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.

It’s a fact: wood is ever more present in our buildings and infrastructure. In reality, it has always been there, as its role as a building material began alongside architecture itself. Nevertheless, today it is experiencing a fascinating rebirth, fostered by an ever more sustainable concept of life and the increase in its structural possibilities thanks to technology.

To bring you up to date we have drawn up this selection of books on architecture and construction using wood, where you will find research, ideas and designs made reality. We have combined recent publications, which tell us about innovative ways to get closer to design and construction using wood, with a good handful of classic books that cannot be left off the bookshelves of architects, engineers and builders who exercise their profession with a commitment to respecting the environment.

1. 100 Contemporary Wood Buildings

Exquisite Taschen edition in which the author Philip Jodidio sets out a good number of construction works built with wood at centre stage. These spectacular images are complemented with the profiles of classic architects who have already used wood in large projects, such as Renzo Piano, as well as some young professionals who choose wood for their projects.

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2. Manual of Multi Storey Timber Construction

An update of one of the great publications that the journal Detail brings us from time to time. In this work, the authors Hermann Kaufmann, Stefan Krötsch and Stefan Winter focus on the possibilities of wood in the construction of buildings with several floors in an urban setting.

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3. Timber Buildings S, M, L

It shares 30 construction works built with different types and uses of wood: mountain refuges, schools, public works, etc. One interesting aspect is that the author, Sandra Hofmeister, provides construction designs and drawings. Also edited by Detail.

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4. The Art of Hybrid Timber Framing

Bert Sarkkinen, the author of this book, is a master of hybrid structures with wood. Nevertheless he states that this work is not a technical manual. He aims to help prevent aesthetic errors by considering the real possibilities of projects, showing us the various existing styles and advising us to stress the investment necessary depending on the objectives. Practical and interesting.

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5. Building with Hardwood

In this publication by Detail, the authors Konrad Merz, Anne Niemann and Stefan Torno share technical knowledge for the safe handling of hardwood in building construction. They combine their teaching with images of successful cases of this type of architecture.

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6. Tall Wood Buildings

It seems that the studies, theses and publications related to tall wooden buildings aim to demonstrate that there nothing is impossible for wood… if you know how to do it, of course. In this book, Michael Green and Jim Taggart share the different construction types of tall buildings with wood and illustrate them with 13 real cases.

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7. Out of the Woods

With the subtitle of Architecture and Interiors Built from Wood, Rosie Flanagan and Steph Wade extol wood as the smart, sustainable alternative to concrete. The authors show the versatility of this material including an illustrated glossary of new uses and structures, and share creative constructions of all types made of wood.

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8. Timber Structures in Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg, a province in Austria, is a world leader in the quality of architectural design and construction in wood. It is no surprise that the journal of architecture Detail has decided to launch a publication compiling all the buildings found there. A truly stimulating book for architects wishing to get the most out of their use of wood. The authors are Florian Aicher and Renate Breuss.

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9. Wood

After his previous Concrete (2012) and Brick (2015), William Hall brings his trilogy of key construction materials in modern architecture to a close with Wood. This book covers a thousand years of architecture and construction with wood, compiling designs that go from treehouses or Tudor-style mansions to today’s emblematic projects, such as the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre by Renzo Piano.

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10. Advancing Wood Architecture: A Computational Approach

An interesting vision by Achim Menges, Tobias Schwinn and Oliver David Krieg. Written in 2016, the authors cover the new architectural possibilities of wood thanks to technological progress in design, simulation, digital manufacture and construction. It includes projects by leading design research groups in Europe.

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11. Architecture in Wood

Will Pryce, one of the most highly regarded architecture photographers in Great Britain, goes all around the world using his camera to capture not only the shape and design, but also the emotion within in a good number of different wooden structures. A wonder to see.

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12. Learn to Timber Frame

In this self-styled “first guide to wooden structures for beginners”, Will Beemer explains, step by step, how to build yourself a wood cabin. The process starts with the supply of wood and ends by showing how to add modules to the cabin… so that in the end you can build a whole house yourself. For those who love a challenge and practical teaching.

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13. Solid Wood

In this work Joseph Mayo shares practical cases of architecture, technology and design with solid wood. The author places this material as a direct rival to concrete and makes his argument with international projects in United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Italy, Canada, United States, New Zealand and Australia.

