Forestry Innovation Consulting India (FII) Pvt. Ltd. has been actively engaged in promoting Canadian Wood species in India over the past 5 years. Canadian Wood offers the architect/designers and contractor/manufacturers in India a wide choice of legally harvested wood species for a large variety of applications. The Canadian Wood lumber is sourced from certified and sustainably managed forests in B.C. Canada and is available duly sized, graded and seasoned, almost ready to use.
Over the years Canadian Wood has worked with a cross section of reputed architects, interior designers, builders & developers across India by assisting them on their projects both in re- man and structural applications by handholding and arranging technical support.
The recent ‘Architecture in India and Canadian Wood’ was 9th in a series of Canadian Wood webinars that further endorsed the numerous applications possible with its species. First-hand experiences of renowned architects on working with Canadian Wood and showcasing their works with Canadian wood species was the major highlight of the event.
The webinar presented in association with FOAID (Festival of Architecture and Interior Design), featured engaging presentations and panel discussion by leading lights of architecture - Ar. Sönke Hoof from Vastū Shilpā Consultants, Ar. Sidharth Talwar from Studio Lotus and Ar. Ketan Jawdekar from Studio K-7. The event commenced with an introduction of FII and welcome address by Nirmala Thomas – FII Director Market Development and was moderated by Peter Bradfield – FII Technical advisor.
A born artist and an architect by profession, Ar. Ketan Jawdekar is the winner of at least 45 international awards. The initial slides of his presentation captured his tangential thinking and abstract approach through snapshots. One main example of this - ‘Pallet – Brewery and Kitchen’ a premium pub in Bengaluru formed the core of his session. Bengaluru being the manufacturing hub of pallets inspired the design thinking of the space. The search for high-quality wood and design flexibility lead to Canadian wood species SPF (Spruce-pine-fir). SPF is known for its high dimensional stability globally and highly recommended for making wooden houses, structural framing and interior fit outs. False ceilings room, dividers, backdrops, bottle racks, mouldings and finishings in the project were made with SPF along with plank walls and end cut wall of a private tasting room. The project won multiple accolades like the International A’Design Award & Competition and the International Design Awards in the sustainable/ green interiors category.
Ar. Ketan Jawdekar’s presentation was followed by a demonstration by Ar. Sidhartha Talwar - a believer of conscious design which means an inclusive approach that celebrates local resources, cultural influences and attention to details.
His presentation on explorations in wood included several premium residential and hospitality projects entailing multiple applications of Canadian wood species. The main focus of his presentation was an on-going project labelled ‘Villa in the woods’ located at Kumaon in Uttarakhand.
The 88-acre residential project spread includes a flexible nature of construction that allows for the structure to be bent towards the contours of the hills. The villa is one part of the project incorporating the use of Canadian Western red cedar for exterior cladding, shingles and Douglas-fir for doors, door frames, panelling and ceiling work. Western red cedar’s exceptional working properties and natural resistance to termite, rot and decay make it ideal for outdoor applications. Douglas-fir on the other is highly valued for its strength-to-weight ratio making it the ultimate choice for doors, door frames, windows and even heavy structural purposes like post-and-beam constructions, glue-laminated beams (glulam) etc.
In addition to this, he also briefly introduced the audiences to his other wood-based projects like Taj Theo (Simla) RaasChhatrasagar (Nimaj), Hyde Park residence (Delhi) etc. highlighting the use of Canadian wood species in some and local ‘nakashi’ (carving) work/ craftsmanship in others.
The last session was presented by well-known Ar. Sonke Hoof whose impressive work finds special mentions in several prestigious books and magazines. His presentation included a residential project in Ahmedabad. As a challenge to extend the living space restricted on sides a box like a perch was placed on the rooftop of the bungalow with louvres surrounding the space.
Canadian Yellow cedar was chosen over many other types of wood species and charred for shining charcoal like finish. Highly durable and naturally resistant to decay, Yellow cedar in current times is increasingly being chosen for making doors, door frames, windows and outdoor applications (furniture, pergola and more). The adjustable louvres enhanced aesthetics and lent the functional advantage of maneuvering harsh sunlight entering the space.
The three presentations were followed by a very engaging panel discussion, well moderated by Peter Bradfield. The event finally concluded with an insightful Q&A session of the panellists with the audience.
Commenting on the success of the webinar Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director at FII said,
“It was an honour for us to have our ninth webinar as the common ground for such outstanding professionals to share some of their best work. We feel privileged that they have considered us worthy of associating with their projects and sharing their experience of working with Canadian Wood species. We thank these eminent architects and their clients for choosing Canadian Wood over many options available to them. Not to mention that we are ever keen to support their projects by helping arrange the required species and grade of Canadian Wood lumber or just handholding and providing technical support to their contractors whenever and where required”.
To watch the webinar, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xajKyaa29x8&t=1076s
About FII India
FII is a crown agency of the government of British Columbia (B.C.), the westernmost province of Canada. Its mandate is to promote wood products from B.C. Canada in the offshore markets and to position it as a global supplier of quality, environmentally responsible wood products from sustainably managed forests. FII does this by creating awareness, spreading education through information on the wide variety of timber products available from B.C. Canada and by offering technical support. Its brand/logo Canadian Wood was established in 2013 to reach out to and facilitate the understanding of its activities to its target audience.