Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. That is the takeaway from Asia’s mass timber pioneer in response to fresh concerns that Singapore’s Gaia – Asia’s largest mass timber building has a mould problem.
It comes as Bloomberg reports that the mouldy problem with Nanyang Technological University’s US $94 million building, dubbed the Wooden Building of the Future, is due to the Austrian spruce’s reaction to the country’s tropical environment.
According to Bloomberg, the problem is that Austrian spruce is less mould-resistant than other wood species. Andrew Wong of the International Wood Culture Society adds that untreated spruce is particularly prone to mould and rot.
“It’s essentially a climate issue,” Mr Wong told Bloomberg. We’re in the tropics, which demands special care.”
However, Kevin Hill, considered the pioneer in bringing cross-laminated timber and glulam to Singapore, said it is still far too early to draw conclusions into using different European timber species in tropical climates.
“We have not witnessed this problem before; no one has bothered to check (the 20) other buildings (in Singapore which have used mass timber). There is no discussion over the coatings and surface treatment, (but) only over the spruce product.”
Kevin Hill, founder and managing director of Venturer Timberwork, the pioneer of mass timber in the Singaporean market.
Mr Hill, who, through his company Venturer Timberwork, was invited to tender for but was not involved in the project, said one of the critical factors was disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic.
“Covid had a huge delay mid-project, (with the) product likely sitting for many months undercover, (and therefore) exposed to high ambient moisture, which potentially locked in mound spores pre-coating.”
“I hope (the Bloomberg article’s) inaccurate reflection on mass timber in our climate is taken with a pinch of salt,” Mr Hill said, adding that “there are many other buildings (including the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery) that have worked out really, really well.”
According to Erik L’Heureux, an associate professor of architecture at the National University of Singapore, engineers (and architects) must consider various factors when using different timber species in different settings. Each climate has limitations and challenges.
As per Bloomberg, Loh Kee Soon, the lead architect for Gaia from RSP Architects Planners & Engineers, could have opted for thicker protective coatings, alleviating key durability issues. Nonetheless, Loh’s team opted against this due to cost and a desire to showcase the natural grain.
“I don’t know why the builder was not called for his opinion,” Mr Hill said, adding that “from my recollection, the coating was done with a regional product specified by the designer and not applied in the factory with an anti-mould inhibitor plus high-quality coating like Teknos aqua.”
The new building, which spans 220 meters in length, houses teaching spaces, a research centre, faculty offices, a basement car park, and an ancillary block. It utilises a modular timber frame system, which allows for the prefabrication of mass timber components off-site, reducing on-site construction time and manpower.
At the building launch, Singapore’s Minister for Education, Mr. Chan Chun Sing, said, “I am heartened that our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) are deeply committed to building and sustaining green campuses. As part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, our IHLs play an important role in making sustainability a competitive advantage for Singapore.”
- To learn more about this project, visit Wood Central’s special feature. To learn more about Kevin Hill’s projects, including the Maldives Fari Island, click here.
