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David Fell: Solutions for Wood -- The Great Indoors

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A study in Canadian environments

Canadians spend approximately 88 percent of their time indoors. Given that high number, it is important to understand what types of environments Canadians spend their time in. A 2009 FPInnovations study, Best Prospects for Additional Wood Use in Interior Environments, took an initial step to create an inventory of materials used in different types of buildings. Not only did it explore what materials are most often or commonly used in buildings, it also looked at how occupants see their surrounds with respect to an inventory of environmental descriptors. Finally, respondents were asked whether they would like to see more or less of a series of materials used for each building types. The goal of this study is to provide a baseline for which to set priorities with respect to targeting further visual wood use in buildings.

Two surveys were executed to collect primary data for this study. A study of the general Canadian population over 25 years old looked at the use of materials in their home environments. There were 545 respondents to this survey. The second survey had the same population parameters but looked at the use and experience in nonresidential buildings. There were 646 respondents to the non-residential survey.

We’ve reproduced some of the highlights and results of the study by building type below:

Homes

There are 32.5 million regular users of home environments. Half of the average Canadian’s waking time is spent in their home. In general, the materials used in the home matched the materials desired in homes and in other types of structures. These priority materials are wood, glass, and plants. The reason that home materials match the desired materials is that 67 percent of Canadians are homeowners and they can remodel their home environment to their own tastes. This is a high priority sector because of the volume of inventory (close to 13 million homes) and the intensity of remodelling and new starts.

Offices

Offices have some four to six million regular users in Canada. There are 410 million square feet of commercial office space in the country. Although wood is used in offices material use is actually quite spread out. Those surveyed said they would like to see more wood and plants in their office environments to make them more agreeable. Offices are generally perceived to be clean but not particularly warm, healthy, or productive. This is a priority sector as commercial spaces turn over often and are remodelled and new furniture and fixtures are added. In 2007 there were over $5 billion in permits issued for construction and remodelling to office buildings, not including the fixtures and furniture.

Hotels

There are only 376,000 regular users of hotels (workers) but there are 84 million overnight stays per year in the country. When people do stay at hotels they are foregoing their comfortable home environment. Hotels can recreate this with the appropriate use of materials. While there may already be a moderate amount of wood used in hotels it was clear from the study that more wood, glass, and plants are desired. The top descriptor for hotels was clean, but relaxing and warm were also common. Hotels were not seen as natural, healthy, or productive.

Hospitals

While respondents said they would like to see more natural materials in hospitals this  must be tempered with the intense durability and cleaning demands of a hospital setting. Hospitals are high stress environments. When it comes to Canada’s hospitals, those surveyed said they desire less concrete, metal and plastic and more wood, glass and plants. Durability must be a key consideration for further wood use. This could involve hardening and coatings. Alternatively, wood could be selectively applied to ceilings where durability is not an issue such as patient rooms.

 

Schools

Like hotels, the need for positive indoor school environments must be tempered with the need  for durability. Schools and colleges are heavily used with close to seven million regular users (teachers, staff, and students). This puts school use on par with office use in Canada. Respondents reported concrete, plastics, and glass were the most commonly seen materials in schools. Of these, they wanted to see less concrete and plastics and more natural materials. Design for durability is needed to add more natural elements to schools.

Libraries

There are approximately 2700 non-school libraries in Canada. Libraries fared well with respect to the match between actual and desired material usage. More natural materials are desired but those surveyed were moderately happy with library attributes.

Recreation facilities

Pools and arenas are heavy users of concrete and metal. There are approximately 2500 ice rinks and 1200 public swimming pools in Canada. Interestingly, half of this infrastructure was built in the 1970s and is likely due for replacement and renovation. These buildings have had infrastructure money directed at them as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package. While more natural materials are desired, the demands of these structures mean that mixed material solutions are the most likely.

Strategies for more visual wood use

There is a desire for more wood use in many non-residential buildings. One of the key issues is the heavy use of these buildings makes wood surfaces more susceptible to wear and tear. The key to more visual wood use in non-residential construction is to focus on its strategic application rather than applying what we do in residential construction. Momentum is beginning to build in the structural/visual application of wood. These applications are often in roof systems where wood performs well structurally and is not subject to user wear and tear.

Three strategies for further visual wood use are:

1. Up and away — visual wood applied where user wear and tear is reduced;

2. High performance surfaces — hardening and finishing to reduce wear and tear and to aid in cleaning;

3. The mixed material toolbox — apply wood in combination with other materials considered natural or preferred. These are plants, glass and stone.

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