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14. Detail in Contemporary Timber Architecture

The secret is in the details. That is the thesis that Virginia McLeod develops through 50 projects designed in wood. Each one of the examples is illustrated with complete specifications including colour images, drawings, names of clients, subcontractors, etc. Ideal for architecture student who want know all the details —and never better said— of the gestation of a project, in this case wood.

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15. Wood: Architecture & Design

A review of contemporary architecture in wood where Michelle Galindo highlights the innovations in building techniques that, according to the author, are the true key to the development of wood-based architecture and construction.

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16. A Timber Framer’s Workshop

This classic manual by Steve Chappell was first edited in 1983. Since then, the joinery, design and construction of wooden structures, including the material itself, have taken a giant leap thanks to technology. Therefore this revised edition updates all the information, so that beginners, students, architects, engineers and contractors can gain in-depth insights into the secrets of the construction of wooden structures.

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17. The New Timber-Frame Home

Like the previous book, this guide by Tedd Benson provides practical advice on the construction of wooden homes. An interesting point is that the author also focusses on advising owners on how to interact with designers, subcontractors, etc. during the project.

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18. Timber Frame Construction

Another “do-it-yourself”. This book by Jack Sobon and Roger Schroeder has the charm of having been written a thousand years ago. Or almost. It was first edited in 1984, so reading it can help architecture and construction professionals to know where wood-based construction was four decades ago and where it is now. It is always enriching to know how the sector and our profession have evolved.

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19. Facade Construction Manual

We conclude this selection with another manual from Detail that, although it does not centre on a single material, it does dedicate space to façades constructed with wood. It couldn’t be any other way, as the authors Thomas Herzog, Roland Krippner and Werner Lang highlight the façade as a vital milestone of architectural design, as it is the structure that lays the foundations for a good part of a building’s sustainability and efficiency targets. Similarly, the façade is the “face” and outer personality of a building, what links it to its environment.

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To fulfil these sustainability, efficiency and aesthetic goals, wood has in recent times become an unbeatable material thanks to innovation. For example, technology has helped glulam wood achieve structural properties that were unthinkable a few years ago.

For example, it is already possible to manufacture structural beams of any size, even curved beams. The latest innovation in this regard is oak glulam, an exquisite, elegant wood that is starting to conquer façades, interiors and ceilings throughout Europe.

This structural advantage facilitates the construction of lightweight façades made with wooden curtain walling, a solution that gives buildings and cities warmth and sustainability. In this article you can see examples of real projects of oak curtain walling.

La entrada The 19 best books on construction and architecture in wood se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

The digital transformation has changed our understanding of life, relationships and work. In this regard, in the industrial sphere a true revolution is taking place. The roof tile factories that sprang up alongside our rivers are disappearing, giving way to the new forms of management and production of the so-called Industry 4.0 or Digital Industry.

Within the framework of this new reality, the AEGIS project arises within the Hazitek innovation programme backed by the Basque Government and the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund).

Enovos, Luxemburgo | arch: Jim Clemes | Project: VIGAM: oak glulam

Integration of state-of-the-art technology and market leaders

The IoT, or “internet of things”, refers to the connection of everyday objects with the internet, a link with the purpose of making our daily life more practical, convenient, safe and efficient. In short, this interconnection provides comprehensive knowledge about the objects themselves, their use and their context, to optimise the use we make of them.

In the case of AEGIS, the objective of people’s well-being stems from innovation in the manufacture of the various elements needed in construction and furniture, two areas in which wood, in particular quality certified, sustainable wood, plays a fundamental role.

The AEGIS project centres its efforts on integrating different technologies that make it possible to create healthy buildings and spaces by generating smart infrastructure, advanced solutions for purification and disinfection and developing hygienic surfaces.

To do this, an innovation alliance has been set up comprising leading companies in their respective areas, such as Grupo Gámiz, Orona, Irurena, Airlan, Goizper, Erreka, Ingetek and Dinycon.

Kaiserhof offices, Cologne | arch: msm Meyer Schmitz-Morkramer Rhein GmbH. | Product: VIGAM: oak glulam

The digital transformation is better if it is sustainable

Today, to achieve these safe spaces and buildings, plastic or metal elements have to be included. The day-to-day effort of Grupo Gámiz’s innovation department in the search for sustainability means that our role in this project is primarily focused on providing solutions for integrating electronics into wood so it can be reused once these electronics have reached the end of their useful life.

As the project advances, new digital transformation challenges will arise that will have to be approached from a similarly sustainable perspective. At Grupo Gámiz we are accustomed to seeing the world from this viewpoint since 1942.

