jazzforest.ca) www.jazzforest.ca

Global Lumber Resources Inc Booth Number: C186

Named among the fastest growing companies in Canada, Profit magazine rated Global Lumber as one of Canada’s top 50 firms. The company’s excellent growth has been achieved by working closely with partners and customers. Global Lumber is also able to work with project teams to help clients meet LEED criteria. Currently, the company carries the single largest inventory of sustainable FSC and LEED certified wood, veneers and panels.

Image © Global Lumber Resources

Its stock includes North American hardwoods; softwoods; European Beech; veneers of all species; African lumber species; West Malaysian Red Meranti (PEFC certified); and panel products such as MDF, Plywood & Chipboard (Door Core). The company maintains an extensive inventory and is fully equipped to make prompt shipments. Additionally, Global Lumber maintains a large distribution center in Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE, which allows them to supply regional markets.

Key contacts: Ahmad Zulfiqar - Director, Export Sales (zag@globallumber.net) Radhakrishnan Kandamath - Regional Head, Dubai Office (rk1@globallumber.net) www.globallumber.net

April 2016

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26 25

Canadian Wood

Coast Fraser Coast Fraser is a leading export distributor of wood products to Asia.

Through its innovative mobile application, the company is able to offer customers competitive, real-time pricing on a wide selection of high quality wood products. Further, the fully integrated platform solution is the fastest and easiest way to place orders, manage contracts and track shipments.

Dedicated to establishing a valuable, reliable and sustainable future, the company places tremendous value on nurturing a healthier and greener environment for all.

Image © Coast Fraser

All of Coast Fraser’s distributed lumber products have been certified by North American Standard associations to meet environmental protection requirements and sustainable practices. Coast Fraser will be promoting North American softwood lumber spices such as SPF, Hemlock Fir, Southern Yellow Pine and Douglas Fir into the GCC market with certifications such as FSC, SFI, and other equivalent certification based on customers’ demand.

Key contacts: Frank Hui - President Tony Chen - Business Development (tony.chen@coastfraser.ca) www.coastfraser.ca

Boscus Canada Inc.

Booth Number: B176 Founded in 1981, Boscus Canada is a well established organization operating in the lumber industry as a wholesaler, distributor and international broker. As one of the most experienced and largest organizations of this type in Canada, the company supplies a large variety of softwood, hardwood and OSB products to major users in Canada, the United States and abroad.

Boscus markets and sells ARBEC brand forest products manufactured by the regroupment of seven SPF sawmills/planning and jointing. Located in Mauricie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and the North Shore in Quebec, these mills are an important foundation of the manufacturing division of the Remabec Group. At full capacity, ARBEC sawmills employ 700 people and have an annual production capacity of approximately 1.2 million cubic meters in SPF lumber; and 950,000 cbm of OSB panels.

Image © Boscus Canada Inc.

In addition to ARBEC production, the company also trades important volumes of lumber products for domestic and international markets.

The range of products traded includes all major softwood and hardwood lumber of North American and European origin.

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April 2016

Key contact: Benoit Martin - International sales (bmartin@boscus.com)

www.boscus.com

Canadian Wood

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VEXCO Inc.

Image Š Vexco Inc.

VEXCO, founded in 1972, is a Northern Appalachian hardwood lumber manufacturer / wholesaler owning a sawmill with an annual capacity of 35,400 m3 and 14 kiln dryers with a capacity of 2,360 m3. A leader in its field, VEXCO offers a wide range of services and compliance with several internationally recognized standards, including the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) standard, which allows it to produce high quality hardwood, responding to market demands. Offering a wide selection of wood species, combined with the integration of all processing operations, either for cutting or kiln drying, VEXCO is established as a leader, both in national and international markets.

Key contact: Fred Viens - Export Sales (frederic.viens@vexco.com) www.vexco.com

Al Massa International Booth Number: B164

Image Š Al Massa International

Almassa International offers lumber (softwoods and hardwoods), wood pellets, newsprint, a multitude of printing papers and building materials.

The Almassa Group of companies currently employs over 150 people across the Province of Quebec. The aggregate sales (since 1997) of the Almassa Group of Companies have now surpassed the 2 billion Dollar mark.

Key contact: Fares Fares - President (fares@almassa.com) www.almassa.com

Goodfellow

Booth Number: B177 Goodfellow Inc. has been manufacturing and exporting wood since 1898. As the largest distributor of hardwoods in Canada, the company is able manufacture, kiln dry and grade wood at its five facilities across the Province of Quebec. With over 12,000 cubic meters in kiln capacity dedicated to the finest North American Hardwoods, Goodfellow have the ability to produce mixed loads of all hardwood species and grades. In addition, a fully-staffed logistics department closely follows all worldwide shipments and provides documents promptly.

Key contact: Jean Knittel - Export Sales Manager (jknittel@goodfellow.com) www.goodfellow.com April 2016

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CANADA

A LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

Image © WBT

PROFILE 29

World Best Trading

A leading supplier of teak and related products in the Middle East Founded in Dubai in the year 1990, World Best Trading Co. LLC (WBT) has established itself as one of the largest suppliers of premium teak in the region. The group sources its timbers from the dense forests of Myanmar, Malaysia, Benin, Ivory Coast and other countries. Over the years, the company has expanded its portfolio with the supply of other building materials including other hardwoods, commercial and film faced plywood, MDF and teak related products - boards, flitches, veneers etc.

In 2015, WBT further diversified its operations by launching its exclusive range of teak wood furniture. This includes doors, tables, chairs and related products that are skillfully handcrafted using only the finest

Burmese teak timbers at the group’s dedicated sawmills in Myanmar. Ahead of its participation at the Dubai WoodShow 2016, Hamza Merchant, Operations Manager, WBT shares his thoughts on the company’s prospects in the Middle East.

follow a similar pattern and top the USD 42 million mark this year.

01. What was the revenue of the company in 2015? What growth do you anticipate this year?

Our company has been essentially a timber trading organization in the Middle East with a presence in Singapore, India and Myanmar to cater to growing economies and the rising demand for our products.

At the time, we were among a few companies in the Middle East supplying Burma Teak, a timber that has proven to be extremely popular due to its unique combination of aesthetics and sturdiness.

Revenue from operations amounted to around USD 40 million in 2015.

Our growth is directly related to the dynamics of the property and housing industry. Given that investments in the real estate sector are expected to grow at slower rate, we expect that our revenue shall

02. What are the primary activities of the company in the UAE and wider MENA region? Please give us an idea of your operations across the region.

April 2016

Due to the major restructuring in the Myanmar timber industry in 2014, we diversified our operations into the manufacturing of Teak finished products like sawn boards, flitches, and veneers whilst also venturing into other hardwoods and plywood.

Furthermore, in 2015, we launched our exclusive range of Teak doors, which are manufactured at our dedicated sawmills in Myanmar.

In the Middle East, our operations have been centered around the UAE where all of our warehouses are located. With our strategic location and an efficient logistics network around the country, we have been able to supply products to other established markets like Muscat, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and to www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

Image Š WBT

30 PROFILE

upcoming markets like Qatar and Iran.

03. With regards to the timber industry in the region, which species are in primarily in demand?

Why are they in demand?

Hardwoods have become very popular in the region. While there is always a high demand for species like Meranti and Iroko due to their relatively affordable prices, certain American hardwoods like Red oak and Black cherry are gaining popularity among designers of luxurious living spaces. In the case of premium construction work for yachts, prayer halls, apartments, villas and hotels where is there a major emphasis on the highest quality, species like Teak and more particularly Burma Teak have always been preferred to any other timber.

04. What are some of the challenges facing the regional timber industry?

A global trend that we have witnessed has been the growing preference for more affordable and

disposable furniture given that people are living in a place for a short time period, primarily due to work commitments. A direct consequence of this trend has been that demand for good quality timber furniture has suffered.

Moving beyond the established and upcoming markets like the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Iran, suppliers are also finding it increasingly difficult to penetrate into other new lucrative regions where there still remains uncertainty. Hopefully in the coming years, we would like to see a change in this scenario where there is an environment of ease with which businesses function. This would positively impact any new and established firms and the industry as a whole.

05. Are there any current real or perceived shortages in the regional market? Please explain.

At the moment, there is no shortage of timbers that are particularly in high demand due to the presence of several regional and international companies. However, what the

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April 2016

market lacks are timbers, which were in demand but have lost their popularity in the region due to advent of other alternative products like Keruing and Kapur.

Furthermore, there are very few saw millers in the region due to substantial initial costs involved.

This set up, however, usually benefits firms in the long run in terms of efficiency, economies of scale and the fact that they may be able to saw timbers exactly as per their specifications.

06. What trends do you anticipate in the coming year?

Big and luxurious modern furniture has always been the preference in this region. However, I expect to see people going a step further in luxury and preferring antique pieces of furniture. Today’s artists and designers have created living spaces combining the best of antique furniture with modern art that gives a refreshing contemporary look. Be it an old classic chandelier with Victorian benches in a new modern tea room or an antique door

of an urban restaurant, designers have been experimenting with this concept to good effect.

07. What are your plans for expansion in the region? Where do you see yourself in the next five years in this market?

Being located, in, some ways, in the center of the world and at the most bustling city of the Middle East, we are continuing to focus on further expansion with our existing and newly launched products.

Furthermore, we are also looking to enter markets where there is a rising demand for exotic timber and luxurious furniture. In the next five years, we hope to be the one of the prominent suppliers of tropical timbers and related products in the Middle East. *WBT will be participating at the Dubai WoodShow 2016 from April 4 - 6, 2016. To find out more about its range of products, please visit WBT in Hall 7, Stand A18. Alternatively email the company on info@wbtgroup.com and/or visit their website: www.wbt-group.com

ANALYSIS

BURMA TEAK The King of Timbers

Specialised provider of Burma Teak and related products in the Middle East Tel: +9714 227 2825

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info@wbt-group.com

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www.wbt-group.com

32 DESIGN & DÉCOR

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April 2016

DESIGN & DÉCOR 33

Image Š Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing

Writers Theater opens new theater center designed by Studio Gang Architects

April 2016

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Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing

34 DESIGN & DÉCOR

Writers Theater opened its new theater center in February of this year, featuring two theaters in a stunning building designed by Studio Gang Architects, led by principal Jeanne Gang, and built by general contractor W.E. O’Neil Construction.

The new home, the centerpiece of a USD 34 million fundraising campaign, provides the nationallyrecognized Writers Theater with two intimate performance spaces under one roof, improved patron and artist amenities, and rehearsal and production spaces. Located on the site of the former Woman’s Library Club of Glencoe, the new center was developed in partnership with the Woman’s Library Club and the Village of Glencoe.

Writers Theater is a popular theater company in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe, Illinois. Founded in the back room of a bookstore in 1992, Writers has embraced intimacy as its hallmark aesthetic since the very beginning. In 2003, Writers established a larger space at the www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

Woman’s Library Club of Glencoe, but, at 108 seats, this new venue soon imposed challenges of its own.

