COVER STORY
The University of Pretoria ’ s Future Africa Institute campus marries green design and alternative thinking through timber .
strength and dimensional properties . It ’ s commonly made from birch , spruce , poplar and pine veneers or in various combinations of these four .
ENDLESS PRODUCTS , ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
Universal Plywoods thrives on providing the best possible products in the niche sector of engineered wood . Their range is extensive for various industries including construction , transport , furniture and have other uses in special industries such as parquet , die-cutting , packaging , shelving , racking and mezzanine flooring .
“ We don ’ t expect every architect to move away from the traditional brick and mortar , however , there is a great shift towards an amazing timber product called cross-laminated timber ( CLT ), which is produced from gluing layers of solidsawn lumber together . It ’ s regarded as one of the world ’ s most advanced building materials ,” highlights Anderson .
CLT has numerous benefits – it creates an ambient and balanced room temperature , whether it ’ s hot or cold , so energy consumption is minimal . Another plus for this product is the speed in which you can build with it is incredibly quick , and it also lends itself to creating jobs . On the topic of job creation , Universal Plywoods is big on skills development throughout its operational chain .
“ We also import Ultralam Laminated Veneer Lumber ( LVL ), a highly specialised product with numerous applications . The mills that produce these products are of a high calibre and are among some of the most sophisticated timber engineering facilities available in the world , which South Africa would not ( likely ) invest in as they are quite costly – to develop one of these LVL plants locally , we are looking at an average spend of about R1.5-billion .”
In terms of venturing into this type of investment on South African soil , Anderson believes it ’ s a bold move to make , not only financially but also due to a lack of demand for LVL products in the country . He adds that LVL is used extensively in America , Europe and Australia and garners great potential for the African timber sector .
WOOD FOR OUR AFRICAN FUTURE
Anderson highlights that Universal Plywoods is passionate about importing and introducing very high end engineered wood products to the South African market and beyond . What ’ s more intriguing about Universal Plywoods ’ niche products is that they are eco-friendly and give back to the environment . Anderson notes that all the company ’ s products are sustainable and Forest Stewardship Council ( FSC ) certified .
“ These products are quite refreshing because they possess an immense green footprint as this type of timber stores carbon and releases carbon back into the environment . Even once a building is complete , carbon is still stored and released – from start to finish , it ’ s all green ,” he says .
“ Another one of our top European imported products , birch plywood – the ‘ Rolls-Royce ’ of plywood – is mainly used in concrete forming of high rise buildings . With birch plywood , which is incredibly strong , we make furniture and structural beams , which is practically and aesthetically utilised for the University of Pretoria ’ s new Future Africa campus ,” explains Anderson .
Nestled in the heart of South Africa ’ s capital city , the University of Pretoria ’ s fresh and naturally appealing Future Africa Institute campus has a strong focus on alternative thinking , green design and collaborative work . Designed by esteemed multi-award winning architect André Eksteen , co-director of Pretoria-based Earthworld Architects , the campus is a new hub of scientific discovery and innovation for the African continent .
Developed with the use of timber and other materials , the institute brings together leading international scholars and scientists from various disciplines to address the continent ’ s challenges . Located on the university ’ s experimental farm , Proefplaas , the campus is designed around a lifestyle of research excellence and collaboration . It features a dining hall , conference centre , research commons and 300 living units ranging from single bedrooms to family units .
TIMBER INTEGRITY
With more than 100 years of combined professional experience in the wood industry , Universal Plywoods has highly specialised staff and firmly believes in the mantra of ´ good business is our business ´. Anderson states that the company regards itself as a go-to timber industry leader that ’ s sustainable – in every sense of the word .
As niche personalised timber pioneers in their own right , Universal Plywoods is here to provide all encompassing value adding services , backed by research , professionalism and guarantee . “ We are here to build a sustainable business and we will continue to draw expertise and inspiration from our global suppliers . Going forward , we want to pursue skills development and our training programmes which stem from our international professional staff members – driven by data , we are hellbent on being well run and well stocked .”
He adds , “ We will continue to add value to the market and the environment . We will keep up the specialised wood work – we are not going anywhere .”
Engineered Wood Products .
14 JUNE / JULY 2018 //