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SiOO:X - Protecting the Planet

Grand Designs features carbon neutral SiOO:X treated house in West Sussex

In October 2021,Daniel and Nina Rowland, the Co-Founders of Studio Fuse  were featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs show. It is viewed by many as the best episode in the twenty years history of the show. In this time of loss of biodiversity and concern to protect the planet, this inspirational project is carbon neutral and has increased biodiversity. It is an exemplar, coinciding with the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, of what can be achieved in the built environment. 

The couple purchased a dilapidated 1930’s house which had a 1.5 acre garden with a large and awkwardly placed stagnant pond. Daniel went about designing a new sustainable house that elegantly floated over a newly created natural swimming pond. The house is highly energy efficient; firstly calling on intelligent passive strategies and then renewables, the resulting house is now carbon neutral. Great ecological enhancements were also made by this project to improve the sites biodiversity. This was accomplished by a carefully considered landscaping scheme and the introduction of a natural swimming pond, all designed by Studio Fuse. The husband and wife team can now pull back their kitchen doors and dive straight into their natural swimming pond to swim with the frogs and newts. They can then sit back in their new kitchen that floats over the water, to watch the abundance of nature that the pool attracts. This project is a rare example of a truly beautifully symbiotic relationship between architecture, nature and the environment.

The main home is formed of two parts; a two storey component anchors into the ground with a flint plinth whilst its smaller single storey sister hovers over a newly constructed natural swimming pond. These two parts of the building are connected by a glass link which floats over water, this further detaches the single storey part of the building accentuating its uniquely intimate relationship with the site’s waterscape and nature.

In the middle of the house is a dramatic triple height space over the dining area with floating balconies on the First and Second Floors which take advantage of the views created by the double height glazing. This space also assists with solar gains and passive ventilation.

Other features of this approved application are a Pool Cabin/Sauna, Art Studio, Garage, Tennis Court, Outdoor Dining, Hot Tub and a Wildlife/Sculpture Trail.

One of the key features of this waterside retreat is the nearly 1,000 metres of Siberian larch decking and over 6,400 metres of Siberian larch external cladding all coated with SiOO:X wood protection treatment that gives the timber a long life and natural surface, with even colouration. Interiors of the house such as corridor paneling and kitchen cabinets use the same treated larch. Daniel from Studio Fuse is delighted with the results.

“The timber cladding we used on this project, my family home, was not only a major personal investment but it also sets the aesthetic for both the external architecture and the interiors of the house. By using SiOO:X wood protection treatment it gives the timber a consistency that otherwise you couldn’t have achieved. Even the less exposed/protected areas of the cladding silver in the same way as those bits heavily exposed. This really compliments the contemporary yet natural aesthetic we were looking to achieve. We are delighted with the finish, we have comments on a weekly basis about how nice it looks. Using  SiOO:X wood protection treatment not only gives aesthetic value to the timber but it also protects the timber, prolonging its life. With timber prices increasing and sustainable criteria becoming ever more important, the lifespan of timber is incredibly important. By using SiOO:X it also gives us great reassurance knowing the cladding will last the test of time and will more likely stay stable which was important given some of the very exacting cladding details we have used.”  

 

www.studiofuse.co.uk and Instagram

 

www.studiofuse and Instagram

 

 

The stunning Auckland Project opened on 20th October 2018 uses SiOO:X ⬇︎

The mighty Prince Bishops of Durham resided at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Few places in Britain have been home to men of such immense power and influence. 

The Auckland Project is of national significance and captures the imagination in restoring the 900 year old castle as part of a multi-million pound conservation programme. Centred in and around the castle the project includes a Spanish Gallery and restaurant, Faith Museum, Mining Art Gallery, reimagined Walled Garden and Deer Park.

A stunning, iconic building designed by the award winning architectural practice Niall McLaughlin marks the gateway to the project. Comprising a 30 metre high tower designed to look like a seige engine - a portable tower that in time of war was pushed against the stone walls of a castle by enemies who were wanting to invade - together with a galleried welcome building, the Auckland Tower was opened on the 20th October 2018. It provides spectacular views from a 15 metre high viewing platform.

Auckland Tower was manufactured and built by Inwood Developments. The finely engineered structure was manufactured using European Larch glulam beams erected on site from mid 2017 to mid 2018. Sioo Wood Protection are immensely proud that their SiOO:X Light-Grey Pigmented Wood Protection system was specified and used to provide the timber protection and decorative finish for this challenging inspirational project. 

The external timber doors and windows and shutter screens are also treated with the same SiOO:X Protection system. 

The Auckland Tower and Welcome building is the most complete example of SiOO:X at work on a building composed of a multiplicity of wooden forms - large scale columns and beams, window frames, door structures, cladding and rain screens. The gallery pictures show how the SiOO:X treatment responds to different light, bringing the structure to life in a spectacular manner in sunlight and also how the natural grey colouring compliments the colours of the materials in the townscape. The structure as shown in the gallery pictures had been exposed to harsh winter conditions during the construction period in 2017/2018.

The Tower in construction November 2017

 

Auckland Tower completed October 2018

 

SiOO:X treated Barretstown project in Ireland opened by Taoiseach Enda Kenny

The Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny officially opened a new Dining Hall at the Barretstown recreational camp for seriously ill children in County Kildare on Friday the 9th December 2016. Funding assistance was provided by the golfer, Rory McIlroy.

Called 'Elizabeth's Tree House, the Dining Hall is specifically designed to meet the neededs of campers providing a combination of excitement and tranquility inside its modern tree house design. At the 'heart' of the camp, the Dining Hall is a hugely important space where all of the Barretstown campers, staff and volunteers meet three times a day for meals, dancing, fun and games. The camp had outgrown the old dining hall which was limiting the numbers that could be taken in. The new dining hall is 50% larger and has improved facilities giving far more space to campers.

