Sunday, August 17, 2008 Wood to the Eyes By Arch’t. Karl A.E.F. Cabilao, UAP
EVER since the time when early humans felt the need for shelter, wood, aside from being a source of fuel, has been an important building material for houses. Okay, concrete and steel may have established their niche in construction today but wood is still very much in use in most buildings.
The variegated applications of wood in architecture are showcased in the newly refurbished Matimco (which stands for the 45-year-old Mandaue Timber Company) Wood Center in Tipolo, Mandaue City.
The humble showroom reveals how wood materials have adapted with the times and have been treated to withstand harsh weather, wear-and-tear and termite attacks.
Wood has been widely used for architectural purposes due to its mystic appeal and its flexibility.
It is especially ubiquitous in homes and gardens, giving forms to trellis works, gazebos, bridges and decks. The class and delicacy of wood is perfectly exhibited in door panels, window frames and decorative mouldings.
Claddings with wood finishes render a beautiful earthly texture into the interiors. A lot of roof, ceiling and wall frames still employ wood.
However, the advent of modern machinery has speeded up the processing of timber, thereby depleting earth’s vast resources.
Modern wood production and use has created waste products. This has created a nasty chip-on-wood as architectural material, and questions have sprouted up about its sustainability and degree of its “green-ness.”
Matimco brand manager Arch’t. Ian Torralba urges everyone to take a second and more in-depth look. Being a material from nature, wood is actually one of the most earth-friendly building materials. Yes, one can say that guiltlessly even with vivid pictures of trees being cut down in one’s mind.
“As long as we replace the trees that we cut down and plant more of it, using wood in our homes is actually a sustainable practice,” says Arch’t. Torralba.
Lessening waste from wood material processing is also an effective way to make most out of this “green” material. Wood unsuitable for construction in its native form may be broken down mechanically into fibers and chips or chemically into cellulose.
These are used to make other building materials such as chipboards and medium density fiberboards, among others. Wood fibers are important components to most paper. Cellulose is used as a component of some synthetic materials. Wood derivatives can also be used for laminate flooring.
The wood center not only puts the spotlight on the natural beauty of wood in buildings and spaces created for man. Moreover, it proves that what is good to the eye is also good to the environment.
