Assisting Architects: Meet our Architectural Liaison Team
Russwood’s Architectural Liaison Team, based in our Glasgow office opposite the city’s famous Barrowland Ballroom, are focussed on assisting architects in the design of external timber cladding and decking. By being involved early in the timber specification process, we can ensure the design develops using the most materially and cost-efficient timber dimensions, which helps to reduce wastage and bring a project in on budget, whilst still meeting the project’s aesthetic and performance criteria.
Meet the team
The Architectural Liaison Team (ALT) was set up having recognised the need for a dedicated team to focus on architect enquiries. The team have backgrounds spanning architecture, design and engineering, resulting in the skills and design appreciation to enable an understanding of an architect’s design intent, and the motivation to help progress a successful design. We aim to work with architects and designers from the early stages of their design process and to be available throughout the course of the design stage to offer advice on the cladding, decking and fixing specification – we hope you will view us as a reliable part of your team.
Our experience, timber knowledge and understanding of how Russwood’s selection of sustainable cladding and decking timbers will react in the UK’s climate, allows us to offer advice on which species is most suitable for your project location, which coatings may be appropriate (if any – all of our timbers could be used without additional protective coating, although you may wish to apply a decorative paint or SiOO:X for uniform weathering) and which fixings should be selected to ensure the timber performs well for many decades.
Specification advice
Once the timber species and appropriate fixings have been selected, the Architectural Liaison Team can assist with writing the H21 (external timber cladding) and Q55 (timber decking) National Building Specification (NBS) documents covering the timber grade, coatings and fixings. With sustainable timber cladding and decking such as Russwood’s, where no environmentally damaging preservative treatments are used, creating a specification which ensures the correct grade of timber makes it to site is very important. By assisting in the writing of your NBS documents, we can help avoid the false economy of sourcing an inadequate grade of timber at a reduced cost, which can result in increases in waste on-site and the inclusion of non-durable timber and consequent long-term failure of the façade. A Russwood NBS which will be tied to our selected grades of timber, will result in an improved aesthetic and long-term durability.
As a natural, hygroscopic material, it is crucial to understand the effects of moisture on the timber and the importance of correct detailing and installation to guarantee a durable timber cladding or decking. We offer advice on detailing and installation to help avoid pitfalls which can result in the early failure of your external timber.
CPDs and visits
Being based in Glasgow, the ALT are well positioned to visit architecture practices to discuss projects. Glasgow’s good transport links to the other cities in Scotland and in England where a large proportion of our enquiries now originate, means we are regularly catching trains to visit architects across the UK, whether to discuss projects or deliver Russwood’s accredited external timber cladding CPD. If you have an exciting new timber cladding or decking project, or feel your practice would benefit from a CPD, we would be happy to discuss a visit to your practice.
The ALT also identify and monitor trends emerging in timber cladding and decking. We carry out analysis of our received enquires as well as following design and architecture blogs and visiting relevant exhibitions and trade fairs. This work helps to inform Russwood’s research and development and maintain our reputation for innovation. Our product development extends to collaborative design work. We are currently collaborating with the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen, designing a timber product which we feel could positively change the timber cladding market.
Get in touch
We are always excited to see interesting new projects arrive in the inbox, and enjoy the chance to work on innovative projects. If you have a new project with a requirement for timber cladding or decking, or would like to propose its use to your client, please get in touch.