360° beech - a material for (almost) all applications

As a construction material, wood is currently enjoying a real revival in architecture. There are many reasons for this: greater environmental awareness increases the demand for renewable and environmentally friendly building materials. High-quality timber products facilitate innovative designs in new dimensions; new production and planning methods enable a high degree of prefabrication and short construction times. Using digital planning tools and modern processing technologies such as CNC-controlled joinery machines, wood-based materials can be handled more efficiently and with greater precision. And, last but not least, the properties of wood also play a decisive role: an attractive appearance combined with a pleasant feel give rise to natural living comfort. .
In the past, it was common in the construction industry for different wood species to be used: spruce for the roof truss, oak for flooring or maple for furniture. Now, with BauBuche, there is a hardwood timber product which serves all of these purposes and therefore brings a homogeneous look to house constructions.

One material and a range of applications – the Italian design student Mattia Marocelli focused on this aspect in his project "Look deep into nature". In this work, he looked at the vast range of possible applications for beech laminated veneer lumber (BauBuche). Compared to softwoods, this material is not only extremely strong, but given its high-quality surface it can also be used for visible construction elements. The result is a whole host of completely new possibilities for merging timber construction and interior design.

A material for (almost) all applications
In his design, Marocelli used the material in different formats, taking into account the specific requirements: beech laminated veneer lumber is used as a beam in the ceiling and floor construction, in the roof truss and in the mullion/transom façades on the south side. The same material is also used in the form of a panel (veneer layers perpendicular to the surface) as wall and ceiling cladding, and as flooring, stairs and furniture.

Homogeneous look
By giving the material multiple functions (the wall cladding, for example, also acts as the head of the bed), Marocelli has successfully created a harmonious concept which is reflected throughout the entire design. This means there is a thematic connection between the different spaces: the fine veneer layers appear in the kitchen counters just as they do in the ceiling beams and the staircase.

Wood in 360° use
The use of new timber products such as BauBuche results in numerous options for creating a homogeneous connection between the interior and structure. The exceptional properties of beech laminated veneer lumber become evident when it is used in different applications: its high strength and load-bearing capacity in combination with a high-quality surface mean it satisfies all the requirements of a universal material which still offers significant unexploited potential.

The entire study by Mattia Marocelli can be viewed here: DESIGN STUDY