The company faced bleak economic prospects despite an enthusiastic and committed audience. They were playing close to capacity night after night, but with very few seats to sell and production costs steadily rising, they were in need of a larger, more flexible space to allow for their growth.

Meanwhile, Glencoe - a suburb 20 miles north of Chicago with a population of approximately 9,000 residents - embarked on an ambitious master plan to integrate more cultural and commercial spaces in the downtown area. At the same time, the existing but deteriorated Woman’s Library Club building was in serious need of repair. Partnering with the Woman’s Library Club and the Village of Glencoe, Writers seized the opportunity to build a custom theater center and catalyst for downtown development on the April 2016

Library Club site.

The company, which plays to an audience of 35,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry. With their new permanent home, Writers wanted to ensure these hallmark traits were maintained while also accommodating a growing audience base, improving their facilities for their global community of artists, and creating new relationships with the public. The resulting design, with its transparency and flexibility, is intended to energize daily life in downtown Glencoe, creating an open, welcoming space where the potential of theater to unite people across boundaries through shared experience is rendered visible.

“Studio Gang has created a home for us that not only expands our creative possibilities but actually blows them wide open,” said Michael Halberstam, Artistic Director, Writers Theater. “Every aspect of our new

theater center contributes to an environment in which patrons can experience a play and our artists can reach into their souls to engage with our patrons. Everywhere one looks there is an architectural event to experience, bringing plays and audiences into intensely intimate engagement with each other. Jeanne Gang and her team’s profound understanding of this company has provided the perfect home for the word and the artist.”

The LEED-Gold designed center is anchored by the Litowitz Atrium, a public gathering space that serves as a lobby as well as an informal space for performance, rehearsals, and audience outreach programs, and a formal space for events. Two performance venues, a 250-seat main stage and a 99-seat black box venue, as well as rehearsal rooms and other public amenities, open to this central space. A secondfloor gallery walk, providing views toward the downtown, lake, and nearby grove, is structured by timber

Image © Steve Hall / Hedrich Blessing

DESIGN & DÉCOR 35

Vierendeel trusses and a lighter wood lattice hung in tension from the primary structure. In warm weather this central hub opens to the adjacent public park and downtown, allowing the energy and interaction generated within the theater to extend outward into the community beyond. At night, it glows from within like a lantern, drawing interest and activity to this important cultural anchor and downtown Glencoe.

The design of the performance spaces is intended to maximize the sense of intimacy between actors and audience and enhance the immersive experience for which Writers is known. In the larger venue, tribune seating is liberated from the walls, inviting exciting actor entrances and other innovative staging opportunities, further enhanced by a seamless transition from theater floor to stage. In a nod to the history of the company, bricks reclaimed from the Woman’s Library Club building form an elaborately

patterned back-of-house acoustic screen that diffuses and reflects sound for an intimate aural environment. The smaller black box venue can be infinitely customized for performances and events. A rooftop pavilion and green roof offer additional event space.

“Writers Theater now has a home to enhance the spoken word and create meaningful dialogue between the actors, audience, and the greater community through live performance,” said Jeanne Gang. “Through open, transparent public spaces, the new center creates settings for the kind of daily collaboration that is fundamentally exhibited in the missions of both Writers Theater and Studio Gang.

The building exhibits this collective of values through form and craft, itself becoming a lantern for the community and transforming the future of Writers Theater.”

The theater also includes the Stephanie and Bill Sick Rooftop

Terrace on the second floor, adjacent to the Grand Gallery Walk, one of several outdoor landscaped spaces that patrons can enjoy when weather permits; the luminous Grand Gallery Walk, a timber structure by renowned engineer Peter Heppel, suspended around the lobby and serving as a viewing area and “front porch” to the building; and landscapes of Japanese forest grasses and Boston Ivy on the west and north exterior walls, further blending the building into the surrounding parks.

Writers Theater not only serves its immediate Glencoe community but also attracts audiences from the Chicago metropolitan region and beyond. With the opening of this new cultural facility, nearly 45,000 additional people could be drawn to Glencoe each year to share in the experience of the company’s performances, community events, workshops, and gatherings, infusing the art of performance into their everyday lives.

April 2016

Project Details Project Name Writers Theater

Client

Writers Theater

Location Glencoe, IL

Size

36,000 sf

Architect

Studio Gang Architects

General Contractor:

W.E. O’neil Construction

Project Budget USD 28 million

Photography

Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing

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AMERICAN HARDWOODS www.americanhardwood.org

The Sustainable Alternative This special feature is provided with the compliments of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC)

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American Hardwoods

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Rediscovering Hardwoods Not only is wood taking over from steel and concrete as the architectural wonder material of the 21st Century, with architects praising its sustainability, quality and speed of construction, but wood is also being appreciated for its aesthetic qualities and the feeling of warmth and well-being that it can bring to almost any space. Wood, provided it derives from a sustainably-managed resource, such as the hardwood forests of the United States, is also the only major building material that is both renewable and sustainable over the long term. Independent life cycle assessment (LCA) studies show that wood has significantly less embodied energy than materials such as steel and concrete. Embodied energy is the energy needed to extract, process, manufacture, transport and maintain a material or product.

Wood also outperforms other materials in terms of air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and offers more efficient resource use. And, because wood continues to store the carbon absorbed by growing trees (it is 50 per cent carbon by weight), it’s an important tool in the fight against climate change.

The major elements of AHEC’s campaign this year will involve collaborations, installations, seminars, workshops and sustainable design initiatives across both established and emerging markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Given that American hardwoods are widely accepted and understood across the MENA region, AHEC is positive of increased engagement with the design community in particular. Valued at more than USD 100 billion in 2014, the MENA design market is expected to grow by about 6 percent annually to reach USD 147.5 billion by 2019, according to the MENA Design Outlook report. With this in mind, AHEC remains committed to its involvement with the major design events in the region such as the Commercial Interior Design Awards, Dubai Design Week, Design Ras Al Khor (DRAK), and Downtown Design amongst others.

With exterior applications in mind, American hardwoods are now being used widely in thermalmodification, which allows for non-durable, temperate hardwoods to be modified for external use or in moisture-rich environments through a relatively simple, but controlled heating process. American ash, in particular, is being used in this way and thermally-modified American ash has been produced and used widely in Turkey in recent years in numerous commercial and private cladding and decking projects. American tulipwood and soft maple, which can also be thermally-modified with good results are now also being tested in Turkey for commercial production and application. With the current vogue for timber cladding and decking, as well as exterior timber structures and street furniture, we hope to see thermally-modified American hardwoods featured in an even wider range of applications in the Middle East in the near future.

U.S. hardwood lumber shipped to the MENA region last year reached a record total volume of 100,692 cubic meters, which marks a 2 percent increase on 2014. In value terms, this equated to USD 80.81 milion, also marking a 2 percent increase on 2014. In addition, direct shipments of American hardwood veneers to the MENA region reached USD 30.13 million last year, marking no change on 2014. With 2015 a record year for U.S. hardwood lumber shipments to the MENA region, AHEC predicts that volumes will continue to increase for the foreseeable future, as American hardwood species are increasingly widely-used in flooring, furniture and interiors and as the production and application of thermally-modified U.S. hardwoods grows.

Roderick Wiles AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania

April 2016

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American Hardwoods

AHEC outlines ‘forward thinking’ strategy to open up new market opportunities for American hardwoods Collaborations, installations, seminars, workshops and sustainable design initiatives to comprise the major elements of AHEC’s campaign

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April 2016

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The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, has outlined its forward thinking strategy to open up new market opportunities for American hardwoods in 2016. According to Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania, the major elements of AHEC’s campaign will involve collaborations, installations, seminars, workshops and sustainable design initiatives across both established and emerging markets in India, South Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Given that American hardwoods are widely accepted and understood in these markets, Wiles is positive of increased engagement with the design community in particular.

Image © AHEC

Image © Giovanni Nardi

Image ©AHEC

American Hardwoods

Valued at more than USD 100 billion in 2014, the MENA design market is expected to grow by about 6 percent annually to reach USD 147.5 billion by 2019, according to the MENA Design Outlook report. With this in mind, AHEC remains committed to its involvement with the major design events in the region such as the Commercial Interior Design Awards, Dubai Design Week, Design Ras Al Khor (DRAK), and Downtown Design amongst others. In terms of the timber trade, key activities for the year include AHEC’s participation at INDIAWOOD in Bangalore, Timber in Construction Expo (Yapi Ahsap Fuari) in Istanbul and the Dubai WoodShow.

“Collaborative installations have proven to be a highly effective way of stimulating interest from designers and the design media. At the same time, they help to serve as a means of demonstrating the beauty of widely-available and yet under-utilized American hardwood species. Building on our LCA modelling data, we plan to calculate and communicate the light environmental footprint of American hardwoods used in all installations in a bid to demonstrate the true sustainability of the material,’ said Roderick Wiles. “AHEC runs one of the most widely recognized wood promotion campaigns in the world and it makes perfect sense for us to continue our support for events that we have been involved with whilst also exploring new avenues and opportunities to promote American hardwoods.”

Through 2016, AHEC will also focus its strategy on education aimed at all elements of the ‘timber chain’, whether it is specifiers (architects and interior designers), end users (furniture and joinery manufacturers) or importers and distributors. AHEC intends to conduct seminars across different markets, highlighting positive developments such as the growing acceptance of thermally modified U.S. hardwoods, which can be used in exterior applications, such as decking and cladding and the April 2016

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American Hardwoods

development in engineered wood solutions, particularly cross laminated timber (CLT), which represent an exciting potential for American hardwoods and particularly for American tulipwood given its high strength-to-weight ratio.

“With an an industry goal to increase sales of U.S. hardwoods, AHEC is focused on developing existing markets and finding new markets and applications for American hardwoods. Our aim is to enable the American hardwood industry to be proactive rather than reactive by identifying markets and providing data to help develop these markets. It is through the strong connections made with architects and designers in the region - particularly in Dubai - that awareness of both AHEC itself and American hardwoods has been raised considerably in recent years. As a result, it has become increasingly common for architects and interior designers who are looking to specify American hardwoods to come to AHEC for advice,” concluded Wiles.

As is the case all over the world, wood is attracting increased interest from the design community. With this in mind, AHEC is positive of potential design collaborations in the MENA region in the second half of 2016. However, it is clear that there is still a lack of knowledge amongst both the specifiers and the trade when it comes to a number of issues.

These include the lumber grading rules, the importance of kiln-drying, methods of handling and storing lumber and even species variety. It is imperative then that AHEC continue its technical and educational seminars across all markets and also focus on trade servicing in addition to working with the architectural and design community. www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

Image © Petr Krejci

Image © Petr Krejci

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Image © Sansra Tinari

American Hardwoods

American ash and white oak bring tactile architecture to Dubai Barber Shop The Akin Barber & Shop designed by Jonathan Ashmore, Founder, Anarchitect and Tarik Al Zaharna, Founder, T.ZED Architects, is the creation of a handpicked collective of Dubai based, home-grown entrepreneurs chosen to bring passion and commitment to the project with a unified desire to realize something individual and inspiring in Dubai.

