ACCOYA has been used to clad the £3 million life sciences building in Inverness.
The modified wood produced by Accsys Technologies was selected for the building at the new Inverness Campus, thanks in part to its “durability and BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating”.
Architects Threesixty reportedly ruled out the use of traditional timber cladding due to “associated weathering and maintenance issues”.
As the building was designed for the life sciences sector it was vitally important that a “crisp and confident” appearance was achieved.
Distributors Russwood supplied 600m2 of Accoya.
Andrew Lilly, architect at Threesixty Architecture commented, “The stable nature of Accoya meant that mitred edges were possible, allowing for the building to have crisp, clean, and durable edges.
“The horizontal opened board Accoya timber was finished in two different colours, grey and warm wood, to allow for contrast and to define the architectural language while providing the warmth and tactile nature associated with natural timber.
“Accoya was expressed as vertical fins to enclose the escape stair and form the plant and cycle store.
“We were keen to minimise maintenance requirements. Accoya’s unique properties, including excellent dimensional stability, helped achieve this through preventing shrinking and swelling and increasing the life of coatings.
“Two different colours of vacuum coating were specified and it is anticipated that these will last much longer before needing recoating when compared to traditional timber cladding.”
Accoya is described as being able to cope with severe weather conditions and a “sustainable, durable, and stable material, which is guaranteed against rot and decay for 50 years when used above ground and 25 years below ground”.
Laura Ladd, head of marketing for Accsys Technologies explained, “Accoya is consistently specified for the highest-quality construction projects throughout Europe.
“This is partly because Accoya can withstand extreme weather conditions, such as the climate in the Scottish Highlands. As a result, Accoya requires less maintenance and upkeep compared to other products on the market, making it a cost-effective wood product.”
Accoya is created using Accsys Technologies’ propriety acetylation technology.
