Oxford’s college buildings are an important part of Great Britain’s architectural heritage. Its style is marked by a mixture of architectural influence (Romance, Gothic and Renaissance), and as a whole transmits a shared image of history, beauty and practical function.

It is an image so deeply rooted that anyone who reads a novel set in the university city will quickly imagine the limestone of the buildings, the steeply sloping roofs, the towers and the stained glass windows.

Hence the challenge in tackling an extension project like this one for St. Edward’s School, in which the Oxford studio TSH Architects has extended the school with two buildings, a learning centre and an assembly hall.

The first stands out for its spectacular gabled roof made of VIGAM, the only glulam in the world with the CE marking for structural use.

The ideal roof for a beautiful reading room

The top floor of the learning centre houses a study space and reading room from which to enjoy a view of the school playground, the gardens and the older buildings.

The roof of this room is a magnificent gabled design made of oak glulam wood. Its beams are arranged in an elegantly creative way, and let the light into some areas to facilitate reading with natural light.

Of course, the very nature of oak is warm and welcoming for the site’s users.

Wooden glulams with the CE marking for structural use: there’s no better option

The choice of VIGAM in this project is a safe bet from an aesthetic point of view, as it is on a par with the expectations of Oxford design thanks to the sensations that this highly appreciated wood evokes.

At the same time, the structural capabilities of oak and VIGAM are perfect for building a roof in a place like Oxford, a site exposed to adverse weather (rains, wind and snow).

Let’s not forget, of course, the advantages of choosing wood as our building material. The creative and sustainable possibilities of this natural material are a fact that is more and more present in the minds of architects and construction companies, as you can see in these 8 examples of wooden curtain walling in façades.

“Simeon’s dream” has been accomplished

This extension is the finishing touch for the school that has a curious legend.

Founded in 1863 by Reverend Edward Stevens, it seems that the idea for its creation originated in a dream that appeared to Simeon the Righteous, a biblical character, who asked that a school be built in his honour.

Next to the new learning centre, the Olivier assembly hall has been built, a magnificent auditorium able to host more than a thousand people.

The photographs here are the work of the photographer Chris Heaney. You can see all the images of this project by clicking on the link.

La entrada How to be on a par with Oxford tradition se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

Sustainable architecture is a magical cocktail. The first of its ingredients is the architects’ desire to build a better world. Then comes the hard part: finding the materials, the certifications, the working methods… The guarantee that each step is as efficient as possible: achieving goals with the lowest possible carbon footprint.

The Passivhaus certification began in Germany in 1988. This construction model can be summarised in five key points, with the aim of achieving practical and comfortable buildings and reducing energy consumption in their construction by at least 70%, compared to conventional building standards.

This ambitious aspiration consumed the creators of the project, Fernando Ortea and A54 Architects. After a time, the Kora Green City complex of studios and apartments appeared in Vitoria-Gasteiz: the largest Passivhaus accommodation in Europe.

A forest of 13,500 trees at the heart of the Basque capital

Thanks to the Passivhaus standard, Kora Green City has saved the atmosphere 98% in CO2 emissions. This is equivalent to the purification produced by 13,500 trees in one year.

At the same time, Kora Green City obtains the majority of its energy from nature: photovoltaic panels, air source heat pumps, geothermal energy, etc. The goals for lighting and heating the rooms using natural sunlight are achieved through a kind of teamwork to which the wooden curtain wall of the façade contributes in good measure.

¿Fachadas sostenibles? Con madera certificada, por supuesto

Thanks to technology, laminated wood has been revolutionising sustainable architecture for several years. Custom structural beams, curved beams, creative designs with beams with lengths and widths that were unthinkable some time ago are now possible.

Thanks to technology… and certifications. Lightweight sustainable façades with wood are only possible thanks to certifications such as the CE marking for structural use, the seal awarded to VIGAM, the glulam beam by Grupo Gámiz, available in oak (in this case it is the only oak glulam in the world with CE marking for structural use), ash, iroko and radiata pine. The latter is the material chosen for the wooden curtain walling of the Kora Green City façade.

To see all the images from this project, consult the technical data.