La entrada Wood is the perfect solution to bring sustainability to the IoT se publicó primero en Grupo Gámiz.

It is a sensation that people have been experiencing for centuries. Wood is really good for us. Its natural beauty, aroma, feel, the notion of life that a forest or just a tree transmits are evocations that are inherited by the elements built with it, whether furniture, doors, windows, toys, beams or buildings in general.

This collective intuition about the positive properties of wood, that fortunately is taking shape little by little in all areas, including sustainable architecture, is endorsed by a very interesting report brought to us by Stora Enso, manufacturer of renewable solutions in wood and paper for construction and packaging: 10 reasons why wooden constructions are good for you.

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

Research carried out in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich

This study was undertaken by a team of the Chair for Timber Structures and Building Construction of the Technical University of Munich, and consisted of a bibliographic compilation of a large number of scientific publications on the subject.

In total more than 116 papers published in important media have been reviewed, and their conclusions can be summarised as three significant advantages of timber in our lives: wood protects our health, improves our mood and stimulates us intellectually.

1. Wood is healthy

Wood as the safest raw material against Covid-19 is a conclusion that stands out in these pandemic times, but it is not the only one. While it is true that coronavirus will remain on wooden surfaces for only 12 hours, in comparison with the 96 hours that it can last on plastic, stainless steel or masonry, it is a good idea not to let our guard down with habits such as hand hygiene and risk prevention in general.

Furthermore, the report by Stora Enso and the University of Munich compiles cases that prove that living, working and even studying in wooden buildings helps reduce people’s blood pressure and heart rate.

Agricultural centre, Salez | Arch: Andy Senn Architektur GmbH. | Product: VIGAM

At the same time, people exposed to timber environments see increased activity of the NK cells, immune system cells that destroy infected cells in the body.

Finally, this investigation also concludes that wood improves air quality wherever it is, and that helps preserve the healthiest humidity range (between 40% and 70%).

Agricultural centre, Salez | Arch: Andy Senn Architektur GmbH. | Product: VIGAM

2. Wood improves our moods

The beneficial power of wood also affects our emotions, in other words, our mental health. Aside from the positive responses to wood that most of us experience consciously (aroma, warmth, natural beauty), the study compiles conclusions such as exposure to timber environments improves our mood.

It also cites evidence obtained in domestic environments, schools and hospitals that shows that wood reduces stress and contributes to our well-being. In particular, the investigation alludes to an experiment at an oncological centre in Bratislava. After subjecting people to examinations in different rooms in the hospital, it was concluded that the level of cortisol (the hormone responsible for stress) decreases by 7.5% when the participants were in the waiting room, recently refurbished with wood.

3. Wood helps us to be more creative

Finally, this interesting compilation of scientific studies on how wood is so good for life includes experiments related to creativity, concentration and productivity. In all of them wood acts as a powerful natural stimulant of ingenuity, that perfects intellectual aptitudes and the ability to make creative decisions.

In this regard, the positive aspects of wood are specifically mentioned, demonstrated through experiments and comparisons, on the performance of students in schools where this material predominant.  

Eichendorff School, Stuttgart | Arch: Hausmann Architekten GmbH. | Product: VIGAM

Being aware helps improve habits

In general, being aware of a problem helps us to improve, and eliminating a bad habit usually facilitates the acquisition of a better one. For example, incorporating sports into our life is much easier if we stop smoking, and vice versa.

Once we are aware of the danger for our world of continuing with our current model of consumption, the new good habit in architecture, construction and interior design is to opt for wood. It may seem ironic, as it is the natural material that has been part of human constructions since Prehistory, but it is a fact that sustainable architecture needs sustainable solutions, and with that ambition wood is recovering its primordial role.

Some countries and some cultures have already interiorised wood products as faithful accomplices to design, function and creativity. Others are still working on it, but thanks to certifications, timber roofs and pillars can be seen more and more, and we are finding more elegant, warm and beautiful façades made with wooden curtain walling.

At the same time, the formula of innovation, ecology and wood generates incredible resources such as ACCOYA® acetylated wood, a material with magnificent performance in exteriors, with a 50-year written guarantee.

In short, we are celebrating this interesting study that highlights what many wood-lovers have known for a long time: life with wood is much better.

If you would like to find out more about the complete study by Stora Enso, you can download it here.

La entrada Surrounding yourself with wood is good for your health, your emotions and your creativity 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.