The Schindel Studio for Archer + Braun Architects – Larch Shakes

Innovative use of timber shakes for a contemporary design project

Although it may not be our biggest shake project to date, this work was definitely worth highlighting. We are seeing shakes being used commonly for more and more diverse ranges of projects, beyond just church steeples.

Stuart Archer and Sarah Braun of Archer + Braun Architects approached us to supply larch shakes to clad both the roof and walls of a new sustainable art studio in East London, they wanted the shakes to be finished with a black or dark grey finish.

W L West & Sons determined that 40cm European Larch shakes were the most suitable product to achieve the contemporary aesthetic they were looking for. These are produced in Bavaria by Rapold GmbH, and can last up to 55 years in the right conditions. The European Larch Shakes are traditionally hand cleft, radially split with Bevelled butts and parallel sawn edges

To comply with fire regulations the shakes were treated with a fire-resistant surface treatment produced by Envirograf, as well as a black coloured top coat to achieve the desired finish.

The Larch shakes were delivered and treated on site by the main contractor before installation. Every piece had to be pre-drilled prior to being fixed to prevent the shakes splitting. The shakes were laid in 3 layers [3ply layup] with a 125mm gauge for a seen exposure.