The name Akin came from the idea of a brotherhood (of the same kin) of like-minded people who appreciate craftsmanship, fine details and beautiful aesthetics.

“The Barber & Shop project was first imagined by our client, Leith Matthews, who had identified an opportunity and was in the process of securing a really great location (Burj Al Salam) when we had our initial project discussions,” says Jonathan Ashmore, Founder, Anarchitect. “Created by a group of likeminded people who strive to live an enriched and enjoyable lifestyle without taking it all too seriously, the tag line - We are Akin - fittingly represents the people involved and the clientele, who had already stepped through the shop door even before we officially opened it.”

Having previously worked with Matthews on a collaboration commissioned for Art Dubai in 2012, Jonathan Ashmore and Tarik Al Zaharna, were intrigued by the idea and felt that there was a unique opportunity to design and create a beautifully crafted piece of small-scale architecture within the limited 35 square meter space. According to Ashmore, the aesthetics are the result of a rigorous design and making process that represents a hand-crafted and tactile architecture focused around function and layered intervention.

“Responding to the brief, we wanted to reinterpret traditional barber shop elements,” adds Tarik Al Zaharna. With this in mind, the architects took contextual inspiration from lightweight beach structures and understood and respected that they were also working within an existing urban space. Instead of April 2016

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American Hardwoods

hiding the existing, the architects chose to frame the space with a solid American ash structural insertion. This formed a space within a space that expressed the different material layers and created a sense of height and lightness, whilst defining new but permeable boundaries.

The planning of the space was driven by the programme. The recessed shop front is a nod to tradition, yet it also creates a buffer between the main building lobby and the Akin Barber & Shop to ensure that the skilful Barber’s are not disturbed or cross paths with people entering the shop perpendicular to the main axis.

Material, detail and lighting are the most important elements of Anarchitect’s interior architecture. They used solid American ash custom joinery with an open grain to highlight a juxtaposition between the natural material and the brutality of the man-made existing concrete. The precise edges of powder-coated aluminium panels were used to frame transitions and junctions between different primary materials used in the space.

The architects went with barbershop tradition with an inset brushedbrass Akin logo within the marble lobby floor and used black and white hexagonal mosaic tiles to identify the barbering area of the shop for both function and practicality. Key Akin collaborations include custom lighting projectors and recessed spots by PSLAB in Beirut and the elegant ‘Air’ ceiling fan by Boffi in Italy. The entire space is custom designed and handmade in the UAE, including the sinks, which were made locally from Corian.

“As a design driven practice, we were inspired by the contextually rich and niche retail spaces so beautifully executed by the cosmetic brand Aesop and their collaborations with architects globally. We set out to achieve the same high-quality impact with Akin, to tie together the design and programme to create a piece of unique contextual design in a very tight space,” adds Ashmore. “We spent a lot of time designing all the timber detailing so they were robust, consistent and worked with standard timber section sizes to make it more efficient for material wastage and so that the contractor could produce the framing relatively quickly in their timber workshop.” www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

Image © Gerry O’leary

Image © Gerry O’leary

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American Hardwoods

Image © Sansra Tinari

“We referenced Japanese style joinery techniques to find a way of maintaining robustness while being able to span 4 meters across the space without any bowing occurring,” adds Al Zaharna.

The architect’s concept originally came from lightweight structures that are permeable and create space/containment without walls. They looked at methods of wall and floor construction in timber frame-houses and felt the need to express both the natural materiality and structural integrity of the solid ash in the Akin Barber & Shop. All of the framing is solid American ash, the wall datum panels and the barber stations are engineered with ash veneer and the chevron flooring is engineered American white oak to add a subtle contrast in colour and increase texture to that of the ash.

The American ash was sourced by the main contractor on the project - Neo Tech Engineering LLC - based in Dubai. The team worked closely with them to select the right samples, applied finish and to also look at mock-ups of the bespoke design joints. The major challenge was the span of the self-supporting beams, which made it necessary for them to work with solid timber, which is less commonly used in Dubai, as it can be more expensive than using man-made boards with applied veneer finishes.

“Akin’s barbers are craftsman, they are precise, detailed and constantly strive to perfect their skill. We believed that the space should not only reflect this but inspire it through materiality, craft and detail, with a shop that is built to last and that effortlessly functions to support the growth of Akin. For Akin clients, who come back time and time again, they will always discover a new detail each time they sit and recline back in the barber’s chair,” adds Ashmore.

“At a closer look, visitors will notice that a tailored approach is carried through from the service, to the architecture and details. A story is told by creating a journey through the space, from being seated on the custom-built bench near the entrance, to being guided to the barber chair, and finally viewing the products on display at the end. We were very conscious about material finishes as we have created an engaging environment where all surfaces and finishes were to be used and touched,” concludes Al Zaharna.

Project Details Project Name

Akin Barber & Shop

Completed

Image © Sansra Tinari

September 2015

Client

Akin Barber & Shop

Architect

Jonathan Ashmore Anarchitect and Tarik Al Zaharna - T.ZED Architects

Joinery

Neo Tech Engineering LLC

Area

35 sqm

Location

Burj Al Salam Tower, Dubai, UAE

Image © Sansra Tinari

Wood Species

April 2016

American ash and white oak

Photography

Gerry O’Leary and Sandra Tinari

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American Hardwoods

Grown in Seconds, AHEC’s new campaign demonstrates true sustainability of American hardwoods New platform calculates how quickly wood used in projects is naturally regrown within the forests of the United States

Tulipifera Sharpeners

Ves-el

0.02

0.25

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April 2016

Paul’s Shed

Image © Petr Krejci

Getting Away from it All

Seconds

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Image © Petr Krejci

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Image © Petr Krejci

Supported by environmental consultants ThinkStep (www.thinkstep.com), AHEC aims to promote a better understanding of the true environmental benefits of using American hardwoods in design and manufacturing. The new platform, Grown in Seconds, uses the extensive data gathered by the U.S. Forest Service to track the annual growth and harvest rates of every hardwood species to calculate how quickly wood used in projects is naturally regrown within the forests of the United States. The Grown in Seconds website shows how nine impressive projects, initiated by AHEC, and created in partnership with some of the leading lights of design and architecture, have imaginatively used American hardwoods in a variety of ways.

“The platform demonstrates the environmental Life Cycle Assessment of each piece and gives a calculation of how quickly the material used would naturally grow in the forest. In some instances, the timber used in the construction of these objects will have taken just seconds to grow, such is the size of the hardwood resource. Examples shown on the site include a spectacular M.C. Esher-inspired staircase that would take just 2 minutes to be replaced, a design-savvy shed (a mere 14 seconds), a wooden workspace (5 seconds), a deck (25 seconds) and even a bespoke pencil sharpener (0.02 seconds),” said Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, South Asia and Oceania.

Around a third of the United States is forested and nearly half of this resource is devoted to growing

Image © Petr Krejci

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, has launched a new campaign Grown in Seconds (http://growninseconds. org/) - to illustrate the true sustainability of American hardwoods by showing how swiftly wood used for a variety of projects regrows naturally in America’s forests.

Together with the AHEC website, the aim is to provide environmentally-focused architects, developers and manufacturers with an easy source of information to help them select the most suitable materials for their projects.

American Hardwoods

and harvesting hardwood. These forests are so vast and trees are felled so selectively that the timber that is cut down, dried, milled and machined to make furniture, buildings or products is replaced by natural regrowth within a matter of seconds. With this in mind, AHEC promotes the use of indigenous American hardwoods to international architects and designers. This new website, illustrating how quickly American hardwood can grow and regenerate, and the effect of the manufacturing process on the overall environmental impact of the piece, will further reinforce the argument that American hardwoods are a highly sustainable material.

The annual overall growth rate of hardwoods in the American forest far outweighs the rate of harvest. For instance, just 40 percent of the American cherry, which naturally grows each year, is harvested. The U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program (www.fia. fs.fed.us/tools-data) has gathered this data for decades, tracking the

rate at which each species of American timber grows and is harvested, by county, across the entire country. This resource has been used to calculate how long it takes for an entire forest to replace the material used in the creative projects that have been listed on the platform.

“The careful management of the American forest over centuries means that these beautiful hardwoods grow more quickly than they are harvested, and this will continue to be the case for centuries to come.

The speed of natural regeneration (no planting is done) takes some people by surprise, but we are talking about a country that is similar in land size to Australia but with a third that is covered in trees. Given that wood, while it is in use, still stores carbon, there is a compelling argument to optimize good environmental practice by using more wood and creating products that can be designed and built to last as long as possible. Grown in Seconds helps to highlight and celebrate the true sustainability of American hardwoods,” concluded Wiles.

Invisible Store of Happiness

Endless Stair

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120

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Image © Giovanni Nardi

Rotunda Serotina

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Image © AHEC

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Image © Giovanni Nardi

Milan Expo Decking

Image © Petr Krejci

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American Hardwoods

AMERICAN RED OAK

Quercus spp.

AMERICAN WHITE OAK

Quercus spp.

General Description The sapwood of red oak is white to light brown and the heartwood is often a pinkish reddish brown. The wood is similar in general appearance to white oak, but with a slightly less pronounced figure due to the smaller rays and a more porous end grain structure. The wood is mostly straight grained with a coarse texture.

General Description White oak is similar in color and appearance to European oak. The sapwood of American white oak is light colored and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak is mostly straight grained with a medium to coarse texture, with longer rays than red oak. White oak, therefore, has more figure.

Other Common names Northern red oak, Southern red oak

Other Common names Northern white oak, Southern white oak

Distribution & Availability Widespread throughout Eastern USA. The oaks are by far the largest species group growing in the Eastern hardwood forests. Red oaks grow more abundantly than the white oaks. The red oak group comprises many species, of which about eight are commercial. Excellent availability as lumber or veneer in a wide range of grades and specifications. Red oak is often classified according to growing regions and marketed as Northern red oak and Southern red oak.

Distribution & Availability Widespread throughout Eastern USA. The white oak group comprises many species, of which about eight are commercial. Very widely available in lumber and veneer, in a full range of grades and specifications.

Physical & Mechanical Properties The wood is hard and heavy, with medium bending strength and stiffness and high crushing strength. It is very good for steam bending.

Working Properties Red oak machines well; nailing and screwing is good although pre-boring is recommended, and it can be stained and polished to a very good finish.

It performs best when dried slowly, reducing the opportunity for degrade such as splits and warp. It has a high shrinkage and can be susceptible to movement in performance under variable moisture conditions.

Main Uses Construction, furniture, flooring, architectural interiors, internal joinery, stairs and mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, panelling and coffins.

Not suitable for tight cooperage. Red oak can vary in color, texture, characteristics and properties according to the growing region. It is therefore recommended that users and specifiers work closely with their suppliers to make sure the wood they order is suited to their specific needs. ........................................................................................................................

AMERICAN WALNUT

Physical & Mechanical Properties A hard and heavy wood with medium bending and crushing strength, low in stiffness, but very good in steam bending. Its good overall strength means it is increasingly being used by architects and designers in structural applications.

Working Properties White oak machines well, nails and screws well, although pre-boring is advised. As it reacts with iron, galvanized or copper nails are recommended.