Wooden curtain wall: beauty, elegance, warmth and a more protected planet

Certified laminated wood has achieved just that: that sustainability takes creativity by the hand. Today architects are not forced to forego designing what they see in their minds due to materials that are unsuitable for their sustainability goals.

As an example, a button: here are eight real examples of oak curtain wall on façades. You can see how leaders in the profession such as Renzo Piano and Herzog & de Meuron create their sustainable façades.

La entrada This is the largest Passivhaus accommodation in Europe se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

Sustainable architecture is developed based on different prerequisites related to respect for the environment. Of course, the use of natural materials, such as wood, that promote a lower carbon footprint in the gestation stage of projects, is a major factor. But it can be said that sustainability begins with the gaze, in the attitude to commissions.

In the end, sustainability is just that: the ability to progress without endangering the well-being of the generations to come. In the case of Le Dôme, a winery in Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux region, designed by Foster + Partners, the desire to preserve the landscape and the sensations generated by the environment where it lies became the axis of the project.

Like just another vine

The owner of Le Dôme was sure: the vineyard in which the new winery was to be built was so beautiful that nobody would be able to compete with it in capturing the emotions of the visitor, and nor should they. Consequently, Foster’s team designed a modestly sized building with the idea that it would go unnoticed, blending into landscape.

Actually, one of the decisions that achieved this objective, so as not to diminish the quality of the installations necessary for the services inherent in a winery, was to set the building a few metres below ground. The idea of blending into the environment was achieved quite literally: Le Dôme is rooted in the vineyard, like just another vine.

A beautiful oak roof that protects the horizon

UNESCO was also clear on this: the area is Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Nothing, nor any person, may modify the landscape or its effect. Not even the balance of the horizon can be broken, marked by the small gently rolling Bordeaux hills, home to one of the most celebrated wines in the world.

With this in mind, the studio considered a 40 m roof , subtly tilted to imitate the incline of the surrounding hills. This roof is made with oak timber, specifically VIGAM, the only oak glulam in the world with the CE marking for structural use.

The elegance of the roof seen from inside, with the oak glulams drawing a beautiful circular trail, adds to the accomplishment of comfort and freedom of movement for staff and visitors, connected in an open space, with no columns in the hall. This technical challenge was overcome thanks to the structural building advantages of VIGAM.

Norman Foster, the utopian pencil

It was the Foster + Partners architecture studio, the studio created by Norman Foster in 1967, that was responsible for the design of Le Dôme. For a long time, one of the hallmarks of the British architect, a Pritzker prize-winner, has been a sustainable understanding of architecture.

Foster, now in his eighties, one of the most well-known and influential architects in the world, is still teaching new generations to design with the conviction that anything is possible. Whole 100% sustainable cities have sprung up from the utopian spirit of his architect’s pencil, such as Masdar in the United Arab Emirates, and Amaravati in India, projects yet to be made reality.

By definition, utopias are practically impossible to make reality. But if it weren’t for those who strive for them, like Norman Foster (or other contemporary architects such as Renzo Piano), what we might not have would be progress. Nor wineries with such beautiful roofs as Le Dôme.

La entrada Here’s to views of the Bordeaux hills se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

The staircase, that constructive component that facilitates a vertical route, usually both up and down, may be a wallflower guest or the absolute three-dimensional life and soul of the party, almost a sculpture even. In this latter case, and depending on everyone’s conscious perception, each section can represent a change of perspective, the sensation of inhabiting a different space.  

Whatever the architect or interior designer’s choice, opting for wood as the building material for a staircase consolidates the promise of a pleasant experience. Because, as everybody knows, wood really is good for us.

Below we will go through some examples of the creative and structural possibilities of glulam wood in the design and construction of staircases.

Santa María Cathedral: from oak to heaven

This beautiful staircase was recovered in the restoration projects of the Santa María Cathedral in Vitoria-Gasteiz. To restore its structure, faithful to its original design but with today’s technological advantages (perfect curves and lightness), VIGAM: the only oak glulam beam in the world with the CE marking for structural use was used.

This staircase enables us to climb the cathedral’s tower, where the bell is located. An ascent that has been erected in its own right as one of the milestones of the guided visits of the program “Open for maintenance”, that gives us the chance to learn about the cathedral and its history as well as the restoration work that is taking place.