Speaking at the event, Mr Kenny said: "The service Barretstown offers children with serious illness and their families is really important to help these children on the road to recovery".See Barretstown

Sioo are proud to be associated with the project through the provision of its environmentally friendly SiOO:X Wood Protection system. The project is clad with Siberian Larch supplied and factory finished in SiOO:X by our Irish distributor MTS - The Wood Component Company based in Kilcoole. 

The versatility of SiOO:X is illustrated by the ability to have paint finishes applied shown to dramatic effect in the images of the project below. A case study of this lovely and sensitive development at Barretstown will be produced in the New Year.

 

New product logo 

Our products are being progressively developed and improved as a result of our on-going R&D. For 2016 a new Surface Protector was introduced giving improved performance and we have decided to mark this with a new brand logo and product name.  The new product name is SiOO:X and the logo is:

 

 

Tough Place - Tough Product

SiOO:X has been proven over many years in harsh winters in Sweden. A piece of SiOO:X treated cedar was taken to the North Pole by Ed. Here is the most northerly piece of wood at the Pole:

We are proud to have supported Ed in raising money for Cancer Research UK, Rennie Grove Hospice Care and Earthworks. You can still support Ed's project by donating to http://virginmoneygiving.com/Ed2NorthPole

Ed said of his expedition that for him it "evokes the heroic age and needs some iconic support". We are thrilled to be highlighted on Ed's jacket alongside the Halley Research Station who are doing such valuable environmental work in Antarctica. To have our environmentally friendly product placed in such a pure and pristine environment underpins our message that Sioo is designed by nature and works with nature.

 

Ed Suttie reaches the North Pole - Many congratulations from Sioo.

Ed communicated his success with:

21 April 2016
The frozen Arctic Ocean
Elevation: 1m
Latitude: 90°00’00″N
Longitude: None at the North Pole!
Weather: Sunny and very windy (from the south)
Temperature: -29°C
Distance covered today: 13km
Distance to North Pole: 0km
Ed is feeling: Elated!

WE MADE IT! At about 1730 we arrived at 90°N the North Pole from which
every direction is south and where we could walk around the world in 10
seconds! What an utterly overwhelming feeling of joy and relief at having
reached our goal. You have to be quick though, the ice we are standing on
is drifting at around 100m an hour so we followed the Pole for a while
before camping nearby. We had chocolates and Highland Park whisky to toast
our success, this is a magical day. An utterly brilliant team to have
travelled with under the instinctive guiding of Audun, well done Men in
Mittens!
Thank you to all of you who have supported, donated, volunteered and
encouraged – those words said and deeds done got me to the Pole and I am
eternally grateful.

Sioo are proud to have supported Ed and thank him for taking some SiOO:X treated cedar to one of the toughest environments in the world.

Tough Product - Tough Place 

 

Sioo sponsor fund raising expedition to the North Pole

  

Ed Suttie, Director of Sustainable Materials at BRE set himself the personal challenge of ski trekking to the North Pole to raise  significant money for Cancer Research UK, Rennie Grove Hospice Care, Earthworks and the Arctic Heritage Trust. This involves a trip of over 200km in challenging weather and terrain in a small team of five pulling an arctic sled. The team will be walking and skiing on sea ice and snow tackling pressure ridges, open leads and extreme cold.

For Ed, this challenge evokes the heroic age and he has sought iconic support from a number of sponsors. In Sioo he saw the synergy with the challenge, an environmentally sustainable product and the protected sensitive environment of the North Pole. Ed is carrying a sample of SiOO:X treated cedar - Tough Product Tough Place.

Ed commenced his trek on the 4th April feeling excited, nervous and apprehensive.

You can follow Ed and see where he is - we send our support, good wishes and encouragement for a safe and successful expedition. Looking forward to seeing the victory flag on the North Pole.

Follow Ed directly on Facebook

 

Russwood appointed as a Premier Specification Partner

We are delighted to announce that Russwood Ltd have been appointed as a Premier Specification & Supply Partner for the Sioo products in the United Kingdom.

Russwood, based in Newtonmore in the Highlands of Scotland, are suppliers of high quality, sustainable timber products specialising in specification marketing to architects and building designers. Russwood offer an industry leading level of technical advice and support to assist their customers in achieving their project vision.

The agreement has been made after extensive testing of the Sioo:x products for over a year by Russwood with a commitment to invest in further exposure testing to establish a body of knowledge, especially with the home grown larch species of timber, aimed at underpinning the highest levels of advice and support.

Russwood sustain a programme of weather testing of the SiOO:X products in display areas accessible to specifiers and customers.

They provide a factory coating resource to produce timber pre-treated with Sioo:x products; also containers of the Sioo:x products are supplied.

Visit: http://www.russwood.co.uk 

 

SiOO:X specified to treat Scottish larch cladding on important new RNAS & RAF Centre at Covesea Lighthouse, Lossiemouth

The new interpretive Centre being constructed next to the Covesea Lighthouse and RAF Lossiemouth is clad in Scottish larch and has been treated with Sioo Wood Protection. Read about this exciting project here: http://covesealighthouse.co.uk/centre.php

Sioo are very proud to have been chosen to preserve the cladding on this imaginative building.

Dr Nick Brown, NB Planning and Architecture, Cullen, Moray says:

We were delighted when we came across SiOO:X wood treatment. We had been looking for some time for an environmentally-friendly, quality timber protection product for cladding finishes and SIOO's natural ingredients and properties makes it just ideal. We are now looking forward to monitoring its effects and using it again and again" 

The Centre taking shape and shortly after the SiOO:X treatment