The love for nature has been a growing trend in the post-pandemic world. With people having spent most of the time indoors (and still need to!), the desire to bring nature to building interiors has increased the demand for ‘nature-derived solutions’. And what’s more natural than wood. As a result, the industry witnesses robust demand for quality solutions for solid wood doors, windows, furniture made out of wood, and more.
Canadian Wood – a brand owned by Forestry Innovation Consulting India (FII) Pvt. Ltd. has been at the helm of affairs in this ecosystem. It has been conducting educational/training programs for the industry to show the various creative possibilities in building with wood sourced from British Columbia (B.C.), Canada.
Catering to the demands of both domestic and international markets, India remains the largest producer of wood products in the world. Whereas B.C., Canada, a global leader in sustainable forest management, remains a significant source of certified, seasoned, graded, and sized ready-to-use lumber to fiber deficit countries such as India.
To date, Canadian Wood has been opted for by several reputed Architects, Interior Designers, Builders, and Developers across the country as a viable alternative for a range of applications. Canadian Wood’s recent webinar “Born in Canada Made in India – a webinar on manufacturing with wood’, in association with NürnbergMesse demonstrated the widespread suitability of its species through first-hand experiences of leading woodworking companies along with specific reference to reman category.
Sliding wood doors, windows, and more.
Ms.Bhawna Sharma – Artius Interior Products Pvt. Ltd.
Ms. Bhawna Sharma from Artius was the first to present at the event. Artius Interior Products Pvt. Ltd. remains a well-known technology-driven, wood engineering company offering highly sophisticated Glulam door and window systems in about 14 variants. Artius presentation included examples of efficiently designed solutions focusing on finer details like dust, sound, weatherproofing, etc., and the use of yellow cedar to deliver high-quality solutions. The yellow cedar from B.C., Canada is known to be one of the world’s most durable wood with exceptional longevity due to its natural resistance to decay.
Ms.Bhawna Sharma concluded her slides with a quick reference to Artius’ pioneering effort in the wooden homes category through a club house made using multiple Canadian Wood species. This clubhouse remains showcased at three premium trade fairs. An overwhelming response was generated from niche segments.
Exquisite furniture in wood
Ms.Soma Singh Roy – Bramola boutique and bespoke handcrafted furniture
This was followed by Bramola’s Ms.Soma Singh Roy’s presentation. She heads this brand of exquisite, hand-crafted, imported furniture (Bramola by Classic Furniture and Furnishings). Guided by the principle of treating wood as a living object, Bramola consciously chooses western hemlock- sourced from the sustainably managed forests of B.C., Canada amongst other wood species to give shape to its world-class creations. Her presentation unveiled eye-catching ethnic and contemporary furniture using this species and elaborated on its workability and staining advantages. These are the primary requisite for reman applications. Besides sharing masterpiece creations suited for both individual homes and hospitality projects, she topped her session with a unique western hemlock set embellished with hand-painted motifs by local artisans. A range displayed at India Wood 2020 and amongst Bramola’s star creations to date.
A variety of wood doors
Mr.Thomas Markose – Kelachandra Brothers
Next was an extensive presentation by Mr.Thomas Markose from Kelachandra on doors and window systems. A name to reckon with, Kelachandra is one of the leading woodworking companies in southern India.
Mr.Thomas Markose’s presentation included an impressive display of wood doors. These included pre-hung, flush, and solid wood doors amongst others made with yellow cedar – highly suitable for these uses. He emphasized the scope for wood in manufacturing.
Moreover, he focussed on the onset of biophilic architecture. It is an approach that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature through its design and planning. He also stressed the need for continuous product development to harness the gains of technological advancements.
All speakers emphasized the need for the adoption of greener alternatives when it came to manufacturing with wood. This was reflective of the shift in consumer mindset. It also reflects the rising levels of eco-consciousness that put backward pressure on woodworking professionals to make this choice.
Wood products rely heavily on coatings for protection. The coating helps in enhancing the overall appeal of the product. Moreover, they impact finish and longevity – critical considerations in exterior wood applications. So, the webinar also included quick, information-packed sessions by
- Mr.Pankaj Bassi from ICA Pidilite, and
- Mr.Marco Mancini from Renner Italia SPA.
Both presenters introduced the audience to a host of coating options including recent revolutionary options that further optimize the use of wood in manufacturing.
The webinar ended with a very insightful Q&A session where the presenters were joined by Mr.Peter Bradfield, Technical Advisor at FII- India.
Mr.Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII India said remarking on the webinar
“We are truly honoured to have such experts present at our webinar. Special thanks to everyone choosing to join us and Canadian Wood over the many alternates available to them. We hope the first-hand experiences of these luminaries motivate many other like-minded manufacturers to adopt sustainably sourced Canadian Wood to create world-class products. We are happy to support these upcoming ventures on both the technical and product front.
Regarding the webinars, all of them received very welcome responses in 2020/21. We remain committed to making it even more meaningful for our audiences in the coming months.”
