Wooden cladding around the world

Over the past few years, sustainability has become an extremely important aspect of life, not only in construction but in the wider world too. Increasingly, as consumers, we are looking for ways of living and building that are sympathetic to the environment around us.

Of course, this drive towards sustainable living is fantastic, and has inspired the architectural minds among us to challenge the traditional perceptions of materials such as timber, creating complex, clever structures that have not previously been achieved.

To its core, timber is a truly remarkable natural material, providing both warmth and comfort, as well as a flourish of unique style and texture to exteriors, thoroughly encouraging innovation in design. Moreover, its outstanding thermal and sound insulation properties make timber ideal for both new build and renovation projects – it is no surprise, then, that exterior wooden cladding has become increasingly prevalent in architectural design.

Herein you will find 14 of our favourite examples of how stunning wooden exterior cladding has been used to create beautiful, sustainable projects all over the world.

Milan-based studio Small Architecture Workshop avoided any damage to the shoreline of this Swedish lake, building this floating sauna completely on the water and really connecting the charred-timber build to its landscape. Searching for this element of connection, the architects used the traditional Japanese technique of Yakisuki, whereby the larch cladding was burnt to oxidate it making it resistant to weather and parasites. The sauna exists to increase the range of services provided for tourists who visit the bed & breakfast located just three hours from Stockholm.

Floating Sauna, Sweden

When AR Design Studio were approached to extend a client’s cliff top holiday home, they couldn’t have imagined how complex the build would be. Half way through the planning process, the existing house broke in half during a landslip. After a full redesign, this complex idea of movement and fracturing remains integral to the concept, with engineering failsafes preventing future landslip-inflicted damage. Large windows flood the property with natural light all round, whilst the weathered, exterior timber cladding gives a natural feel.

The Crow’s Nest, Devon Image © Martin Gardner

The Venlo City Hall demonstrates one of the most paramount example of Cradle to Cradle design principles in this list, boasting the highest possible application level of C2C Accoya materials within the fixed budget. Applications included the external wood cladding, timber decking and Accoya wood windows. It will generate a staggering return investment of over €17million within the next 40 years.

Accoya Project – Venlo City Hall, The Netherlands

The Eneco Boiler House stands to prove that functionality can also be impressive. The entire construction, which serves more than 1,800 private and 20 business customers, is covered with uncoated Accoya timber cladding. Awarded 3^rd prize in the Non-Residential Building Category at the Amstelveen 2017 Architectural Prize, the judging panel commented that it is “a building with an intriguing shape, in which a ‘wooden skin’ has been drawn over a pragmatic technical interior”.

Accoya Project – Eneco Boiler House, Netherlands Image © Ronald Schouten

Looking as though it grows out of the earth at an angle, the concept for this unique Danish residence arose from the restrictions placed by very strict planning authorities. When Architects MLRP were told that only one and a half floors and a gabled roof would be permitted, they had to be very creative and turned to Accoya® wood cladding. The resulting property interprets the Danish building tradition in a radical new way and ensures a visual contact between land and sea.

Accoya Project – Exterior Wood Cladding Villa Bie, Denmark

This design was completed by the team at Julie Firkin Architects and is clad entirely by Silvertop Ash Timber, to provide great emphasis on natural textures and supreme versatility of the material. The light tones help to bounce and reflect light throughout the build, providing an extremely capacious and connected home.

Home in Fenwick, Australia. Image © Christine Francis

Peruvian architecture firm Llama Urban Design have truly connected this building with nature, even connecting nature itself. The wooden home connects two sides of a tree-covered valley in Ontario, forming a bridge over the valley below and providing incredible views out over the forest. Inside, a minimalist design puts the focus on the breath-taking environment that surrounds it.

Wooden Bridge House, Canada Image ©Ben Rahn, A-Frame Studio