The wonders of wood

SATURDAY, 30 APRIL 2011 16:41 RODERICK L. ABAD

Versatile, resilient and beautiful. Put them all together, and you’ve got the best justification for wood as a building material. While these qualities certainly appeal to many, what they probably don’t know is that wood is also considered a “green” alternative for construction.

Given the growing concern over climate change, Matimco Inc.—the largest timber-processing company in the country—showcased this building innovation when it unveiled the Matimco House of Wood.

The centerpiece of the recently concluded 16th World Building and Construction Exposition or Worldbex 2011, the Matimco House of Wood featured the various products of Matimco, which were used for each section of the structure surrounded by fabulous landscape.

“This house is a testament to the ability of the brands that we carry,” Matimco Inc. marketing services manager and channel marketing manager for institutional sales Cesar Erfe told the BusinessMirror in an interview. “Beyond that, it’s also an impressive living proof of the many practical uses of wood as a viable, environmentally sustainable product for construction.”

Completed in only 38 days—from planning to execution—the Matimco House of Wood exemplifies the company’s thrust of finding innovative ways to bring the best out of the material. Finished just two days prior to the exposition’s opening, the model dwelling is grand proof that wood is indeed economical and easy to use.

Built on a land area of 40 sq m—including the bridge—the 80-sq-m, two-story structure is mostly made out of wood—about 97 percent—from its wall panels to floor and roof trusses.

Afar and up close, everyone would agree with Erfe’s description of the Matimco House of Wood as a “tropical and ‘ecoluxe’ [ecological yet luxurious] living-inspired” abode. Its clean and simple style, he said, is designed with the country’s hot climate, elegance and, of course, healthy environment in mind.

From a distance, the house also looks inviting. The landscape of the ungated garden area is unfussy, accentuated with verdant foliage. The imposing wooden bridge serves as an entryway to the house.

Upon entering, one is greeted by vintage yet elegant interior, awash in various brown shades—the same hues evident in the exterior. Going around both the ground floor and upstairs, wood is apparently present in every corner of the home—highlighting its beauty and function.

As a showcase of Matimco products, the house used the brands Matwood, WeatherWood and TrussWood. The warmth and luxurious beauty of real hardwood—using Matwood—were evident in the interior flooring, as well as the frame and the stairs. WeatherWood was used for some of the outside frames, the trellis and outdoor deck, while TrussWood was present in the roofing. WeatherWood’s newest product, the Easy DeckStyle, was the wooden tile used as flooring at the balcony. A polycarbonate roof finish for the trellis at the porch was also installed.

“The imaginative mix of these materials definitely resulted in a wisely designed home that is economical and comfortable that is best suited to our tropical climate,” Erfe said.

‘Green’ and sustainable

GIVEN the pressing global concern on climate change, sustainable construction or “green” building is becoming more popular—and necessarily so. Of all the construction materials readily available at present, wood, by and large, is still the most eco-friendly.

“Wood is actually the only building material that is recyclable, biodegradable, as well as sustainable or renewable,” said Erfe. “So if you were to look at environmental protection and make a necessary investment to protect the future generations, I would say wood is the ideal material to use.”

He cites the pinewood, which grows for about 18 years. Trees help absorb carbon that contributes to the greenhouse gases, while releasing oxygen that helps heal the ozone layer. Plantations grow trees to their half-life, before these are harvested for construction needs.

“That’s the type of forests or the type of plantations where we get our raw materials. So in part, we also protect or heal our environment,” Erfe said, citing that Matimco only uses woods from registered tree farms—which are managed forests that practice sustainable harvesting methods—in Asia, Europe and South America.

Environmentally sound construction, according to Erfe, also has a lot to do with the actual design. He said the design of a certain structure should have the type of natural ventilation and lighting. This was achieved in the Matimco House of Wood given its many openings in the walls, windows, doors and even the roof system—all allowing the easy entry and exit of light and wind.

“So it seems that there is no such thing as a ‘greenhouse’ effect inside the house because the air really circulates around, with the ambiance of natural lighting,” Erfe said.

The materials used also account for sustainable construction, he added. The use of wood panelings to cover the ceilings as well as the walls ensures that less heat enters the house.