Its adhesive properties are variable, but it stains and polishes to a good finish. The wood dries slowly and care is needed to avoid checking. Due to its high shrinkage, it can be susceptible to movement in performance under variable moisture conditions.

Main Uses Construction, furniture, flooring, architectural joinery, exterior joinery, mouldings, doors, kitchen cabinets, panelling, railway sleepers, timber bridges, barrel staves and coffins.

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AMERICAN ALDER

Alnus rubra

Juglans nigra

General Description The sapwood of walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. Walnut is usually supplied steamed, which darkens the sapwood, but a very unique look can also be achieved by leaving it natural. The wood is generally straight grained, but sometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. The dark heartwood will lighten in color as it ages over time with exposure to UV light.

Other Common names Black walnut, American walnut Distribution & Availability Throughout Eastern USA, but principal commercial region is the central United States. One of the few American species planted as well as naturally regenerated. Reasonable availability in both lumber and veneer.

Physical & Mechanical Properties Walnut is a tough, hard timber of medium density, with moderate bending and crushing strengths and low stiffness. It has a good steam bending classification.

Working Properties Walnut works easily with hand and machine tools, and nails, screws and glues well. It holds paints and stains very well and can be polished to an exceptional finish. It performs best when dried slowly, reducing the opportunity for degrade. Walnut has good dimensional stability.

Main Uses Furniture, cabinet making, architectural interiors, high-class joinery, doors, flooring, gunstocks and panelling. A favored wood for using in contrast with lighter colored timbers.

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April 2016

General Description Red alder is almost white when freshly cut but quickly changes on exposure to air to light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. Heartwood is formed only in trees of advanced age and there is no visible boundary between sap and heartwood. The wood is fairly straight grained with a uniform texture.

Other Common names Red alder, Western red alder, Western alder Distribution & Availability West coast USA, principally the Pacific North West, where it is the most common commercial hardwood. Available in a range of grades and specifications as both rough lumber and dimension stock, although veneer production is more limited.

Physical & Mechanical Properties Red alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density that has low bending strength, shock resistance and stiffness.

Working Properties Red alder machines well and is excellent for turning and polishing. It nails, screws and glues well, and can be sanded, painted, or stained to a very good finish. It dries easily with little degrade and has good dimensional stability after drying.

Main Uses Furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors, interior mouldings, turning, carving and kitchen utensils. Widely used by furniture industries around the world, its color makes it an ideal substitute for cherry.

American Hardwoods

AMERICAN HARD MAPLE

49

AMERICAN ASH

Fraxinus spp.

Acer saccharum, Acer nigrum

General Description The sapwood is creamy white with a slight reddish brown tinge and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The amount of darker brown heartwood can vary significantly according to growing region. Both sapwood and heartwood can contain pith fleck. The wood has a close fine texture and is generally straight grained, but it can also occur as ‘curly’, ‘fiddleback’, and ‘birdseye’ figure.

Other Common names Sugar maple, black maple Distribution & Availability Eastern USA, principally Northeastern and Lake States. A cold weather tree favoring a more northerly climate. Widely available as lumber and veneer.

The higher quality grades of lumber are available selected for white color (sapwood), although this can limit availability. Figured maple (birdseye, curly, fiddleback) is generally only available in commercial volumes as veneer.

Physical & Mechanical Properties The wood is hard and heavy with good strength properties, in particular its high resistance to abrasion and wear. It also has good steam bending properties.

Working Properties Hard maple dries slowly with a large shrinkage, so it can be susceptible to movement in performance. Pre-boring is recommended when nailing and screwing. With care it machines well, turns well, glues satisfactorily, and can be stained and polished to an outstanding finish.

Main Uses Flooring, furniture, panelling, kitchen cabinets, worktops and table tops, interior joinery: stairs, handrails, mouldings, and doors. The hard wearing properties and tight smooth grain make this species ideal for high traffic flooring applications, such as theatres, concert halls, gymnasiums and basketball courts. ........................................................................................................................

General Description American ash is similar in appearance to European ash. The sapwood is light colored to nearly white and the heartwood varies from greyish brown to light brown, to pale yellow streaked with brown. The wood is generally straight grained with a coarse uniform texture. The degree and availability of light colored sapwood, and other properties, will vary according to the growing regions. For example, Southern ash lumber will be faster grown and contain more sapwood and therefore, a higher percentage of white color, but compared to Northern ash, it has a more open texture and grain.

Other Common names Northern ash, Southern ash Distribution & Availability Distributed throughout Eastern USA. Good availability as lumber and veneer. The lumber is often classified according to growing regions and marketed as Northern ash and Southern ash. It is sometimes separated for color and sold as white ash (sapwood) or brown ash (heartwood). American ash can comprise a number of commercial sub species and is available in a wide range of grades and specifications as lumber and veneer. Note that white ash is the commercial name for Fraxinus americana.

Physical & Mechanical Properties Ash has very good overall strength properties relative to its weight. It has excellent shock resistance and is good for steam bending.

Working Properties Ash machines well, is good in nailing, screwing and gluing, and can be stained and polished to a very good finish. It dries fairly easily with minimal degrade, and good stability means there is little movement in performance.

Main Uses Furniture, flooring, doors, architectural interiors, high class joinery and moulding, kitchen cabinets, panelling, tool handles, sports goods and turning. A versatile, good-looking wood, offering great value for a wide range of joinery and furniture applications. ........................................................................................................................

AMERICAN SOFT MAPLE

AMERICAN BASSWOOD

Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum

General Description In most respects the wood of soft maple is very similar to that of hard maple, although due to its widespread growth it may be more susceptible to regional color variations. Generally the sapwood is greyish white, sometimes with darker colored pith flecks, and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The wood is usually straight grained. The lumber is generally sold unselected for color.

Other Common names Red maple, silver maple Distribution & Availability Wide distribution throughout Eastern USA, however, Pacific coast/big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) grows exclusively in the Pacific Northwest.

Availability is improving as demand increases in export markets.

Physical & Mechanical Properties Soft maple is about 25 percent less hard than hard maple, has medium bending and crushing strength, and is low in stiffness and shock resistance.

It has good steam bending properties.

Working Properties Soft maple machines well and can be stained and polished to an excellent finish. It glues, screws, and nails satisfactorily. It dries slowly with minimal degrade and has good stability which means there is little movement in performance.

Main Uses Furniture, panelling, interior joinery, kitchen cabinets, mouldings, doors, musical instruments, and turning. Soft maple is often used as a substitute for hard maple or stained to resemble other species such as cherry. Its physical and working properties also make it a possible substitute for beech.

Tilia americana

General Description The sapwood of basswood is usually quite large and creamy white in color, merging into the heartwood, which is pale to reddish brown, sometimes with darker streaks. The wood has a fine uniform texture and indistinct grain that is straight.

Other Common names Linden, American whitewood, American linn Distribution & Availability Eastern USA, principally the Northern and Lake States, where there is reasonable availability as lumber and veneer. Lumber is produced in a range of thicknesses, specifications and grades, although volumes may be limited.

Physical & Mechanical Properties The wood is light and soft with generally low strength properties and a poor steam bending classification.

Working Properties Basswood machines well and is easy to work with hand tools making it a premier carving wood. It nails, screws, and glues fairly well and can be sanded, stained, and polished to a good smooth finish. It dries fairly rapidly with little distortion or degrade. It has a fairly large shrinkage but good dimensional stability when dry.

Main Uses Carving, turning, furniture, pattern-making, mouldings, interior joinery and musical instruments. An important specialized use is Venetian blinds or internal window shutters.

April 2016

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American Hardwoods

AMERICAN cherry

AMERICAN TULIPWOOD

Prunus serotina

Liriodendron tulipifera

General Description The heartwood of American cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken on exposure to light. In contrast the sapwood is creamy white. Cherry can be supplied steamed, to darken sapwood or left unsteamed. The wood has a fine uniform straight grain, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.

Other Common names American black cherry Distribution & Availability Found throughout Eastern USA, but main commercial areas are Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York State. Although cherry accounts for less than 2 percent of the growing hardwood resource, it is widely available in a full range of specifications and grades as both lumber and veneer.

Physical & Mechanical Properties The wood is of medium density with good wood bending properties. It has low stiffness, medium strength and shock resistance.

Working Properties Cherry is easy to machine. It nails and glues well and when sanded, stained and polished, it produces an excellent smooth finish. It dries fairly quickly with moderately large shrinkage, but is dimensionally stable after kilning.

Main Uses Furniture and cabinet making, high-class joinery, kitchen cabinets, mouldings, panelling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turning and carving. The subtle range of red tones found in the heartwood have made this species very fashionable for many high end applications.

General Description The sapwood is creamy white and may be streaked, with the heartwood varying from pale yellowish brown to olive green. The green color in the heartwood will tend to darken on exposure to UV light and turn brown. The wood has a medium to fine texture and is straight grained. The size of the sapwood and some physical characteristics will vary according to growing regions. The wood has many desirable characteristics and is suitable for a wide variety of important uses. Tulipwood is not a poplar (Populus) and has many superior properties. However the tree resembles the shape of the European poplar, hence its name in the USA. Other Common names Yellow poplar (USA), tulip poplar (USA), canary whitewood Distribution & Availability Widespread throughout Eastern USA. Widely available in a full range of standard lumber thicknesses. Excellent availability as lumber and veneer.

Tulipwood is one of the largest trees in the U.S. forest and can produce very wide and long specifications, which are relatively knot free. It represents around 9 percent of the standing hardwood resource, which ensures continuity and volume supply to export markets.

Physical & Mechanical Properties A medium density wood with low bending, shock resistance, stiffness and compression values, with a medium steam bending classification.

Tulipwood is very strong for its weight and is ideal for laminated beams and structures.

Working Properties A versatile timber that is easy to machine, plane, turn, glue and bore. It dries easily with minimal degrade. It has very good dimensional stability and has little tendency to split when nailed. It takes and holds paint, enamel and stain exceptionally well.

Main Uses Construction, furniture, interior joinery, kitchen cabinets, doors, panelling, mouldings, edged- glued panels, plywood (USA), turning and carving.

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American aspen

American red elm

Populus tremuloides

Ulmus rubra

General Description Sapwood is white, blending into the light brown heartwood. The contrast between sap and heartwood is small. The wood has a fine uniform texture and is straight grained.

General Description Red elm has a greyish white to light brown narrow sapwood, with heartwood that is reddish brown to dark brown in colour. The grain can be straight, but is often interlocked. The wood has a coarse texture.

Other Common names White poplar, popple

Other Common names Slippery elm, brown elm, grey elm

Distribution & Availability Aspen is a true poplar and is harvested commercially in the North Eastern USA. Limited availability of volume lumber and veneer in a full range of sizes and grades.

Distribution & Availability The Eastern to Midwest USA. Limited availability in both lumber and veneer, due to the impact of Dutch elm disease1. Elm is now regenerating better in some regions and is still exported, but in relatively small volumes, therefore some grade qualities and specifications may be limited.

Physical & Mechanical Properties The wood is light and soft, with low bending strength and stiffness, and medium shock resistance. It has a very low bending classification.

