Forestry News

Timber buildings enhance wellbeing

19 March 2013

No hospital in New Zealand has been built out of timber, and the Christchurch rebuild was a "game-changer" according to a leading architect.

Information from the Overseas Investment Office (OIO), shows it was given consent in January.
The price was confidential.
OIO documents showed SCFNZ Ltd, planned to harvest and replant the land to ensure a steady supply of timber.
"The overseas investment will allow Sunchang Corporation to secure a portion of the logs it requires from its own forests which will enable it to control the quality of those logs."
The Benhopai sale was the company's second Marlborough land purchase within six months. In August it bought 2900ha of forestry land on Northbank.
Sunchang manufactures plywood, fibrewood and lumber and is one of many overseas wood product manufacturers eager to secure their sources of supply.
Story by Kat Pickford, Marlborough Express. To read the full story, click here.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/8429030/S-Koreans-buy-land-in-Waihopai-Valley

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NATURAL FEEL: Canadian Architect Tye Farrow is pleased with the new timber-rich College of Creative Arts Building at Massey University’s Wellington campus.

Canterbury's new health facilities should have more timber to enhance health and wellbeing, according to Tye Farrow, who has been given the First World Architect Award for Advancing Health and Humanity using the medium of health and architecture by Stockholm-based World Congress on Design and Health.

In a Christchurch lecture, he spoke of the importance of thinking about how architecture can enhance the health of people in hospitals.

His architectural firm has worked on many projects around the world, including a timber hospital in Canada.

"Wood has never been used extensively in a hospital environment. The perception was that it was going to be difficult and more expensive, but we found that to be the opposite. It really seemed to resonate with people, because they saw something that was familiar and comfortable and natural. We found materials such as [timber] seemed to resonate deeply within us," he said.

He encouraged city planners to think about the legacy of the building.

"If you're building a new office building, think about if you want office space that makes you work at 120 per cent, and will attract young people, or if you just want . . . to work at 70 per cent."

Francesca Lee - stuff.co.nz