“That takes out the energy that you would normally use for cooling. In fact, unlike any average building materials such as steel or concrete, wood has nine times more insulating capability,” Erfe explained. “With that, wood is absolutely the best thermal insulator for any house.”

Priceless benefits

BEING energy-efficient is the main advantage of a wooden dwelling like that of Matimco. With its natural ventilation and lighting, utilization of air-conditioning systems and lights is obviously minimized.

Besides lower power consumption, the house is also easy to build. It saves construction time because the strength-to-weight ratio was such that during construction, the prefabricated roof trusses, wall frames and other wood materials were, more often than not, hand-carried and installed without the use of heavy equipment that require energy to operate and emit carbon in the atmosphere.

“So if you consider using wood for your house like this, you can really save time in construction, use a lot less heavy equipment, and conserve energy sans harming the environment,” Erfe said.

Superior quality should also be considered when building a house of wood. Although premium brands such as Matwood and WeatherWood—the key components of the Matimco House of Wood—are a bit pricey, they are cost-effective in the long run.

In particular, these products are treated with Solignum—a light organic solvent preservative—using the double-vacuum pressure process. This advanced treatment method guarantees the deepest penetration of the preservative, thus protecting the wood from termites, woodborers and fungal decay for a 10-year warranty time.

Erfe pointed out that the most common preservative used in the country is chromated copper arsenate, which is actually restricted overseas for its components that cause cancer. So Matimco sees to it that its products are safe for human contact with no carcinogenic ingredients or heavy metals found on the surface.

As for natural disasters, Erfe is confident that the house is sturdy enough to withstand typhoons which are common in the Philippines, especially with the use of TrussWood technology.

“Actually in studies that we conducted abroad before we actually came up with the TrussWood technology here, it was found that using wood for trusses is more sturdy and structurally sound than conventional steel with frame houses. So I would say this is better,” he explained.

Warm reception

WHILE more and more Western countries realize the design potential of wood, the Philippines is now only rediscovering its centuries-old love affair with it.

In fact, according to Worldbex Services International marketing director Jon Richmond Ang, many of the exposition’s 138,000 attendees during its five-day duration surprisingly flocked to the Matimco House of Wood to witness its design. “It’s really a crowd drawer for us this year,” he said.

Engaged couple Regina Maniquiz and Marco Montero, who came all the way from Batangas, went to the Worldbex 2011 just to see for themselves the House of Wood, which they saw in a newspaper release.

“At first, I was intrigued by how they thought of it and if this is strong enough in times of calamities, such as that of the Japan earthquake and tsunami,” Maniquiz told the BusinessMirror. “From what I saw during my visit there, I was truly impressed that it’s indeed sturdy enough, considering that it was crowded up and downstairs.”

For his part, Montero said: “Now I’m having a second thought of pursuing our plan to build a concrete house that we’re planning to have after we get married next year. We’ll probably have this kind of a house.”

Architecture students like April Basmayor of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila were also in awe upon seeing the Matimco House of Wood. She said that it inspired her “to come up with such a design for her project next school year.”

Businessman Robert Tantay, who is considering a house renovation, said he would likely use more woods and openings for his home as this he believes would help him save more on his electric bill, which currently eats up more of his monthly budget.

Apart from the locals, the Matimco House of Wood also captured the imagination of foreign visitors during the event. Kristina Mendez of Ecuador, who is currently based in the United States, said she liked the bright ideas behind the house. She shared that she would also build a wooden house when she retires back to her native country in the next three years. “I will definitely have this one since like the Philippines we also have a hot weather back home.”

Even those in the construction industry had positive feedback for the house. Clifford Espinosa, designer, builder, sculptor and landscape artist, said this is a good sign for the entire wood industry locally. He pointed out that there are about 8 million hectares of degraded forestlands just waiting to be tapped in the country. This figure, he said, represents the potential of the wood industry that could easily compete with the best in the Asian region.

“With a house made out of wood, you really get unmatched comfort and warmth surrounded by something that is visually more appealing than the standard design. While it’s a bit expensive, ranging from about P600,000 to as much as P2 million, in the long run you could actually save more while the future generation of your family could enjoy it as well. What’s more, you could also help save the environment. So it’s really a good investment now and later you’d reap the benefits,” Erfe stressed
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