Working Properties Aspen does not split when nailed, it machines easily with a slightly fuzzy surface, and turns, bores, and sands well. It takes paint and stain well to produce a good finish, although care is required where the surface is fuzzy.

It has low to moderate shrinkage and good dimensional stability. As a true poplar aspen has similar characteristics and properties to American cottonwood and European poplar.

Main Uses Furniture parts (drawer sides), doors, mouldings, picture frames, interior joinery, toys, kitchen utensils. Matchsticks (USA). Important specialised uses include sauna laths because of lack of taste and odour.

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April 2016

Physical & Mechanical Properties Elm is moderately heavy, hard and stiff with excellent bending and shock resistance. It is difficult to split because of its interlocked grain.

Working Properties The wood of red elm is fairly easy to work; it nails, screws and glues well and can be sanded, stained and polished to a good finish. It dries well with minimal degrade and little movement in performance.

Main Uses Furniture, cabinet making, flooring, internal joinery and panelling.

American Hardwoods

AMERICAN HICKORY & PECAN

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American sycamore

Carya spp.

Platanus occidentalis

General Description The hickories are an important group within the eastern hardwood forests.

Botanically, they are split into two groups; the true hickories, and the pecan hickories (fruit bearing). The wood is virtually the same for both and is usually sold together. The sapwood of hickory and pecan is white, tinged with brown while the heartwood is pale to reddish brown. Both are coarse textured and the grain is usually straight but can be wavy or irregular.

General Description The sapwood of sycamore is white to light yellow, while the heartwood is light to dark brown. The wood has a fine close texture with interlocked grain. It is not related in any way to European sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), but it has the same family classification, and similar characteristics to European plane (Platanus orientalis). Contrasts well with other species.

Distribution & Availability Eastern USA, principal commercial areas are the Central and Southern states. Readily available, but more limited if sold selected for color as either red or white hickory or pecan. For export, lumber may be limited in the higher grades and available mainly in thinner stock.

Other Common names Buttonwood, American plane

Physical & Mechanical Properties The density and strength of the hickories will vary according to the rate of growth, with the true hickories generally showing higher values than the pecan hickories. The wood is well known for its very good strength and shock resistance and it also has excellent steam bending properties.

Working Properties The hickories are considered difficult to machine and glue, and are very hard to work with hand tools, so care is needed. They hold nails and screws well, but there is a tendency to split so pre-boring is advised. The wood can be sanded and polished to a good finish. It can be difficult to dry and has a large shrinkage, which may affect stability under variable moisture conditions.

Main Uses Tool handles, furniture, cabinetry, flooring, wooden ladders, dowels and sporting goods. Hickory is increasingly being exported for flooring, for its attractive rustic look and hardwearing properties.

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Distribution & Availability Throughout the Eastern USA. Reasonable availability in a range of specifications and grades in lumber and veneer, although availability in export markets may vary and be quite limited where demand or interest is low.

Physical & Mechanical Properties The wood is classified as moderate in weight, hardness, stiffness and shock resistance. It turns well on the lathe and has good bending qualities.

Working Properties The wood machines well, but high speed cutters are needed to prevent chipping. It is resistant to splitting, due to the interlocked grain. The wood glues well and stains and polishes, with care, to an excellent finish. It dries fairly rapidly, with a tendency to warp. It has moderate shrinkage and little movement in performance.

Main Uses Furniture, furniture parts (drawer sides), internal joinery, panelling and mouldings, kitchen ware, butchers blocks and veneered panels.

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AMERICAN YELLOW BIRCH

American hackberry

Betula alleghaniensis

Celtis occidentalis

General Description Hackberry is closely related to sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) and is a member of the elm family. There is little difference between sapwood and heartwood, which is yellowish grey to light brown with yellow streaks. The wood has irregular grain, occasionally straight and sometimes interlocked, with a fine uniform texture.

Other Common names Common hackberry, sugarberry Distribution & Availability Throughout Eastern USA, although not available in large commercial volumes. There is some export of lumber, mainly in thinner stock and availability of higher grades may be limited.

Physical & Mechanical Properties Hackberry is moderately hard, heavy and has medium bending strength, high shock resistance but is low in stiffness. It has a good steam bending classification.

Working Properties The wood planes and turns well and is intermediate in its ability to hold nails and screws, and stains and polishes satisfactorily. Hackberry dries readily with minimal degrade. It has a fairly high shrinkage and may be susceptible to movement in performance.

General Description Yellow birch has a white sapwood and light reddish brown heartwood. The wood is generally straight grained with a fine uniform texture.

Distribution & Availability Eastern USA, principally Northern and Lake States. Reasonable availability, but more limited if selected for color, i.e. red birch (heartwood) or white birch (sapwood). Increasingly found in export markets, although volumes produced may limit sizes and grades available.

Physical & Mechanical Properties The wood of yellow birch is heavy, hard and strong. It has very good wood bending properties, with good crushing strength and shock resistance.

Working Properties The wood works fairly easily, glues well with care, takes stain and polish extremely well, and nails and screws satisfactorily where pre-boring is advised. It dries rather slowly with little degrade, but it has moderately high shrinkage, so can be susceptible to movement in performance.

Main Uses Furniture, internal joinery and panelling, doors, flooring, kitchen cabinets, turning and toys.

Main Uses Furniture and kitchen cabinets, joinery, doors and mouldings.

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April 2016

comment 53

Image Š MTC

Seeing the forest for the trees in the timber industry

April 2016

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The timber industry is set to experience growth in 2016 but the volatility of the business environment in 2016 is set to affect it as well as for most sectors in the Malaysian business environment.

Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Nik, CEO of the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) gives us an insight into the timber industry of Malaysia.

“Before we talk about the outlook for the timber industry, we should trace the performance of timber products last year. In 2014, the export market was worth RM 20.5 billion. Up to the first 10 months of 2015, we had RM 18.3 billion of total exports. This is an increase of 6.6 percent as compared to the previous year, which was RM 17.1 billion. If the trend continues, we will see much improvement in terms of exports,” said Abdul Rahim. “Looking at the strengthening of the U.S. dollar and the weakening ringgit, we could see some improvement as most of our timber products are exported to the United States, Japan and emerging

markets. It has been quite positive up till now.”

The Malaysian timber industry is among the top 5 export earners of the nation, just behind crude petroleum, electrical and electronic products, palm oil, and palm oil based products, and rubber and rubber-based products. The Malaysian timber industry had contributed 2 percent of the Malaysian GDP and 2.7 percent of the nation’s total merchandise exports in 2014, with the top exported timber-based product being wooden furniture.

The AEC and TPPA and the timber industry The ASEAN Economic Community and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement is set to shake the foundations of business in Malaysia, no less the timber industry.

“The AEC is a major milestone in the regional economic integration agenda, which provide opportunities

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April 2016

Image © MTC

Image © MTC

Image © MTC

54 COMMENT

for a huge market, a USD 2.6 trillion market, with 600 million people. The AEC is the 3rd largest market in Asia, and 7th in the world. So in that context, Malaysia has a good opportunity to provide exports. Currently, the biggest ASEAN markets for timber include Singapore, Thailand, and Philippines for the year 2014,” said Abdul Rahim.

Abdul Rahim had also emphasized that among the 12 nations that are participating in the TPPA, Malaysia does not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with 4 of these nations, namely the United States, Canada, Mexico and Peru. With the TPPA, Malaysian businesses have an opportunity to do business with these nations.

“At the same time, with the TPPA coming in subject to approval from the parliament, there was a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) stating that if Malaysia were to sign the TPPA, there will be economic gains in terms of GDP for the year 2018 to the year 2027, ranging from USD 107 billion to USD 211 billion with new investments coming in. Under that context, for the timber industry, there will be some opportunities for our industry to participate in this, because of lower tariffs and lower trade barriers, as such our products can enter these markets,” added Abdul Rahim.

“The United States is already one of the biggest markets for us. For the United States, our exports of wooden furniture rose by 13.6 percent for the first 10 months, amounting to RM 6 billion overall.

The United States alone amounts to RM 2 billion. This is because constructing new homes will see a rise in timber demand. India is also another emerging market for timber exports,” said Abdul Rahim.

The technological imperative The importance of technology to an industry such as the timber industry cannot be understated. Keeping up with the latest innovations in timber

Image © MTC

comment 55

production, as well as technological integration in the business value chain such as automation is vital for industry players wanting to keep up to demand.

“Most of the timber industry comprises of SMEs; 80 percent of the industry is SMEs, but they are not integrated. There aren’t much economies of scale going on.

Industry players will see the issue of maintaining competitiveness in the industry. Maintenance is costly.

Solutions include finding options for retrofitting for woodworking machines, as well as looking at the possibility of fitting them into new layouts. Service in order to make it more productive can also be carried out,” added Abdul Rahim.

A study had shown that mechanization and automation, after recommendations can improve income, increase the expectancy in the machines of factories. At the same time, industry players can keep updating what are the new

technologies, and how they market their products. If industry players are capable of sourcing this, might as well,” said Abdul Rahim.

Conservation Abdul Rahim also highlights the challenge of maintaining natural forests in Malaysia. “The government had embarked on 3 programmes to reduce pressure on the natural forest.

Among these is the forest plantation programme. Under this programme, the government can give soft loans, and by 2020 a certain number of land can be sustained.”

“Malaysia is committed to managing our forests. Established by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, we want to keep our forest. After 20 years since our commitment to maintain our forests, we still have 54 percent of forests in Malaysia. Established in 1998, the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) maintains the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS), which provides

independent certification for forest management practices,” said Abdul Rahim.

It is important MTCC exists, as the MTCS provides a scheme that maintains standards of practice for the timber industry. With the TPPA and AEC coming in, the maintenance of good practices ensures that there will be no issue exporting to other markets under the TPPA and AEC. The MTCS is endorsed by various notable bodies around the world.

the key issues impacting the timber industry in Malaysia. He says: “Some challenges that SMEs are facing in the industry is the labor force. The timber industry requires a lot of skilled and hard labor and we are facing the problem of sourcing labor requirements to meet the demand.

The government is looking into this to provide more labor. We need more skilled workers that are trained to do the job. Some of our products have been known for its quality, and we have to maintain this quality to meet the expectations of our clients.”

“In order to achieve this (maintenance of standards), we have regional offices in London, Dubai and China, and are setting up in India currently. Particularly in London, we want to link our stakeholders in all these countries so that our product standards are upheld. The harmonization of standards in the TPPA and AEC will benefit Malaysia overall,” said Abdul Rahim

“Among the nations in the TPPA, Vietnam could be a nation that can be competitive in terms of timber.

The labor market there is cheap, and some companies in China are going to operate in Vietnam. In order to meet this competition, Malaysia has to be resilient to meet the competition brought by the TPPA and AEC,” concluded Abdul Rahim.

SMEs, brace yourself Abdul Rahim also highlights some of

*This article initially appeared in Malaysian SME.

