The Isle of Mull and Iona Community Trust’s new An Roth Community Enterprise Centre required sustainable and easily maintainable construction materials that could withstand the harsh weather conditions the building will be subjected to.

International Timber, part of Saint-Gobain’s Building Distribution Timber Group and leading supplier of sustainable timber, was chosen to supply the modified timber product Accoya® for exterior cladding to be used on the upper levels of the build.

The project was lead by contractors TSL Contractors Limited and it took just 42 weeks to complete at a cost £800,000. It will be used to provide permanent and temporary office space for island visitors. In addition, it will also be used as a venue for meetings, training days and workshops.

Shauna Cameron - architect, who led the design team on this build, comments: “We chose Accoya cladding due to its hard-wearing properties and the fact that it could be delivered to site with a factory finish.

“The cladding is exposed to harsh winter conditions so International Timber advised us on how to ensure it maintained a long life-span, by recommending two coats of Wood Guard were applied. The good range of colours available allowed us to identify the best shade of blue to complement the white render used on the lower levels perfectly, while providing full protection to the timber.”

Accoya combines a long established proprietary acetylation wood modification technique with cutting edge technology, giving it properties that surpass those of the best tropical hardwoods.  It is manufactured using non-toxic processes and timber from well-managed, certified, sustainable sources.

With a minimum 60 year service life, backed by BRE Accoya is proven to be more resistant to rot, achieving the highest possible British Standard durability rating class 1.  It is also less susceptible to traditional problems associated with timber such as bow, cup and twist and is guaranteed to shrink or swell less than any other joinery timber.

Martin Taylor, construction manager at TSL Contractors Limited, comments: “We have worked with International Timber several times in the past and we keep coming back to them as they offer us expert advice on the best types of timber for specific builds and the best ways to protect the wood in the form of coatings and finishes. Its Accoya wood was ideal for the cladding on this building as we needed a product that would stay looking good and remain low maintenance over a long period of time.”

David Hogg, product manager at International Timber, comments: “Accoya is a popular choice for builds such as this. It offers a practical alternative to tropical hardwoods that is sustainable, durable, stable and maintains a high standard of quality. It also uses fast growing timber from certified sources which provides a more environmental alternative.”

The research centre was designed to be as energy efficient as possible and only the most sustainable and durable materials were chosen for this build. It was also fitted with renewable energy heating technology and has its own water supply ensuring that the building’s running costs remain low.

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