“Deforestation is real, and when you’re looking at the wood on a building, that wood came from somewhere.”
-Scott Walter, Architect at Office Untitled
Scott Walter of Office Untitled weighed all his options when looking for a sustainable cladding for The Harland West Hollywood. The luxury condominium building is under a green building requirement, so working with environmentally-responsible building materials was a necessity.
As the design for the building unfolded, the team had included louvers, cladding, and decking, and had planned for these elements to be constructed using composite wood. Ultimately, they began searching for a different product because the constructibility of the composite wood material did not meet the level of versatility they were looking for. It was at this point in the design process that the team selected Kebony modified wood to accent the exterior of The Harland.
“Everyone was super happy when building and working with [Kebony].”
Kebony was suggested by the contractor on the project for its durability, versatility, and the fact that it is real wood that has been sustainably harvested. In addition, Walter articulated that the straightness of the boards and clean lines provided by the Kebony slats on the building were remarkable. The installation process was much simpler with Kebony than it would have been with a composite wood, and was a more sustainable option than selecting a Brazilian hardwood.
Watch the video to hear more from Scott Walter, and stay tuned for more features documenting what architects and builders say about working with Kebony wood!