April 2016

www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

56 TECHNOLOGY

Performance enhancement is found between the machines Over the span of 60 years, SCHULER Consulting GmbH has grown to become a global competence center through its focus on a range of products for the woodworking and furniture industry. Following the lead of its founder - Gerhard Schuler - the company is dedicated to analysis, design and optimization of existing processes, in addition to optimum and strategic development of production sectors. Under the name SCHULER Consulting GmbH, the company entirely focuses on its core www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

competence ‘consulting services for the international woodworking and furniture industry’.

Many companies use good and new machines in their production.

However, the output achieved is not accordingly - much more would be possible. Here in this region, we have already seen some companies which could almost double their output without a significant operating expense. The reasons for this deficiency in output have in each company quite different causes.

April 2016

Stephan Zürcher, Senior Consultant from SCHULER Consulting provides us with an overview of the important reasons for this inefficiency and possible improvement measures.

There are huge quantities of material between the machines and plants, which accumulate as a result of delayed orders due to insufficient production engineering, a bad material flow and too many fire drills (emergency response instead of action). Use clear instructions to control production

and delegate responsibility to trained staff as opposed to everyone on the factory floor.

In production many workstations are occupied with several employees with the assumption being that an increased output could be achieved.

The reality is that however only one person is working. Companies must aim to avoid bottlenecks by ensuring that only sufficient staff are deployed. More employees do not mean increased productivity. For that you can train standby workers who

Image Š SCHULER Consulting

TECHNOLOGY 57

can work at two or three machines and can be deployed flexibly.

Many machines are badly maintained as the employees have not received any maintenance instructions and no time schedule specifying the machines and the time when they have to be maintained. A time plan containing the relative operations would be very useful.

In many cases, we have seen that employees working at the machines are insufficiently trained. As an example, at the edge banding machines, the units or draw blades are not properly adjusted. The glue supply is not clean and badly regulated. It takes many hours of manual labor to remove all these unnecessary glue remains from the components. This could be avoided by ensuring that employees are regularly trained by the machine suppliers. By making videos showing the exact machine setting and documenting errors and the relevant solutions,

companies can ensure that their staff are fully trained. It is also important to stop the machine if the quality is no longer accurate.

In many companies the cutting process is the quickest production unit. The products will not be completed faster by having available a great quantity of pre-cuts; on the contrary you will accumulate mountains of material. It takes unbelievably much time for seeking, sorting, stacking and de-stacking goods and palettes which could be avoided. Clock the cutting operation in line with the slowest process.

In general, the slowest process will show you where action must be taken - either as an investment or optimization.

Time and again, entire semi-finished orders have been found in the production line due to the lack of purchased parts. Start the production only when all parts have been completely received. The same applies

for the finishing operation, start the assembly only after the production of all fronts intended for this order.

Lead times are too high. The manufacturing of a single kitchen furniture piece requires actually 20 minutes of production at maximum.

However, in the companies the order processing frequently requires many days from the cutting operation through to the delivery or assembly at the customer’s site. If you reduce the lead time time to three days, then it would also be possible to cut in half the finished goods store consisting of orders waiting for months to be finally delivered.

The cutting operation of different orders is carried out together at the saw because the cutting waste of panel material should be reduced.

Consequently, the number of parts in the production rises significantly.

The subsequent picking of the goods and the resulting hours spent on seeking the parts are hardly April 2016

included. This disadvantage could be significantly reduced by using a functioning management of residuals at the saw. Ask the manufacturer of the saw for possible options because it is necessary to find the optimum performance between material waste proportion and machine time.

Focus should always be on quality management. There are numerous simple but efficient possibilities to entrust the employees with the quality assessment. Define good and bad parts, which can be used as patterns and examples.

There is often a need for subsequent investments in order to continue the development of the company.

However, in order to meet the requirements of the market the machines and plants have to be flexible and must be aligned with one another. It must be possible to undertake investments modularly and in stages. As SCHULER Consulting, we advise you neutrally www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

Image Š SCHULER Consulting

58 TECHNOLOGY

edge banding machine is missing or an automatic edge magazine is not matching to the numerous colors currently in stock. In this case an intermediate step and the examination of future products really make sense. and independently in order to ensure long-term and sustainable development of your production.

In order to be able to manufacture your products efficiently you need the right information at the workstations. Frequently the working documents are incomplete and formulated in a confusing form.

A considerable time is spent on seeking the required jobs. In the majority of the companies the flow of information from sales through production engineering to production has to be analyzed and optimized.

The error potential of incomplete information and confusing documents is enormous.

Above, I have only listed some general points. The details vary and become apparent only after a short analysis of a company. We have noted that in the most cases companies look immediately for a solution of the problem instead of seeking the real cause. Looking with

a trained eye from the outside, we frequently discover that different problems often have one common cause. If we tackle the cause, several problems can often be solved at the same time. More than 50 percent of the problems which we observe have their cause in the organization and in the production control. For this purpose, investments are hardly required; it needs simple auxiliary means, clear deadlines and structured information for the employees working in the management and in the production.

The cause of further problems is the sub-optimal design of the products which are therefore not suited for the existing machines and plants. Too often machines are purchased and only subsequently the products are defined. Of course, these machines are flexible; however, they are unsuitable for the first move towards industrial production which is the objective of many companies. For example, a groove aggregate at the

www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

For starting, the material flow of the companies has been designed for smaller quantities, however it would be possible to manufacture rapidly greater capacities. Then the buffers between the machines do not fit anymore. In many cases the manufacturing concept is no longer correct for the constantly increasing production quantities. In this case the production for an intermediate storage would be more cost-effective than made-to-order production. The production must meet a wide range of requirements and requires the flexibility for directing and guiding the orders through the entire enterprise.

We recommend you to take the time to stand in the production line just to listen to which machine or plant is running precisely and what work is actually being performed. You will notice that it is far too quiet. The reason for this is the organization and optimization of the processes and of the workflow. We hope that you will enjoy listening!!

About the Author

Stephan ZĂźrcher is a trained carpenter who attended the Holzfachschule Biel and graduated as wood engineer.

ZĂźrcher is part of SCHULER Consulting, which specializes in offering wood processing companies - large or small - a range of solutions. From amongst the 30 engineers currently on board, SCHULER Consulting are confident they possess the qualified employees to solve problems and answer any questions. In the Middle East, the company has already implemented some projects and had a look at many companies.

For more information, please visit www.schuler-consulting. com or email info@schulerconsulting.com.

RM FOR G PLATFO ERY ST LEADIN MACHIN G MIDDLE EA IN RK O WOODW WOOD & re nt Ce bai W 2016, Du 4 - 6 April nd B60 ll No 6, Sta

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Making dreams a reality with HOMAG. Think outside the box and give free rein to your imagination when producing doors. HOMAG has the right solution to cope with every requirement: from the entry-level machine for universal processing through the high-performance processing centre to processing of solid wood edges with networking and automation.

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Office 1308 Grosvenor Business Tower Tecom, Dubai – UAE PO Box 391477 Tel: +971 4 551 9788 Fax: +971 4 551 9799 info@homag-dubai.com www.homag-group.com

60 INDUSTRY FOCUS

Dubai WoodShow Preview

American Hardwood Export Council

In addition, AHEC also produces a full range of free technical publications. The American Hardwood Pavilion will serve to highlight the variety of American hardwood species while also throwing the spotlight on the benefits of the value-added processes undertaken to supply such a high quality and high yielding kiln-dried raw material. Growing interest and demand for American hardwoods has bolstered U.S. hardwood exporters to become increasingly active in the MENA region’s hardwood market. As such, the event will see the participation of seventeen U.S. hardwood lumber and veneer exporters under the banner of the American Hardwood Pavilion.

Image © AHEC

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is the leading international trade association for the U.S. hardwood industry, representing the committed exporters among U.S. hardwood companies and all the major U.S. hardwood product trade associations. AHEC runs a programme to promote American hardwoods in over 50 export markets, concentrating on providing architects, specifiers, designers and end-users with technical information on the range of species, products and sources of supply.

American Softwoods

In support of these markets, AMSO conducts trade visits, sponsors buyer visits to the U.S., offers technical assistance, conducts and distributes market analyses, and provides advertising and promotional support for American softwood timber products, including exhibiting each year at the Dubai WoodShow and other exhibitions in the region. AMSO’s role is to help designers, builders and buyers in the Middle East, to understand better the advantages of American softwoods bring in both interior and exterior applications. www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

Image © American Softwoods

American softwood timber is marketed internationally under the American Softwoods (AMSO) banner, a promotional partnership formed by three major U.S. softwood timber trade associations: the Softwood Export Council, the Southern Forest Products Association and APA - the Engineered Wood Products Association. AMSO provides marketing and product support services on behalf of American softwood timber products in more than 50 countries worldwide, including the Middle East.

INDUSTRY FOCUS

61

Swedish Timber Swedish Wood spreads knowledge, provides inspiration and encourages development relating to wood, wood products and wood construction. It has a goal to increase the use of wood in Sweden and in selected international markets through information and inspiration. Swedish Wood also aims to highlight wood as a competitive, eco-friendly and sustainable material.

Image © Swedish Wood

As a department within the trade and employer organization - Swedish Forest Industries Federation - Swedish Wood is supported by the Swedish sawmill sector. It promotes wood and wood products in markets of particular interest to the Swedish sawmill industry. All marketing is based around sustainable forestry.

The goal of its international wood promotion program is to increase the value of the Swedish sawmill industry’s exports and to strengthen the image of the Swedish sawmill industry and Swedish wood products abroad. An international group consisting mainly of marketing directors from a number of member companies governs the international initiatives.

Homag Group The HOMAG Group has repositioned itself in the Middle East region by setting-up a fully operational sales and service facility in the UAE. Based in Dubai, this new organization officially opened in November of 2014. The HOMAG Group is confident that having a service and sales team at site will assure its growing clientele that product support and services will be within easy reach. Operating under the company name HOMAG Equipment Machinery Trading LLC (HOMAG EMT), this team is led by Giovanni Masino, a seasoned sales and management executive with years of experience in woodworking industries in the Middle East market.

Image © HOMAG

As the number one player in the woodworking sector, the group has a global market share of 30 percent on account of its 5,000-strong workforce, 21 of its own sales and service companies, over 100 sales partners on every continent and 15 production locations in Europe, Asia and America. The company offers customers perfectly aligned solutions in the fields of furniture manufacturing, structural elements and timber frame house construction. Offering a standalone machine through to complete production lines, the group also provides an array of supporting services and specially tailored control software, which makes its range unique.

Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) The Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) was established in January 1992 to promote the development and growth of the Malaysian timber industry. MTC was formed on the initiative of the timber industry and governed by a Board of Trustees, whose members are appointed by the Minister of Plantation Industries & Commodities, Malaysia.

MTC’s main objectives are to promote the Malaysian timber trade and develop the market for timber products globally, to promote the development of the industry by upgrading the industry’s manufacturing technology base, to augment the supply of raw materials, to provide information services and to safeguard and promote the Malaysian timber industry’s global image.

