Tree huggers: CWP

Sustainability is at the heart of Scandinavian design. With minimalist spirit, each material is chosen carefully, used to its full potential, and celebrated for its raw, natural qualities. More often than not, that design will last a lifetime and beyond. After all, if we are using up precious resources of the earth, they must be used with the utmost care – and then of course be replenished.

This summarises the approach of CWP, Finnish manufacturer of wood surfaces. Their sustainable process starts with the sourcing of FSC-certified birch veneers. Then, the steps of laminating and ecological through-dying ensure the wood is strengthened and equipped with a durable finish ready for modern life.

Choosing wood is an ecologically-sound act in itself. As wood grows, it binds with carbon dioxide from the air and safely stores carbon for its lifetime. Instead of opting for an endangered species from diminishing rainforests, CWP’s sustainable sourcing of readily accessible birch from regional forests bolsters that choice even further. Plus, their through-dyed veneer process then makes the wood last much longer, therefore avoiding future environmental stress.

While sustainability is an increasingly important reason to choose materials to design our world, one of the main draws of wood is its natural raw character. Its tactility and warmth, the intrigue of its meandering patterns and knots, and its inviting colour that connects us directly with nature itself. Each innovative process that a CWP product undergoes seeks to celebrate these qualities. The reconstituted birch is made from 1.5mm thick peeled birch – which helps the product to maintain all of the naturally pleasing characteristics of wood.

As well as celebrating wood in its raw state, designers have long been combining technology and nature to enhance it too. At CWP, once the birch veneer has undergone the production process it can be used in a more versatile way with enhanced durability. Designers use the products for everything from furniture and fittings, to walls, doors and acoustic panels.

Wood is often used for the interiors of Scandinavian architecture. It connects inhabitants to nature, and surrounds them with a warm atmosphere defined by the rich, deep colouring of wood. With its ecological through-dying technique, CWP combines the raw colouring of wood, with ten tints inspired by nature itself – a warm silvery grey or a deep moss green for example – and the option for custom-mixed colour.

The technique is sensitive and eco-conscious. The wood is never bleached, allowing the raw colour to blend with the water-based dye. The dye penetrates the full thickness of the material, so the surface can be sanded without any loss of colour. While allowing designers to further shape an interior atmosphere, the colour also celebrates the patterns and uniqueness of each piece of veneer.

Combining colour with the uplifting reflective surface of the veneer, CWP gives wood a fresh new look. This can be seen at the Helsinki Airport expansion designed by PES Architects, who used the reconstituted birch in natural and black tones. It was selected as an ideal material to bring local context to the airport, providing a warm, and uniquely Finnish welcome to passengers – designers even carved native animals into the material, and projected images of Nordic seasons onto its surface.

While it was an aesthetic and conceptual choice, the material was also able to meet the high technical requirements for an airport building designed to receive hundreds of non-Schengen passengers a day. The natural birch looks clean and smart – spanning the walls of long corridors for example, yet also softens the glass and steel architecture prevalent in airports.

Local materials, comfort and sustainability aren’t qualities you might expect from an airport. Yet CWP products help to build an atmosphere that feels human, and connected to nature – and they’re hoping that with their products, their values grounded in local Finnish materials and ecological thinking will also travel.

© Architonic