CHARRED Kebony timber cladding has been used on a new luxury development on the outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire.
BoBen Construction’s Bilton Fields project has been described as sustainable in outlook with an appearance that retains its rural farmyard ‘essence’.
Zinc roofing, farmhouse brickwork and expansive glazing were all utilised. Charred Kebony cladding by Shou Sugi Ban was selected to provide a ‘long-lasting and attractive’ finish for the exterior. Using ancient Japanese methods, Shou Sugi Ban timber is burned to create a product with a ‘distressed’ appearance. Developed in Norway, Kebony’s wood-processing technique sees sustainably sourced softwoods heated with furfuryl alcohol, an agricultural by-product, modifying it to maintain the same durable properties of industrial hardwood but without the same carbon footprint.
Bobbie Curley, director at BoBen Construction, said, “From the outset, we envisaged Bilton Fields would comprise a cluster of beautifully designed rural buildings, characteristic of a ‘vernacular farmstead’ with low-key sustainable elements. Kebony wood by Shou Sugi Ban had a large part to play in enabling this, providing a striking exterior to our carefully crafted homes, which are sleek in appearance and sustainable in outlook.”
