Designed by Smith Architects, Village Green is a new nature-based early learning centre in Remuera, Auckland. The centre has been designed to create a warm and welcoming environment for young learners through thoughtful use of natural materials. LMA’s reclaimed hardwood exterior cladding and interior wall linings play a key role in bringing the warmth of timber to the external facade and interiors, while also significantly reducing the building’s environmental impact. 

“My vision for this project was to put biophilic design at the centre of all our decision making, so materials are a massive part of that for us,” says Jade Hurst, Owner, Village Green. Her brief to Smith Architects was to create a warm and inviting space that would resemble a home environment. The exterior cladding would set the tone for the space, so Jade and the Smith Architects team considered many different cladding options, before ultimately opting for LMA’s reclaimed hardwood cladding. 

LMA’s reclaimed Australian hardwood is sourced from old telephone poles, wharf beams and warehouses, and is milled in Australia where it is given a new life as cladding, wall linings, flooring, decking and more. Reclaimed hardwood provides a smart option for low carbon projects as it is not only a recycled and natural product, but also offers two to three times the carbon sequestration of soft timbers such as cedar or thermally modified pine. 

The reclaimed timber cladding from LMA also provides practical benefits. As it is made from class 1 Australian hardwood it is extremely durable, meeting NZBC requirements for B1 Structure, B2 Durability and E2 External Moisture for residential and light commercial buildings. It is also low maintenance compared to soft timbers such as cedar, requiring only a yearly washdown.

The Smith Architects team hadn’t worked with LMA before this project, and were impressed with the product. “I couldn’t actually believe there was sustainable hardwood product in our country,” says Akash Kumar, Senior Architect, Smith Architects. “Up until then, we were actually using imported timber and we kind of asked ourselves why we weren’t already using it.”

The LMA team shared samples to help the client and designers select the best option for the project. The mixed pale cladding, which includes Blackbutt and Tallowwood, was specified in the vertical shiplap profile, with the same timber also specified for interior wall linings. LMA cladding and wall linings are available in different finishes that can either bring out the more rustic features of the timber, or create a more polished look. For Village Green, the client opted for a refined finish.

Once ordered, LMA’s reclaimed hardwood supplier in Australia milled and factory coated the exterior and interior wall cladding. It was then shipped directly into Auckland in a container where LMA process just over 1 container per week of various hardwood products – the equivalent of 24 tonne). As LMA transports their products in a container with thousands of other containers, the carbon footprint is less than driving from Christchurch to Kaikoura — and a fraction of the carbon footprint of timber from North America or Europe.  

Don Walker, Project Director of 505 Construction installed the cladding and wall linings, and appreciated the product’s sustainability as well as the quality and stability of the hardwood weatherboards. “The stableness of the board is probably second to none compared to some of the soft woods we use here,” says Don. “Knowing that you're actually making a difference with the environment with the products that you're using within the industry has been really cool. I think what we’ve been left with and the product we’ve got is something that we can all really be really proud of.” 

The use of the LMA reclaimed timber cladding and wall linings plays a central role in the finished building, bringing natural texture and warmth into both interior and exterior spaces while fitting perfectly with the centre’s ethos as a circular material. And the practical durability and low maintenance the Australian hardwood offers will ensure the centre will look beautiful for years to come. 

“It’s such a premium product, super hard wearing, it looks beautiful, and there’s no longer a tradeoff that you normally have with a project where you’re straddling that line of design and budget and your sustainability goals,” says Jade. “I really feel like this material was all in one.” 

“You’d think something that’s reclaimed, and for an old telegraph pole, it would be old and crusty and worn. This is actually quite refined and it feels like it's got a new lease of life,” adds Akash. “There’s love built into the timber. For anyone looking to use LMA hardwood timber on their next project, I’d tell you to go for it. It’s highly sustainable, it’s cost competitive, it makes sense.”