When it came to creating a bespoke, timber frame photographic studio set deep in the Sussex countryside, the choice of materials was of paramount performance. Timber that was FSC-certified and offered strength, durability, and consistent quality was essential. SMARTPLY OSB3 met the brief.
Located in the village of Warninglid in West Sussex, the studio has been built by specialist timber frame contractor Benjamin Allen Homes. For the creation of the external walls and an internal load bearing wall for the barn-style building, Benjamin Allen Homes, chose SMARTPLY OSB3, an engineered OSB (Oriented Strand Board).
Offering exceptional strength, it provided a rigid structural base for the timber-treated cladding which was chosen to provide the studio an attractive, weather-resistant façade, in keeping with its rural surrounding.
Allen Dawson, Managing Director of Benjamin Allen Homes, commented: “We are really impressed with SMARTPLY OSB3. Its inherent strength provides superb racking ability and it is incredibly easy to handle on site. It is also readily available and we have found that performs well in all conditions. For these reasons we use it on virtually all of our projects”
Easy to cut and fix on site, the boards were used to create the building’s superstructure as well as an internal wall which was dry lined and plaster boarded. Such is the ease with which SMARTPLY OSB is used; Benjamin Allen Homes were able to erect the studio’s main timber frame in just three weeks.
Allen Dawson added: “SMARTPLY has helped to ensure the construction of the studio project was straightforward. With the structure completed on time and on budget, we were able to hand the project over to the client who will take care of the building’s fit out and completion.”
Meeting the client and contractors brief for low environmental impact and high performance, SMARTPLY OSB has provided a reliable, high quality structural core to ensure the studio’s long-term efficiency as a hive of creative activity and helping it sit in picture perfect harmony in its rural Sussex location.
Derived from FSC-certified managed sources to guarantee its environmental credentials, SMARTPLY OSB3 is built up from thin layers of wood veneer, consisting of individual strands and flakes. These are ingeniously arranged in a three-tier structure, with the strands in the outer layers oriented in the same direction as the panel length, and those in the core layer at right angles to it. Once bonded, the result is a solid panel with no core gaps that will not delaminate under normal use.
SMARTPLY OSB offers specifiers and contractors the assurance that the panels are of the highest structural quality. Ideal for flooring, roofing, and frame work projects, SMARTPLY OSB has provided a reliable, high quality structural core to ensure the studio’s long-term efficiency as a hive of creative activity.
