International Wood International Wood 2008 | Page 65

“In all the time I’ve been putting up wood panels, I’ve never seen a wood as beautiful as this one [waterfall bubinga]. It has something different. It’s brand new, gorgeous, and has a really cool name.” WORKING TOGETHER IN WOOD Donald J. Ghent, Jr., AIA, Architect for Gensler For more than fifty years Ghana has been exporting wood and wood products to the USA • Today the USA buys Ghana’s rotary and sliced veneer, plywood, machined and shaped profiles, flooring and its air dried and kiln dried sawn timber • H e l p f u l H int s • Visit veneer houses personally to ensure consistent wood characteristics throughout the entire project. • Never shy away from showing your client a “new” or more exciting wood option; specification changes happen all the time. American buyers know about the great variety of Ghana’s hardwoods – from some of the world’s strongest and most durable species to those with the most beautiful decorative appeal • and Ghana works with the IWPA to help explain tropical forest issues and demonstrate environmental responsibility • Use the same trusted company for all the millwork in a project, even elevator cabs. London Office: In order to ensure the elevator cab panels perfectly matched the wood in the reception and elevator lobbies, the finishing work was also given to Allegheny late in the project. “That was a furnish-only job,” says Banachoski. “They are similar panels. The only difference in detailing is that rather than just having finished reveals, they had stainless steel bar stock as a reveal material between the different veneers and bands.” Gaylord National’s three-meal buffet restaurant, Pienza, was designed to have an indoor/outdoor feel. There is some “outdoor” seating in the atrium, and a warmer dining environment inside the restaurant. “We used a light-stained cherry ceiling. Columns of cherry were stained in a deeper color,” says Ghent. “For long-term easy maintenance, Brazilian ironwood was used for the floor. Brazilian ironwood has a beautiful deep color, and is quite striking especially when used with the white marble we selected. “We also used it for the floor in the presi- dential suites for its warmth and ability to withstand damage. Its warm brown color is very nice in those rooms.” Ghent says Gensler has used Brazilian ironwood often in the past, as well as sapele. However, this was his first experience with waterfall bubinga. “In all the time I’ve been putting up wood panels, I’ve never seen a wood as beautiful as this one. It has something dif- ferent. It’s brand new, gorgeous, and has a really cool name.” iw Unit 4, Granard Business Centre, Bunns Lane Mill Hill, London NW7 2DZ, UK Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] website: www.ghanatimber.co.uk Takoradi Office: Timber Industry Development Division P O Box 515, Takoradi, Ghana Tel: [phone]/662360 Fax: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] T i m b er I nd u s tr y D e v elo p m ent D i v i s ion Fore s t Ser v i c e s D i v i s ion W ildli f e D i v i s ion