On 1 April 2011 Kennedy's Timbers was awarded the 2010 ENERGEX Innovation in Sustainability Award. This award is the pinnacle of the ENERGEX Supplier Quality Awards and demonstrates the importance of sustainability for ENERGEX.

The award was presented to Michael Kennedy by the ENERGEX CEO Mr Terry Effeney.

During the presentation the ENERGEX Group Manager Procurement, Ms Sharyn Scriven, remarked that Kennedy's won the award because of their perseverance, commitment to environmental practices and the development of innovative solutions in helping ENERGEX reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Those at the breakfast awards ceremony were told how Kennedy's initially approached the government about recycling timber power poles and then developed a method to remove the contaminated edges and dispose of these to regulated waste.

Kennedy's now recycle old ENERGEX poles and cross arms to sell as recycled timber, a process that has now been extended to shorter length poles, further reducing the amount of waste that would otherwise go to landfill and reducing ENERGEX's carbon dioxide emissions.

This innovative and specialised timber recycling further enhances the strong environmental credentials of increased timber use as opposed to other more carbon intensive materials such as concrete, fibre composites, steel, aluminium and plastics.

Interestingly, the awards presented at the ceremony were crafted from an old ENERGEX power pole!

Tallowwood has a wide variety of uses however particularly impressive results are achieved when featured as internal flooring and/or cladding.

Other applications include decking, linings, exposed structures, poles, piles, bridge timbers, joinery, turnery, outdoor furniture and boat building.

Tallowwood heartwood is pale to darker yellow-brown with a noticeably lighter, almost white sapwood.

This wood has a fairly coarse texture with an interlocking grain. As the word 'tallow' suggests, the timber of this species feels greasy to the touch.

Tallowwood is reasonably easy to work however gluing can be difficult due to the greasy nature of the timber.

Tallowwood accepts paint, stain and polish readily and fixing with standard fixings and fasteners presents no problems.

Generally, Tallowwood is an extremely tough and durable Australian timber used widely in external applications such as decking.

Sawn to size timber, particularly for structural applications, is available from Kennedy's on order.

Australians have long relished an enduring love affair with timber cladding that has spanned more than a century.

Now experiencing somewhat of a renaissance there is no denying this is an affair that will continue to prevail.

Traditionally timber cladding was predominantly chosen for reasons of practicality, durability and function over any significant design or aesthetic application, specifically noting cost and ease of installation.

With an emerging social consciousness clearly focused on sustainability and the environment, timber cladding is experiencing somewhat of a revival as a popular choice among many builders and architects.

With many landmark commercial developments striving to achieve a 'green' status, in particular a Green Star rating from The Green Building Council of Australia, the use of timber cladding is high on the agenda to significantly enhance such developments.

Today, the decision to use timber cladding appears to be more so motivated by aesthetics and design, attributing the renewable, sustainable, and green sensation it lends to projects where applied.

Even the term 'timber cladding' has taken on a broadened definition with the increasingly creative and inspired ways it is being utilised.

In some cases timber cladding is used to cover harsh concrete facades, providing a very natural and organic vitality to a surface that would otherwise be seen as cold and sterile.

With varying profiles that dictate how the cladding is installed, whether vertically, horizontally or at an angle, the choices for building and design applications are endless.

The natural characteristics of timber make cladding a perfect practical, beautiful and green complement to any project. Timber cladding offers a unique warmth and style that simply cannot be matched by other materials.

Visit our recently refurbished showroom to view a full display of interior and exterior cladding products and options including shiplap, vj, tongue and groove and square dressed cladding.

Visit the Cladding section of our site for more information on Kennedy's cladding.

While things have dried out of late we certainly can't forget the devastation caused by recent floods in Queensland and Victoria. It's an unfortunate reality that the effects of the inundation will be felt for many months ahead.

As the cleanup, repair, and rebuilding continues it's important that you arm yourself with accurate information when it comes to dealing with flood damaged timbers. The following is a useful starting guide to any flood affected timber structure.

• Prior to any assessments or repairs being commenced, a licensed electrician must undertake an electrical safety inspection.
• A plumbing safety inspection should also be undertaken by an appropriately licensed person.
• Inspection and assessment of structural damage to buildings and houses should be undertaken by a competent person such as a licensed builder.
• Any repair should be undertaken in accordance with and under the direction of professional advice.

Failure to address or correct damage could severely affect the future structural performance of the building.

A few considerations:

MOULD and DECAY When water has receded, it is important to clean the timber as soon as possible and allow the timber to dry thoroughly.

SWELLING and SHRINKAGE Timber and wood based products that have been saturated will swell and subsequently shrink. The amount of swelling or shrinkage will be dependent upon the type and species of timber or type of wood product and time exposed to water.

ROOFS, WALLS AND FLOORS Where timber frames have been inundated they should be cleaned and allowed to dry as quickly as possible, including those behind walls and ceiling lining.

TIMBER FLOORS AND TIMBER DECKS Before any timber floors are re-laid, the services of a professional floor installer should be used to measure and check the moisture content of any underlying substrates. Some flooring may continue to swell or expand across the boards for a period of time even after the water has subsided as moisture moves deeper into the timber.