Image © MTC

In the Middle East, MTC has continued to maintain a strong market presence in the region through its office in Dubai. The Dubai office covers not only the Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon but also markets in North Africa. As of the beginning of this year, Turkey has also been included under the Dubai office. In addition to the Dubai WoodShow, MTC also plans to participate at Project Qatar (Doha); Iran Confair (Tehran); and Gulfwood (Manama). The range of products that will be promoted at these exhibitions includes sawn timber, panel products, doors and flooring amongst others.

April 2016

www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

62 INDUSTRY FOCUS

Scm Group

At the Dubai WoodShow, the group will showcase its state-of-the-art machinery including the Morbidelli Cyflex hp boring centre, the Stefani Solution MD edge bander, the Scm Sandya 900 sander and the Scm Superset NT moulder. The group, which boasts a clientele including some of the largest contractors such as Sacodeco and Al-Rashed in Saudi Arabia; Chabros International in Qatar; AATI Contracts, a company of the Al Tayer Group in the UAE; and Tamcon and Al Ghanah in Bahrain, has an aim to strengthen its position as a reliable and trustworthy partner for the companies in this rapidly growing area through a targeted investment program.

Image © Scm Group

Scm Group, a world leader in the design, production and distribution of technologically advanced solutions for the woodworking industry, will bring all of its know-how and some of the most advanced technologies in the field of woodworking to the Dubai WoodShow. Testament to the importance of the Middle East, the group opened its Scm Group Middle East branch in Dubai last year with the aim of consolidating its presence in regions, particularly the Gulf, India and Africa, all of which are experiencing rapid growth.

SIMCO Industrial Machinery

FELDER GROUP is not only going to be displaying the new Planer and Thicknesser models with the revolutionary FELDER Silent Power Cutterblock but also the new premium Wide Belt Sanders from the FORMAT-4 range with chevron cross belt as well as a new super finish combination aggregate to fulfill even the highest demands in lacquer and high gloss sanding.

Further, SIMCO will present, for the first time in the UAE, the new H200 CNC machining center as well as the H08 Nesting Center with outstanding features, which are designed to increase productivity, precision and most importantly profitability. Experience for yourself what makes FELDER Group’s FORMAT 4 CNC range so popular worldwide.

Image © Simco Industrial Machinery

At the Dubai WoodShow 2016, SIMCO Industrial Machinery will be showing the full range of FELDER GROUP products from a wide selection of classical machines through to advanced CNC Technology on its stand. Carrying on from the success of the classic woodworking machines range, FELDER GROUP, one of the leading woodworking machine manufacturers worldwide, will be launching a range of industrial machines at the show. FELDER GROUP will have a comprehensive range of high-quality, European manufactured woodworking machines on display.

World Best Trading Founded in Dubai in the year 1990, World Best Trading Co. LLC (WBT) has established itself as one of the largest suppliers of premium teak in the region. The group sources its timbers from the dense forests of Myanmar, Malaysia, Benin, Ivory Coast and other countries.

WBT is essentially a timber trading organization in the Middle East with a presence in Singapore, India and Myanmar to cater to growing economies and rising demand for its products. In the Middle East, its operations have been centered around the UAE where all of its warehouses are located. With its strategic location and an efficient logistics network around the country, WBT has been able to supply products to established markets like Muscat, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and to upcoming markets like Qatar and Iran.

www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

Image © WBT

Over the years, WBT has expanded its portfolio with the supply of other building materials including other hardwoods, commercial and film faced plywood, MDF and teak related products - boards, flitches, veneers etc.

In 2015, WBT further diversified its operations by launching its exclusive range of teak wood furniture. This includes doors, tables, chairs and related products that are skillfully handcrafted using only the finest Burmese teak timbers at the group’s dedicated sawmills in Myanmar.

WoodShow Middle East’s Leading Platform for Wood and Woodworking Machinery

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64 WOOD WORKS

Raw Edges designs ‘Endgrain’ inspired installation at Chatsworth House

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April 2016

Image Š Raw Edges

WOOD WORKS 65

April 2016

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London studio Raw Edges has designed a new floor and seating installation using a grid of dyed timber inside the sculpture gallery at Chatsworth House in England’s Peak District. According to Raw Edges, the installation was inspired by the ‘Endgrain’ technique developed at the studio. The idea behind ‘Endgrain’ is to harness the grain of the wood in order to carry dye right the way through sections of timber.

Blocks dyed in different pigments are then glued together with the grains facing vertically to create three-dimensional patterns, which are then shaped with a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine. ‘Endgrain’ is therefore a process that starts very crafty and ends quite industrial.

The ‘Endgrain’ collection consists

of a bench, an armchair and a console table. Inspired by checked patterns, the grid arrangement of the colored blocks introduces what we usually see in textiles into a three dimensional wooden piece.

When sculpting these 2D patterned blocks into the finish objects, the volumetric shape distorts the graphic patterns in a surprising and unexpected way that feels almost like a three dimensional marquetry. As the pattern relies on the form, all three pieces of furniture differ in shape, cuts and angles so various compositions are revealed.

Furthermore, the console table and its metal legs are reflected in a mirror, creating the illusion of an overall shape.

When English stately home Chatsworth House commissioned

www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016

Image © Raw Edges

Image © Raw Edges

Image © Raw Edges

66 WOOD WORKS

Raw Edges to create a piece inside its 19th century sculpture gallery as part of an exhibition of seat furniture named ‘Make Yourself Comfortable’ at Chatsworth - the first thought was to apply ‘Endgrain’.

As soon as the design duo saw the sculpture gallery, they were fascinated by the idea of introducing color to the space in order to create a dialogue with its monochrome sculptures and interior. The green and red pigments were chosen to relate to the mosaics that can be seen on the plinths in the gallery.

Rather than designing a single piece of furniture, Raw Edges chose to transform the 300 square meter space with an installation that extends across the full room. Given that the house is surrounded by a vast and striking landscape, the

studio liked the idea of bringing the outside inside and turning the gallery into a garden. Using pieces of dye-soaked timber, the studio has created a patterned floor for the 300-square-metre space, with curved wooden benches and stools.

Furniture is usually mobile. As such, Raw Edges played with the notion and thought of pieces that grow from the ground and looks similar to tree trunks. They used pieces of dye-soaked timber to create a patterned floor, with benches and stools emerging from more densely colored areas. Further, a colored pathway winds through the space of the gallery, leading from one bench to another, with each seat being positioned to allow the sitter to view particular sculptures.

Image © Raw Edges

WOOD WORKS 67

Image © Raw Edges

Image © Raw Edges

The idea behind ‘Endgrain’ is to harness the grain of the wood in order to carry dye right the way through sections of timber.

April 2016

www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

68 SHOWTIME

Top Industry Exhibitions Coming Up This Season TECHNOMEBEL and World of Furniture

and other related sectors to establish their business relations, offer professional consultations, evaluate the industry and the recent trends, get acquainted with offers,

The 15th edition of TECHNOMEBEL and the 12th edition of World of Furniture will

choose the cooperation partners and certain products. The fair is held as part of

take place at the Inter Expo Center in Sofia, Bulgaria from April 19 - 23, 2016. The two

Nature Expo 2016, which annually gathers more than 16,000 visitors and about 211

shows have been held together since 2012 and allow industry professionals as well as

participating companies.

consumers the opportunity to view everything for the furniture industry in one place.

The profile of exhibitors includes woodworking machines and tools, materials and accessories for furniture production as well as finished products.

Over the course of five days, companies at the show will be able to engage with a captive audience comprising of industry members and the general public and showcase the latest technical innovations for the wood and woodworking industry whilst also throwing the spotlight on the latest furniture designs. The last edition was held in 12,000 sqm of exhibition space and attracted over 157 international exhibitors and the organizers are confident of exceeding these numbers in 2016.

DREMASILESIA

Forest and Wood 2016 The Exhibition for Woodworking Machines and Tools (DREMASILESIA) has been taking place annually in Katowice since 2007 and offers small and medium-sized companies in the wood and furniture industry an opportunity to view the latest machinery and tools from global woodworking companies. The show is instrumental in helping raise standards and the competitiveness of the industry given that the Polish wood and furniture sector is characterized by high dispersion and variety. Almost 90 percent of the players are small or medium-sized enterprises and micro-scale operations. As such, companies have to resort to innovative methods of optimization of production in order to increase their competitiveness.

The fair takes place in the heart of Upper Silesia, close to Czestochowa, Kępna and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a region that is characterized by a long tradition of furniture production, and hence a large number of companies operating in the industry and related industries. The show this year will be held at the Silesian Chorzów Exhibition Forest and Wood 2016, the 16th International Forest Management and Woodworking

Center and will feature machinery and tools for woodworking and auxiliary processes

Exhibition, is being organized to offer professionals the opportunity to follow the

(internal transport systems, packaging and storage), components for the manufacture of

developments in the forest industry, developments in the technologies, as well as to

furniture, adhesives and chemicals for wood and furniture and woodwork, floors, patios,

acquaint visitors with the practical use of timber and related products and the latest

doors, windows and equipment used in the process of preparing the material and energy

information about what’s new in the sector. Held annually, the exhibition will feature

recovery timber. In addition to the exhibition, an accompanying programme of workshops

leading players involved with wood working machinery, equipment, methods and

and seminars will ensure trade visitors will be able to expand their knowledge and

auxiliary equipment; machinery, equipment, methods and auxiliary equipment for

competence in the knowledge of the material and wood.

primary processing of the timber; drying rooms for timber and equipment; machinery and equipment for chemical treatment of the wood, timber and surfaces; and auxiliary machinery and equipment.

The show will also highlight technologies associated with timber as an energy resource; paper production; mobile equipment for forestry and forest industry; energy saving, environment protection and work safety; and recycling of raw materials and waste materials. As such, the exhibition will allow specialists representing the forestry

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April 2016

Quality and precision from AUSTRIA

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SIMCO Qatar

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70 SHOWTIME

Project Qatar

100,000 sqm of exhibition space and host over 1,100 exhibitors over the course of its five-day run.

Testament to the emergence of Turkey as an important global player within the construction sector, TURKEYBUILD is also held in Ankara and Izmir. In addition to the exhibition, a comprehensive business programme focusing on new opportunities in the Turkish construction sector is organized for the benefit of participating companies, the sector, and the Turkish economy. The organizers also have strategic partnerships with renowned exhibitions such as BAU and MosBuild, which helps to attract international exhibitors and trade professionals to TURKEYBUILD.

2016, the 13th International Construction Technology & Building Materials Exhibition, will take place at the Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre (DECC) from May 9 - 12, 2016.

