whilst also maintaining the wood’s in completing the uniquely shaped ideal material for the office building’s
enhanced strength and durability. rooftop terrace with a contemporary exterior terrace. Although a natural
finish. material, the wood requires no
The installation of the decking was
maintenance beyond normal cleaning
not without challenges, largely due Developed in Norway, Kebony’s to a number of steel planters located revolutionary technology is an in the middle of the terrace around environmentally friendly process which The Outdoor Deck Company which modifies sustainably sourced Mike Wilderink, Managing Director
were tasked with carefully installing softwoods by heating the wood with at The Outdoor Deck Company
the deck. furfuryl alcohol - an agricultural by- commented: “We are incredibly proud
product. By polymerising the wood’s of the rooftop terrace at the Cannon
cell wall, the softwoods permanently Street office building. The use of
take on the attributes of tropical innovative technology and materials
hardwood including high durability, such as the GRAD decking system
hardness and dimensional stability. and Kebony wood were essential to
Kebony is highly resistant to wear the success of this beautiful terrace.
and weathering, which made it the We have always enjoyed working with
This required precision, meticulous
planning and the use of a material
which was both strong and easy to
work with in tight and curved areas.
For this reason, Kebony was selected
by landscape architect Tom Stuart-
Smith, and proved instrumental
and can stand up to testing conditions
far better than untreated softwood.
Issue 34 2018 Landscape & Urban Design
43