In addition to the staircase, the cylindrical pillars of the cathedral have also been constructed with VIGAM, the perfect material for architectural restorations that aspire to maximum quality.

Heinzelmann: an example of love for all things well-made

This staircase in the central offices of Heinzelmann is a magnificent business card for this German company devoted to processing, joinery, construction and restoration in wood.

A full declaration of principles where quality, simplicity and craftsmanship speak for themselves.

VolkerWessels: heart of wood

The oak glulam beam is by your side for five floors as you go up and down between the different rooms of the headquarters of VolkerWessels, one of the largest construction companies in the Netherlands.

Function is exquisitely combined with elegance, naturalness and sustainability thanks to the structural glulam wood, a material that facilitates the creation of wooden construction elements through technology and certifications.

Buesa House: the pleasure of going up and down

This beautiful house in Vitoria-Gasteiz unites various staircase designs. Each one has different needs, but they all transmit the pleasure of the vertical journey thanks to the use of ALIGAM edge-glued panels. The possibilities of this product are infinite thanks to its many variations: Finger, whole stave, three-layer or multi-layer, etc.

The interior of this house is part of a global restoration project alongside our product PERFIGAM, laminated profiles with quality certificates from the technological centre FCBA.

Extra: much more than a staircase

Although these stairs are not made of wood, the setting that surrounds them, an open wall constructed with oak glulam beams, is an aesthetic decision that brings a positive experience to the space and vertical journey itself. Light becomes yet another design component, as it provides natural luminosity to the staircase and different sets of shadows depending on the time of day.

It is the Makarenko school in Dresden, one of the multiple examples of wooden architecture for schools that for years has been standard in countries such as Germany.

In short, wood is the answer to a lot of important questions posed by sustainable architecture. Its natural origin and its versatility feed creativity and protect the environment, making it possible to propose solutions such as ACCOYA® acetylated wood a product that is almost unbeatable in exteriors, with a 50-year guarantee, or wooden curtain walling, the latest technology in sustainable façades (for more information, you can download a free ebook on the subject by clicking on this link.)

La entrada Wooden stairways: a vertical journey full of natural elegance se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

It is very likely that if you invite us to think about beams, we think of straight lines. Nevertheless, the current possibilities of glued laminated timber or glulam, allow architects let their imagination loose, beyond the limits set by traditional manufacture methods.

It is currently possible to commission and create custom curved or cylindrical beams. An increase in the creative and functional possibilities of oak glulam beams that, in addition, provides the added value of supporting sustainable architecture projects more than ever.

Curved oak beams

Two Germans, Michael Thonet and Otto Hetzer, were the pioneers of curved wood. The former, famous for his Thonet chairs, was the first, in 1841, to patent a method for curving wood using heat. Hetzer, in turn, may be considered the creator of glulam wood. In 1906 he patented the first curved beams in glulam wood.

The production technique for glulam timber has evolved to date, where the commitment to innovation by manufacturers such as Grupo Gámiz is still providing creators with solutions, especially in the area of design and sustainability.

Newsstand in Plaza Mayor in Ampuero (Cantabria). Roof constructed with curved oak glulams

Cylindrical oak beams

The curve of oak glulam beams may be longitudinal or total. The creation of cylindrical pillars or columns of glulam wood ad hoc is a resource used more and more frequently by architects seeking resistance, beauty and versatility in their restoration or new-build projects.

Refurbishment of the Santa María cathedral in Vitoria-Gasteiz | Arch: Leandro Cámara | Product: curved oak glulams

Stairways, façades, wooden curtain walling, large curved beams or curved beams for interior design or decoration are some of the proposals that are possible using oak glulam beams.

At Grupo Gámiz it is possible to order custom curved and cylindrical beams that, although they do not have the CE marking for structural use (something that their straight counterparts VIGAM do have) they are able to provide function and decoration to a multitude of timber projects that seek original and sustainable design alternatives.

La entrada The curves of innovation se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

Any enthusiast knows that wine is usually aged in barrels made of oak (French or American). Nevertheless, this essential part of the art of producing wine arose by chance. The Romans, who stored wine in clay amphorae, upon arriving in Gaul, discover that the contemporaries of Asterix and Obelix preferred to do so in oak barrels. The Romans, kings of the world at the time, converted this Gaulish speciality (based on their mastery in curving wood) into standard practice, as this storage method contributed to speed and savings: the barrels could be transported by rolling and did not break.

