Timber is a practical, versatile material and has an impact on the wellbeing of those who occupy the space in which it is. Similarly to the theory that being near a body of water has an effect on a person’s happiness, research shows that employee wellbeing was 15% higher in office spaces that contained natural materials.

People working in offices with wooden interiors reported increased feelings of innovation, energy and comfort as opposed to those who did not have timber felt their workspace was impersonal and uncomfortable. Research has shown cognitive abilities to increase by 61% in natural buildings, increasing to 101% when additional ventilation is involved.

Timber has also been found to reduce stress as it has been proven to lower the sympathetic nervous system, reducing blood pressure and heart rates as well as improving the air quality through humidity moderation. A study conducted in 2010 by Holzcluster Stelermark in Austria compared the behaviour of students in 4 classrooms; two built with timber that featured wooden interiors and two that were built with traditional methods such as concrete and steel. Over the course of one school year they found the pupils in the timber classrooms were more relaxed, had better sleeping patterns and also had lowered heart rates.

Timber being used in construction provides benefits not only to the environment, but to the people who spend time in the spaces it’s in. Get in touch with BCL today to find out more on why you should consider acoustic timber panels for your next project.

For more like this, take a look at our Projects Page.

BCL are proud to announce that work on White Hart Lane station has been completed. Working alongside Taylor Woodrow and Fereday Pollard Architects this project replaced the original building with a new, landmark design. There is now step free access from the street to the platform and a big increase in the capacity for event days such as Tottenham Hotspur matches.

BCL manufactured and installed the stations timber slat ceiling system using 44 x 144 mm Western Red Cedar panels spanning over 420 m2 of the ticketing hall. The wooden ceiling panels selected were of Class A acoustic configuration over black fabric - perfect for reducing the noise from both trains and passengers.  All timber slats had Class 1/0 Fire Protection applied by factory impregnation and were manufactured off site, reducing both waste and installation times.

We are pleased to have our work feature on such an important station which sees many passengers go through daily.

For more like this, take a look at our Projects Page.

For your next project, why not consider Dragon Timber? A modern take on the traditional Japanese method of charring timber it comes with an incredible 10 year warranty on its coating finish!

The traditional Japanese method (also known as Yakisugi) has been used on small projects for generations as a way of enhancing and preserving wood. However, unlike other uncoated forms of charred timber, DragonWOOD does not ash or rub off its char onto objects such as clothes through the use of a special thermo-applied coating. With this and the reassurance of extended warranties, is ideal for large scale commercial applications, providing a fantastic return on investment from its unique appearance.

The timber itself can be selected from a range of species, mainly the incredibly sustainable and cost effective Nordic Spruce, coming with a 25 year service life and a 10 year warranty for the coating that comes in a variety of fantastic and unique colours on exterior applications.  

Andrew Goto from Timber Focus had this to say of how Dragon Timber fits in with BCL’s system:

“The BCL panel system is ideal to install Dragon Timber for aesthetic purposes, functionality and durability. This is because there are no exposed nails meaning the finish is not compromised and ensures the timber will meet its coatings 10 year service life. The Dragon Timber is also prefinished therefore it fits in with BCL’s rapid installation times and it can be cut in a wide range of lengths to suit all systems.”

DragonWOOD can be treated with a factory applied lacquer of fire protection up to Euro Class B to meet Building Regulations and Construction Products Regulations. The timber is also FSC certified, making this product ideal for modern commercial applications.

Find out more about Dragon Timber here.