Firmly established as Qatar’s most important exhibition for highlighting the latest products and services needed for Qatari’s fast growing construction sector, the show has become a destination of choice for regional and international industry professionals. As such, the show attracts key buyers and industry leaders looking for the most up-to-date

Wood Guangzhou

technology and state-of-the art equipment available on Wood Guangzhou, a key exhibition for wood and wood products in China, will take

the market.

place at the Poly World Trade Center Expo from May 13 - 15, 2016. Over 180 industryIn 2015, the show hosted an astounding 1,130 exhibitors and over 32,000 visitors from

related enterprises from USA, Canada, Malaysia, Russia, Germany, Portugal and Serbia

40 countries and the organizers are positive of even bigger numbers this year. The show

participated in Wood Guangzhou 2015, and the organizers are confident of exceeding

provides a unique and dynamic platform for buyers and suppliers to make contacts

those numbers this year. According to the organizers, the reason to host the show

and drive future developments in Qatar’s multi-billion construction sector. In addition,

in Guangzhou is because over 21 percent of China’s wood manufacturers are located in

exhibitors benefit from massive exposure to premier regional agents, dealers, buyers and

South China’s Guangdong Province, which is China’s largest furniture-manufacturing

distributors. As in previous years, IFP Qatar and Advanced Conferences & Meetings will

base. As such, Wood Guangzhou will be an influential platform for the wood and

be hosting the Project Qatar Business Intelligence Series, a series

woodworking industry.

of unique B2B business conferences that give access to expert decision makers and thought leaders alongside the means to network effectively amongst new business

The show is being organized in light of the fact that the consumption of wood in China

prospects.

has increased at rates higher than the GDP growth. This can be attributed to the fact that as one of the world’s largest producing states of wood furniture and wood floor, China has a huge demand for wood. In addition, houses built with wood are increasing in popularity and so the applications for wood not only internally but for structural uses is also increasing. The fair attracts companies involved in the trading of logs, sawn timber and all kinds of added-value wood products. This year, the organizers have announced that they expect over 650 exhibitors over the 12,000 square meters of exhibition space.

According to the organizers, Wood Guangzhou 2016 will be much larger than previous editions. In addition to the exhibition, three key events taking place include the third Guangzhou International Wood & Wood-Based Panel Conference, which is co-organized

TURKEYBUILD Istanbul

by the China National Forest Product Industry Association; the China National WoodWorking Machine Annual meeting and Global Wood-Working Machine Industry Forum, co-organized by Wood-Working Machine Branch of China National Forestry Machinery Association; and the Asia Pacific Interior Design Cultural Festival, co-organized by Asian Construction Technology Alliance and Guangzhou Design Industry Association.

Organized by YEM, the Building Information Center, the 39th edition of TURKEYBUILD

INDEX

Istanbul will take place from May 10 - 14, 2016 at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center.

Held annually, the show is the biggest building material exhibition covering Turkey,

INDEX International Design Exhibition, now in its 26th year, continues to grow and

Balkans, former CIS countries, North Africa and the Middle East. According to organizers,

adapt in line with the demands of the region’s architecture and design industries.

the show attracts over 100,000 trade professionals who come to view the wide range

The show this year presents twelve dedicated product sectors, all of which cover the

of products, new technologies and services on display. In 2016, the show will occupy

entire spectrum of products and services required for the design, fit-out, or upgrade of

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residential, retail, and hospitality spaces. INDEX’s product sectors include: design, eco,

Alongside the exhibition, surface design school seminar and future material experience

elements, technology, furniture & furnishings, artisan, lighting, kitchen & bathroom,

feature also engaged GCC’s most influential contractors, architects, engineers and

textiles, sleep, and objets.

consultants working on the largest and most important projects in the region. Middle East Covering offers the best platform for all international manufactures ready to

Each year, the show also delivers a range of features and events designed to add value

explore and take advantage of the tremendous increase in demand for imported surface

to the overall visitor experience, encourage industry debate, celebrate innovation, and

materials in Middle East and North Africa region.

recognize and reward some of the key players in the industry. Some of the key events this year include INDEX Artists’ Avenue; INDEX Design Talks; MEIDA Awards; Product Design

The show is co-located with three other B2B interior exhibitions - INDEX, Workspace at

Awards; INDEX Style Guides; INDEX Trend Tour; Live Art Installations; Contemporary

INDEX and Middle East Stone. Together the four exhibitions, covering a gross exhibit

Furniture Design Competition; and Scarlet Opus Trend Hub.

space of over 70,000 sqm, will host more than 50 exhibiting countries and attract over 32,000 visitors from around 100 countries. Unique to the region, Middle East Covering will explore the versatile options of surface design solutions, with a big focus on innovation as well as inspirational materials, including sustainable and eco-friendly coverings.

XYLEPO

Middle East Covering

In 2016, XYLEXPO celebrates its 25th edition. Organized by Italy’s National Association of Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMALL), the show will feature semi-finished products, furniture supplies, raw materials, hardware and all other wood based products along with the most innovative array of machinery, tools and equipment available today to operators and buyers. Backed by over 46 years of success, the show is firmly established as the largest biennial exhibition for the woodworking sector. The only Italian exhibition supported by EUMABOIS, the show presents everything in woodworking technology, from forestry machinery to finishing processing.

The organizers expect to host over 450 exhibitors in a net exhibition area just below 30,000 square meters this year. For five days, thousands of skilled professionals from all over the world will come to see the best woodworking technologies first hand, as well as the best materials and components for furniture manufacturing. XYLEXPO puts global manufacturers in direct contact with an audience of international business operators and is therefore the ideal place to catch up with old customers, to meet new ones, to build partnerships and to size up the international competition.

Middle East Covering is the MENA region’s largest and only event for the valuable covering and surface materials industry. The 2015 edition of Middle East Covering saw visitors and exhibitors descend from around the world, with over 250 of world-leading architecture surface interior brands on display from more than 21 country origins. Coming from 101 countries and regions, exceeding all expectations, 12,657 of total visitors from MENA contract business architecture and design community taking part in 4 days of networking, product sourcing and knowledge sharing.

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72 SHOWTIME

Carrefour Du Bois

Woodworking Machinery Supplies and Accessories (WMA 2016) have developed into the largest professional woodworking machinery fair in Asia. With 30 years of extensive experience and accumulated industry resources, the shows have been striving to keep pace with the ever-changing market and technological innovation.

The shows will be held from June 1 - 4, 2016 at the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) in Beijing, China. The last edition successfully concluded in February 2014. The shows gathered a total of 445 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions, featuring 5 pavilions organized by VDMA, Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry and 3 prominent woodworking machinery associations of Qingdao, LunJiao (Guangdong) and Shanghai. The 4-day fair attracted a total of 25,376 visitor attendances from 60 countries and regions, including 29 visiting delegation groups from China and abroad.

With its complete timber concept, the Carrefour International du Bois is the only tradeshow of its kind in Europe. Organized by Atlanbois and The Grand Maritime Port de

AFRIWOOD

Nantes Saint Nazaire, the event attracts great interest both in France and abroad. Firmly established itself as a leading trade event amongst timber professionals, the show hosts over 500 exhibitors and attracts almost 10,000 visitors from 60 countries over the course of three days.

A biennial event, the 2014 edition saw a host of institutional events run alongside the trade show including nearly 30 conferences, general assemblies and internal meetings making this an extremely important event for decision makers and for the entire French and European timber industry. The show provides an ideal setting to keep up with new products and innovations in the construction industry with the Timber Techniques and Solutions area, attracting project managers, architects, quantity surveyors and designers, as well as any professional keen to adopt sustainable timber-based solutions.

The third edition of AFRIWOOD, organized by Expogroup, returns to Nairobi, Kenya with a view towards becoming the platform for creative ideas and new technologies, as the attention of wood manufacturers and traders turns to innovative resources that would initiate business. According to the organizers, Kenya, the hub of the East African Continent, will become the place where the wood industry will meet. As such, the organizers hope to encourage trade visitors, professionals and serious buyers from all over the continent to use AFRIWOOD as an opportunity to strengthen ties with new customers, network and catch up on the latest technologies.

WMF 2016 and WMA 2016

AFRIWOOD aims to be the event for the latest innovations and technologies and will become the platform of progress across the wood and woodworking sector for Africa.

As a highly specialized show, AFRIWOOD provides an excellent opportunity for local and international companies to showcase and learn about wood and to build new strategic relationships with buyers, traders and investors globally. In addition, the show is a meeting ground for manufacturers, importers, traders, distributors, converters and endusers in the wood industry, who converge at the event to attend the launch of the latest products and technologies for the industry. The visitor profile will include manufacturers, importers, traders, distributors, converters and end-users in the wood industry and the organizers expect 12,000 trade visitors over the course of three days.

Inaugurated in 1986, the 16th International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery and Furniture Manufacturing Equipment (WMF 2016) and the International Exhibition on

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April 2016

MIDDLE EAST

COVERING International Interior Surface Show

23 - 26 MAY 2016 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES THE ONLY EXHIBITION IN THE MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA, DEDICATED TO THE FLOORING,WALL-COVERING AND SURFACE DESIGN INDUSTRY

To secure your space, contact: E: info@middleeastcovering.com T: +971 4 445 3739 F: +971 4 438 0356

74 Showtime Calendar

Dubai WoodShow April 4 - 6 Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Center (DIECC) Dubai, UAE www.dubaiwoodshow.com

Wood Guangzhou April 22 - 24 Ķīpsala International Exhibition Center Riga, Latvia

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MEDWOOD April 7 - 10 Metropolitan Expo Athens, Greece www.medwood.gr/index.php?lang_id=1 ....................................................................................................

TECHNOMEBEL and World of Furniture April 19 - 23 Inter Expo Center Sofia, Bulgaria http://technomebel.bg/en http://furnitureexpo.bg/en

INDEX May 23 - 26 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.indexexhibition.com ......................................................... ...........................................

Middle East Covering May 23 - 26 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.middleeastcovering.com

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Forest and Wood 2016 April 22 - 24 Ķīpsala International Exhibition Center Riga, Latvia http://www.bt1.lv/nature/?link=10000000 ....................................................................................................

XYLEXPO May 24 - 28 Fiera Milano Milan, Italy www.xylexpo.com ....................................................................................................

DREMASILESIA April 23 - 25 Silesian Chorzów Exhibition Center Katowice, Poland www.dremasilesia.pl ....................................................................................................

Carrefour Du Bois June 1 - 3 La Beaujoire Exhibition Center Nantes, France www.timbershow.com ....................................................................................................

Project Qatar May 9 - 12 Doha Exhibition & Convention Centre (DECC) Doha, Qatar www.projectqatar.com ....................................................................................................

WMF 2016 and WMA 2016 June 1 - 4 China International Exhibition Center (CIEC) Beijing, China http://woodworkfair.com ....................................................................................................

TURKEYBUILD Istanbul May 10 - 14 Tuyap Fair and Congress Center Istanbul, Turkey www.yapifuari.com.tr/eng

AFRIWOOD

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June 4 - 6 The Dome Nairobi, Kenya www.expogr.com/afriwood

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April 2016

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Swedish wood – a versatile, modern material

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Natural Living

Renewable Stylish

Strong Swedish sawn timber is mainly softwood: spruce and pine. Thanks to its high quality, Swedish wood is used for furniture, floors, wall panels, moldings, windows and doors, as well as construction.

All Swedish timber comes from sustainably managed forests, where every harvested tree is replaced by several planted seedlings. World-wide, Sweden is the third largest exporter of sawn timber.

We look forward to receiving you in our pavilion at the Dubai Wood Show (4-6 April)

info@swedishwood.com • www.swedishwood.com www.timberdesignandtechnology.com

April 2016