One day, after some years, someone realised that wine that had spent time in these oak barrels tasted better. And so began oenology. This shows that the two most important things that foster progress may well be creativity and luck. There is a third thing that makes the other two more productive: everyday hard work, dedication, passion. Only then is it possible to innovate and encourage concepts such as sustainable architecture. Designing and building with respect for the environment.

VIGAM: the scent of oak covers it all

Oak has a special class. The resistance and beauty of this unique wood is the hallmark of architecture projects that aspire to permanence and elegance. Wine culture is no exception. The most highly regarded architects are consolidating the image of exquisiteness and a taste for work well done, love for detail, transmitted by the wine industry.

The legendary wineries of Vega Sicilia, for example, with the designation of origin Ribera del Duero, cover their production plants with beautiful oak roofs made with VIGAM, the only oak glulam beam in the world with the CE marking for structural use. Beauty, resistance and stability are assured. And the pleasant scent of oak is all around, in every corner.

Vega Sicilia wineries production plants | Executed with VIGAM by TRC Estructuras de madera | Product: Oak glulam

Sustainable architecture is also innovative

Many other winery projects all over the world are examples of innovation in architecture. Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, and Renzo Piano great architects who have let themselves be conquered by the possibilities of design and creativity of a culture that, like architecture, always looks to the future with creativity and sustainability.

As shown by the roofs of this winery, projects using VIGAM achieve spectacular aesthetic results thanks to the capacity for innovation in architecture and construction. In this regard, VIGAM beams are ideal for creating ecological wooden curtain walling, in other words, building lightweight façade in one hundred percent sustainable wood.

La entrada Wine and oak: inseparable se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

Fortunately for everyone, sustainable architecture is no longer an ideal vision, but the everyday commitment of many people. There are more and more architects, construction companies and designers that create their projects with respect for the environment. Mere intention, however, is not enough. For example, there is no point in talking about sustainable materials, like that, generically, if it is not possible to trace their manufacture route.

Let’s use the case of wood products. Wood is, by definition, a natural material. But wood products are only sustainable and ecological if their manufacture process prioritises sustainability goals and guarantees the protection and continuity of the forests from which this raw material is extracted.

This guarantee only comes from certifications. Hallmarks of quality and sustainability granted for levels approved and known all over the world. These are the most significant sustainability certifications.

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council)

The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation, that issues one of the most significant certifications to ensure that the forestry product acquired (wood or paper) comes from a sustainably managed forest.

It originated in California in 1990, and was the first step in establishing a worldwide sustainable certification for these types of products, that was finally consolidated with the creation of the Founding Assembly in Toronto in 1993.

The FSC certificate is a complete guarantee of sustainability, supported by ONGs such as the WWF.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certificate

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is the most widespread forestry certification system in the world. This organisation, also not-for-profit, originated in the forestry sector itself.

The objectives of the PEFC are to protect forestry resources, the ecosystem and biological diversity, and contribute to the socioeconomic development of the communities where these forest masses are located.

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certificate

EPD (Environmental Product Declaration)

An EPD or Environmental Product Declaration is a certified document that provides information on the environmental impact of a product, material or service. This certification is a standard in construction, a sector where laws and new regulations on improvements in energy efficiency and sustainability come up practically every minute.

The EPD is drawn up by the manufacturer, where the potential of the building material to reduce the impact on the environment is argued. This declaration must then be verified by approved independent organisations, called Programme Administrators.

EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) certificate

Certified wood products for a better and more beautiful world

In short, sustainable certification of products helps guarantee that the processes are becoming safer for the environment. The commitment of GRUPO GÁMIZ to nature and sustainable architecture is strong, as you can see in our certifications: FSC, PEFC and EPD.

Residence in Rosario Manzaneque |Arch: By More Arquitectos | Product: Cladding of the exterior façade – Accoya® horizontal scantlings

Its sustainability is complemented by the most significant product quality certifications, such as the CTB and the CE, awarded to VIGAM, our oak glulam beam, the only one in the world with the CE marking for structural use. Similarly, we are distributors of ACCOYA®, the sustainable wood of the future.

