.: JOHN HOPE GATEWAY

JOHN HOPE GATEWAY

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, UK, 2007-09

Address: Arboretum Place, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, Scotland, +44 13 12 48 29 09, www.rbge.org.uk

Area: 2762m². Client: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Cost: €14 milion

For this space , the architects decided to " frame a view of the garden , which appears between slate walls , crowned by the outstanding wooden deck ." On the ground floor there are exhibition areas and a shop , while on the top floor we find an educational classroom , a restaurant and offices. Given the local weather , the facility also was designed as a " climate refuge." Some walls are opened in the warmer months , although the use of glass encourages contact with the outside even during winter .

A curved window 60m in length opens to the new biodiversity garden designed by Gross Max, which can be seen from the inside, from the above outside terraces or from the outside , going over a path created for this purpose. One of the principal aims of the design was to achieve low power consumption and minimal waste . Passive strategies were adopted , as well as a biomass furnace , solar collectors for hot water and photovoltaic panels .

Concerning timber , architects explain this way their project: " The sturdy wooden structure was developed in collaboration with Buro Happold engineers . The coffered ceilings give a unique identity to the space, both in the restaurant and in the rest of the project ".

The site plan shows the location of the structure in the Royal Botanic Garden. The building, in harmony with its environment, alternates wooden covered facades with large glazings.

The great ceiling height, a considerable amount of natural light and the presence of vegetation make it even more obvious connection to nature.

The glazed area on three of its sides, transmits users the feeling that they can be connected with nature. The sections show the slope of the land and the interior spaces of the building.

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CLT and Fire Protection

The combustion speed of CLT panels is about 0,7 to 0,8 mm/min, cause of faster combustion at seems and joints.

Outer layers with t > 31 mm have a fire resistance of 30 min in almost every case.

If one layer is completely burnt, the statically effective board height is reduced to the next layer that can transmit the load in the direction of force.

If only the outer layer burns away, the joints only play a small role thanks to the statically effective height/thickness.

In such a case the combustion speed of solid wood (0,65 mm/min) can be assumed.

In case of a 5–layer panel with the same thickness, a fire resistance of 60 min can be achieved (depending on load).

In case of walls REI 60 fire resistance could be achieved by 5-layer boards even with combustion from both sides, when the outer layer is directed in the longitudinal direction of the wall.

For multistory houses often further linings (plasterboard, OSB..) will give additional fire protection for the construction.

Historical Introduction

Wood, as a structural material , presents a radical difference from other materials such as concrete or steel, consequence of its organic character. It constitutes the supporting structure of trees and therefore, its design is perfectly defined in order to fulfill its resistant function. The predominant action in the life of the tree is the wind which causes its flexion, generating parallel normal stresses in the direction of the fiber.

The wood extracted from the tree can be considered as a structural product from the beginning , this point is the main difference compared with steel or reinforced concrete, which require a much higher costs of energy transformation process.

It is apparent that the degree of transformation that wood suffers in order to get used as a structural element has grown from its origins until today. However, currently sophisticated solutions can be contrasted with simpler ones , which have hardly changed since their origin.

The most immediate form of employment was the use of the shaft of the tree or log. It could be used as beams, pillars and also as stack up walls. These were the first applications of wood in construction.

The next step was the squaring of the section, which allowed more accuracy and modulation. Normally , each piece came from a different tree, containing the heart in the central part of the section ( one-pieces). Square timbers were large and there was a limitation in the length of the pieces depending on the height of the tree.

To increase the span, lattice girders were used as trusses; but this was only necessary or usual in roofs.

The history throughout the period corresponding to this wood technique is the history of bonding systems . The most significant problem they faced was the solution to connections between pieces in order to build trusses .

SPANISH REGULATIONS

The incursion of wood for structural use in equal conditions as the other materials is due to the adoption of the Spanish Technical Building Code ( CTE, 2006 ) which includes a basic document related to Structural Safety-Wood (SE- M ) , based on the Eurocode 5 ( EC5 ) .

Previously, LOE law ( Law 38 /1999) hindered the use of wood from the structural point of view , with the reservations made by the Quality Assurance Agencies (OCT ) and the Insurance Companies .

In addition, the publication in 2010 of the Directive 2010/31/EC of the European Parliament and Council , 19 May 2010, aims to promote energy efficiency in buildings .

From December 31, 2020 , all new buildings must have nearly a zero energy consumption. New public buildings must meet the same criteria after December 31, 2018 .

WOOD IN SPAIN

Wood has been with human being since the beginning of the history of construction.

The structural use of wood was limited to structural solutions as wooden studs and beams with a superior decking which supported the pavement and made up the floor.

This traditional solution was no longer used in Spain in the twentieth century, leading to the use of metallic structures and thereafter to a massive use of concrete structures. This fact contributed to the appearance of a specific normative which regulated their use as well as the criteria used in calculating such solutions, forgetting the use and normative of wood structures.

In recent times the use of wood has been very limited, resulting in the appearance of wood structural systems corresponding mainly to roof solutions, being this a light and economical alternative.

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Have a Wood Day