International Wood International Wood 2017 | Page 29

Microsoft officially opened its new Microsoft Canada Excellence
Centre (MCEC) in downtown Vancouver earlier this year.
The state-of-the-art facility features floor to ceiling vistas of the
city and surrounding mountains.
T
he MCEC’s architecture was informed and
inspired by the forests of Canada’s Lower
Mainland. In fact, in a tribute to the Pacific
Northwest environmental aesthetic, a former
escalator was converted into a wood-paneled
tree trunk, with a blue and green color palate
overhead and earth tones below.
The centre is a richly integrated environ-
ment with both open and closed gathering
spaces known as “neighbourhoods,” designed
to enhance creativity, boost productivity, and
appeal to young coders.
To achieve the desired aesthetic and to meet
the project’s aggressive construction schedule,
architect Clive Wilkinson made extensive use
of Shinnoki, a high-quality wood veneer panel
sourced from Belgium.
Shinnoki gives the appearance and bene-
fits of solid wood paneling. With its uniform
appearance, color tonality and quality, Ivory
Oak Shinnoki was ideal for use throughout
the Microsoft installation, as a wall cover-
ing, surround for the staircase, in casegoods,
cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and the back of
banquet seating in the facility. The material
for the project was provided by Hardwoods
Distribution Inc. of Langley, British Columbia.
Shinnoki is comprised of a top layer of
veneer, an 18mm MDF core and a balance
layer on the back for stability. It is easy to
process, handles well, and machines cleanly.
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