For more detailed information download our Flood Repair Guide by Timber Queensland.

a passion providing a new lease on life

With an increasing focus on environmental awareness and sustainability, the use of recycled timber is becoming an increasingly attractive option among builders, developers, architects, and the like.

Kennedy's has a great passion for providing a new lease on life to recycled timber. Being able to recognise the remarkable potential and beauty in such a unique commodity is at the very heart of the Kennedy's business.

The thoughtful and often stunning employment of Kennedy's timbers can be seen in many award-winning commercial and residential developments across Australia.

Kennedy's was recently contacted by Matt Chaplin, of Sumich Chaplin Architects in New Zealand, to provide a range of recycled timber to exacting specifications. These products were earmarked for use in a landmark residential development located in the picturesque South Island township of Wanaka.

Sumich Chaplin were commissioned to design a magnificent chalet situated on Lake Wanaka to take full advantage of the wonderful vistas afforded by the surrounding lake and hills.

An extensive search took place, both locally and internationally, for a supplier who could provide the architectural timber required for a project of this calibre.

This search ultimately led Sumich Chaplin to Kennedy's. So impressed with the quality of the timber, notable product knowledge, vast skill set and expertise offered by Kennedy's, Sumich Chaplin placed further orders including a request for architectural truss timbers.

Using real time photos and electronic links the clients were able to hand select the timbers from the impressive range Kennedy's had to offer without having to visit.

The hand selected bespoken and richly patinaed timbers were prefabricated by the Kennedy's joinery team to the very detailed architectural and engineering design requirements.

Once fabricated, photographed, labelled and recorded the trusses were disassembled, labelled and flat packed for delivery to New Zealand for a quick and easy installation on-site. In all, deliveries of timber to the project site have totalled 2 X 40ft and 1 X 20ft shipping containers.

This signature architectural project will be showcased in a future edition of AGAINST the Grain

Architect: www.sumich.co.nz

Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre illustrates a simple response to functional requirements which belie a complex set of urban design challenges.

MECC's purpose is to enable Mackay to share in regional North Queensland's growing appeal for business tourism. However, it differs from other city's stand-alone facilities being grafted onto Mackay's existing multi-purpose centre.

As such, one of our major challenges was how to generate a sufficiently distinct identity to entice custom to Mackay while also enriching a civic and entertainment precinct already functioning.

Our approach was to reconsider the brief such that the existing and new buildings could function compatibly, and then to devise an architectural language that transmits memorable identity for business tourism attraction as well as enhances the wider precinct.

Our solution is a deceptively simple yet potent new edge to the civic precinct, utilising slabs of timber and concrete to recall a great colonnade. This colonnade wraps around the new Centre to engage with the pathway system of both the existing facility and the precinct whole.

www.coxarchitecture.com.au

kennedy's creates calm

Located in the inner city suburb of Kedron, the new Queensland Emergency Operations Centre (QEOC) is a world-class, best practice, management facility provisioning all coordination and communication for the State's emergency and disaster response efforts.

With staff often faced with highly charged and stressful situations, the incorporation of cutting edge technology within an environment promoting calm, organisation, and efficiency was a primary goal for architects, and principal consultants, Architectus.

In any workplace that relies heavily on technological infrastructure there is always a danger of the environment becoming sterile, with a focus on efficiencies over aesthetics. This is not the case for QEOC however.

Architectus, well known for excellence in design and construction, chose Kennedy's timber for use extensively throughout this development.

QEOC has been designed with a 'campus' style feel featuring a number of courtyards composed of generous timber decks. These spaces provide an important 'retreat' for staff away from the Centre's operational spaces.

The recycled hardwood used for timber screens and decks was not only a strategy for sustainability, but also provides for a calm and enclosing feel which was seen as important to these break out spaces. All timber used throughout the development was of Class 1 durability (graded to RFG1).

Internally, timber lined pods create a sense of warmth while also providing effective noise dampening. From the quiet meeting rooms to the open, flow through spaces, workers enjoy encompassing vistas enriched by the tranquility rendered by Kennedy's recycled timber.

The end result is a building that exudes a unique organic feel, providing nurturing and humanised spaces appropriate to the look and feel of the subtropical environment of South East Queensland.

The QEOC also boasts extremely high environmental standards having been awarded a 5-star Green Star design certification rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

Incorporated systems include full water recycling, on-site power generation, and several energy reduction initiatives including displacement air conditioning, task air and task lighting.

Feature Timber:

• All timber Class 1 durability recycled hardwood RFG1 grading
• 7.5 kilometres of precision profiled K-Battens
• 850 square metres of pre-fabricated recycled hardwood screening
• 1230 square metres of precision profiled commercial decking
• A selection of purpose built exterior seating
• A wide selection of seasoned structural timber

Project Details:

Client: Queensland Government, Department of Community Safety

Location: Kedron, QLD

Approx. Value: $50m + $25m ICT

Area: 6200m2

Links:

www.architectus.com.au

www.hutchinsonbuilders.com.au