A new state-of-the art college sports building at University College Plymouth St Mark and St John has been given an environmentally-friendly and durable façade thanks to John Brash.

The Gainsborough-based company supplied timber battens and Thermowood cladding for the impressive new sports centre at the university’s St Mark and St John, Marjon campus.

The building is part of a £20 million investment and is due to open this summer. It will include an 80-station fitness suite, a 25-metre swimming pool, a 12-court sports hall, an indoor climbing wall, a sports science laboratory and a gymnasium.

John Brash worked closely with architects Roberts Limbrick, which specified the Thermowood cladding used on the new facility. The architects choose Thermowood from John Brash because it provided enhanced durability, whilst the use of timber cladding helped minimise the building’s carbon footprint.

The samples given to the architects by John Brash were provided by Bristol-based MH Massey Roofing, who installed the cladding on the new building.

“Thermowood cladding from John Brash helped us meet the demanding sustainable requirements of the client on this project,” said a spokesperson from Roberts Limbrick architects. “The quality of the John Brash cladding and attention to detail demonstrated by the installers has created an extremely impressive facade.”

Thermowood from John Brash is manufactured from Finnish grown European Redwood and is renowned for its durability and stability. During the manufacturing process it is heated to temperatures in excess of 200 degrees Celsius, which reduces sap and resin levels and produces a timber that will last up to five times longer than untreated boards.

The heat treatment also limits the timber’s ability to absorb or loose moisture, reducing the potential for swelling, shrinkage or distortion of the boards as well as enabling it to retain its original colour for longer.

The Thermowood cladding used at University College Plymouth St Mark and St John will help improve the building’s energy efficiency, too, as the thermal conductivity of timber is 12 times lower than concrete and 400 times lower than steel.

Using wood instead of other building materials also saves on average 0.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per cubic metre. Source: Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management.

Christian Brash of John Brash said: “We are delighted that our cladding provided a solution for this project. An increasing number of building designers are recognising the environmental benefits of timber as a construction material, which was an essential requirement for this project.”

John Brash has been importing and manufacturing timber for over 100 years. The company supplies a wide range of sustainable timber building solutions including cladding, Shingles and Shakes, decking, roofing battens and carcassing.

Email: john@dragonflypr.co.uk