Every day we work so that the certified quality wood products that we design and manufacture can help architects and construction companies that want to create a better world without renouncing the creativity, function, resistance and beauty of wood.

La entrada True sustainable architecture is certified se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

The Italian Renzo Piano (Pritzker prize 1998) is one of the most well-known architects in the world. He is also one of the most tireless voices on the need to engage in design and construction with respect for the environment. His defence of sustainable architecture can be read in numerous interviews and statements and, of course, it can be seen in his work.

Renzo Piano’s close relationship with Paris began in the 1970s, when he created the Pompidou Centre alongside Richard Rogers. The French capital is home to one of the branches of his RPBW studio, which was responsible for creating the new Palace of Justice, located in district 17 of the city.

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats: façade with wooden curtain walling

One of the main buildings in this complex is MOdA, the headquarters of the Paris bar association, where wooden curtain walling can be seen. This sustainable solution for lightweight façades is an option that is used ever more frequently by architects thanks to the beauty of the wood and its structural abilities.

The wooden curtain walling at MOdA was built with VIGAM, the only oak glulam beam in the world with the CE marking for structural use, designed, manufactured and distributed by GRUPO GÁMIZ.

The Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arq: Estudio de Renzo Piano | Producto Grupo Gámiz: Viga laminada de roble – Muro Cortina | Foto vía ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

Transparency, exchange and functionality

Curtain walling is this ideal choice to transmit one of the symbolic ideas that sustain this project by Renzo Piano: the transparency of the institutions responsible for upholding justice. From the outside, everyone can see the comings and goings of the people who work there.

Maison de l’Ordre des Avocats | Arch: Renzo Piano studio | Grupo Gámiz Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall | Photo courtesy of ©L.Zylberman/Graphix-Images

In addition, the building and its adjacent squares have been designed to serve the other activities typical of the Court of Justice and, likewise, form part of the public life of the neighbourhood.

La entrada A symbol of transparency manufactured in wood se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

The circular economy is a concept of consumption based on zero waste. The aim is to put into practice the opposite of “disposable”. The idea is that everything that is used (is consumed), can be reused, recycled or reconverted at the end of its useful life. Exiting the circle means failure: converting that particular product into waste.

There are more and more companies and sectors that understand that the current model of consumption is not viable for a healthy planet and, consequently, to guarantee our survival and that of other living beings. Sustainable architecture aims to seek new roads in design and construction that help to protect the environment and, at the same time, improve people’s lifestyle habits.

Image of the circular economy

How can we get into the circle of sustainability?

The big question that arises in the profession is whether in practice it is possible to develop a circular economy in architecture. To respond to this, many architects are starting to focus a large part of their attention on the essential element of any project that they want to make reality: the construction materials.

We might not yet be ready to design buildings with absolutely all components able to be reused. In fact, today 54% of demolition materials are not reused, and go directly to landfill. But all indicators point to a very different way of building in the future. The route is starting to be set out clearly by society’s ecological awareness, world legislation and the scarcity of some materials.

Oak House School | Arch: Trasbordo arquitectura y gerencia de construcción S.L. | Product: Ventilated façade – Accoya® tongue and groove units

Let’s start, as always, with wood

Wood has been helping architecture to evolve practically since its origins. Today it has become, again, an essential building material, in sustainable innovation that drives this art towards its ecological targets.

Wood is, in itself, a natural resource. Its intrinsic qualities as organic matter present it as the sustainable material par excellence: recyclable, reusable, reconvertible. Using wooden components in construction is a big first step in integrating architecture into the circular economy.

The good news is that the advantages of wood increase with its structural properties, which make it possible for many traditional products considered decorative to earn greater importance as construction components.

VIGAM: the only oak glulam beam in the world with the CE marking for structural use

Certified wood for structural use is a solution sustainable for architects who are creative and respectful of the environment. With VIGAM, the only oak glulam beam in the world with the CE marking for structural use, manufactured and distributed exclusively by GRUPO GÁMIZ, it is possible to design, for example, wooden curtain walling without the need for steel or aluminium.

