Material Trend: Blackened Cedar Exteriors

Situated in North London, this lovely outdoor garden room by Neil Dusheiko Architects is clad with an increasingly popular charred cedar material known as Shou Sugi Ban – a traditional material from Japan gaining increasing popularity around the world. Dubbed ‘the dark jewel,’ the studio is a total of 12 square meters in floor area and is intended for use as a workspace, children’s playroom and yoga studio.

The distinctive black finish of Shou Sugi Ban comes from an ancient Japanese method of preserving cedar, whereby the outer layer of the wood is burned to create a layer of char that is then finished with a natural oil. This char helps to seal and preserve the wood, making it more fire resistant and more resistant to termites. Manufacturers claim that the the wood can last between 80 to 100 years without requiring maintenance, and can last even longer than that if it is re-sealed with oil every 10 to 15 years. And as an added benefit, the charred and oiled finish does not require the use of chemical sealants – although modern techniques for charring cedar do require fossil fuels and traditional burning techniques result in particulates.

In this garden studio project, charred cedar was selected not only for its durability and resistance to rot, but also for its material beauty. The finished results created by charring the wood cannot be controlled, leading to a very natural looking variety of textures and dark tones. The darknesses of the blackened cedar creates a striking daytime contrast against the surrounding leafy green backdrop. And as the architect explains, at night, the black timber disappears into the darkness and the windows appears to glow when illuminated. Meanwhile, the interior of the structure is clad with a light coloured birch plywood, creating yet again a striking contrast with the dark cedar exterior.

More about this material, an example of which is in our material collection, can be found here.

Photos via Dezeen