European Southern Observatory (ESO) offices | Arch: Auer & Weber – Munich | Product: Oak glulam – curtain wall

With this option, professionals can achieve a lightweight façade with warmer and more attractive interiors, with the natural personality and elegance that only wood can provide.

What is most important is to have the vision that it is possible to change the world and to act on it. Many architects already do so every day, trusting wood as the most reliable building material for projects that aspire to quality, as architecture has been doing for 12,000 years.

La entrada Architecture is key in the circular economy se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

Sustainable architecture is converting wood, an ancient material, into the innovative building material of the future. Its known virtues of warmth, beauty and elegance are complemented with the growing values of ecology and sustainability.

In the matter that concerns us today, there are many studies that demonstrate how well wood responds against fire. And despite the fact that wood is fuel (and the poor reputation this has given it in the popular imagination), it is true that no material can resist fire.

What we do know, first of all, is that fires occur for external reasons, not because of the characteristics of the material used. Secondly, the statistics are clear that the real hazard is inside the building, which is what burns first (furniture, decoration, clothing, etc.).

The effects on the structure come later. And yes, that is where, under the spotlight, the excellent role of timber components used in construction in contact with fire can be seen.

Wooden house

The only building material that protects itself against fire

The fire resistance of a construction component is calculated by measuring the time during it is able to continue fulfilling its function in a fire. The three main values are resistance, seal and insulation.

In this regard it can be stated that wood, thanks to its natural properties, is the only building material that protects itself against fire. 

As it is a natural thermal insulator, wood has a low thermal conductivity, which means its temperature decreases gradually toward the centre. At the same time, it is able to slow combustion because the carbonisation of its surface impedes both the penetration of heat and the release of gases.

Finally, as wood is very unlikely to dilate with heat, in a fire the timber components do not subject structures or walls to great pressures

Oak House School | Arch: Trasbordo arquitectura y gerencia de construcción S.L. | Product: Ventilated façade – Accoya® tongue and groove units

Technology to further improve this resistance

If there are no flames, wood needs a surface temperature of more than 400ºC to start to burn in the short or medium term. With fire, the surface would still need to reach almost 300ºC for a time before it starts to combust.

In support of these natural conditions, technology in the manufacture of wood products is always progressing in matters such as sustainability and efficiency, so there are currently a number of manufacture techniques that improve wood’s resistance against fire (sacrificial sections, retardant products, etc.).

New safe and sustainable architecture solutions in wood

Every day, architects are seeking new design and construction inspiration that will enrich their projects from a creative, functional and sustainable point of view. The possibilities of quality certified wood and, in this specific case, the virtues of wood products with regard to fire, enable this natural, ecological material to be an exceptional protagonist once more in significant architecture projects all over the world.

Proposals such as wooden curtain walling, the ideal solution for embellishing and bringing sustainability to the interior of lightweight façades, are possible thanks to products such as VIGAM, the only oak glulam beam in the world with the CE marking for structural use, manufactured and distributed exclusively by GRUPO GÁMIZ.

Another way to add style, efficiency and safety in exterior cladding is to opt for ACCOYA® acetylated wood, providing beauty, elegance and, above all, durability. This all-terrain material for exteriors is sustainable and natural, and comes with a written 50-year guarantee.

Residence in Rosario Manzaneque | Arch: By More Arquitectos | Product: Cladding of the exterior façade – Accoya® horizontal scantlings

Wood is making headway in the XXI century and restoring its place in the world

That place is the architect’s drawing board and, consequently, constructions of all types. There, thanks to its quality, wood shines once more as a decorative or structural component. A prestige it lost for some time due to unwarranted myths regarding fire.

San Francisco Fires, 1906 | Photo courtesy of Defensacentral

Because in fact the famous fire that destroyed San Francisco in 1906 was not caused by the flammability of the wooden buildings. In reality it was not just one single fire, it was hundreds, which were triggered by various gas explosions caused by the earthquake. The fire passed between the buildings (wooden or not) that burned without remission.

And as if this was not enough, many other fires were caused by the owners, who had insured their buildings against fire, but not against earthquake

La entrada Did you know that the great fire that destroyed San Francisco did not have anything to do with wood? se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.