Product innovation pushes the creative boundaries of the architecture and design industry, inspiring stakeholders to interpret design in new ways, and empowering them to achieve sustainable outcomes for the built environment.
Aluminium is one such material that inspires design innovation. Thanks to its lightweight profile, superior flexibility, long-term durability, high weather resistance and low maintenance, aluminium is perfect for a wide range of creative design applications, delivering on both aesthetics and function, and making it one of the most popular materials in the design and building sectors.
Timber look aluminium, for instance, is an excellent replacement for natural timber, combining the organic look of real wood with the superior benefits of aluminium. In addition to its cost-effectiveness and fire resistance, aluminium is a highly practical material when compared to wood, allowing designers considerable flexibility in achieving their design goals, and even inspiring them to push the boundaries to further expand design potential.
The Ever Art Wood series from Covet International is a range of timber look aluminium battens and cladding panels that is driving design innovation in the industry and inspiring designers to achieve stylish and functional outcomes in their projects.
Timber look, design fluid material
Timber look aluminium is a highly flexible material that allows designers to create unusual shapes, which might not be possible with other materials, while still retaining the natural timber appearance.
This fluid design created for Calia Restaurant using Ever Art Wood timber look battens would have been a significant challenge to execute with real timber. The distinctive curved timber batten design, which elegantly stretches across both the walls and the ceiling, was initially conceptualised with real timber dowels, but was brought to life using Covet’s timber look aluminium battens in staggered lengths.
Aluminium’s superior flexibility not only helped the designers realise the original vision but also presented them with a more efficient and practical alternative. Executing this fluid design in timber would have been tough to achieve since wood is difficult to bend; besides, considerable effort would have been expended in selecting the right stock for the application. Bending the wooden battens to achieve the desired curves would also have led to additional time, cost and material wastage.
On the other hand, Ever Art Wood’s aluminium battens are a lot easier to manipulate – the battens can be bent to a tight radius to create curves with the desired consistency.
The fire-rated Ever Art Wood Koshi hollow section battens used in this project feature a realistic woodgrain pattern and texture that’s almost impossible to distinguish from real wood, helping the designers achieve their timber-finish design vision.
Realistic curvature that retains its shape
This design flexibility of timber look aluminium extends its application range to the outdoors as well in the form of cladding to create striking exterior facades.
Unlike real wood, which demands constant and continuous care and upkeep to avoid warping, shrinking and rotting in an outdoor environment, timber look aluminium evokes a realistic wood aesthetic without the maintenance hassle. Being fade-resistant, Ever Art Wood cladding maintains its original appearance with minimal care, retaining its visual appeal, shape and physical integrity well into the future.
The Ever Art Wood aluminium cladding panels installed on the multi-residential apartment complex Parc Vue is an excellent example of streamlined and consistent design. The architect’s concept of the cladding panels wrapped around the building has been beautifully realised with Ever Art Wood cladding helping create an entirely seamless effect with all fixing concealed. The realistic timber look of the cladding panels also helps the building blend in with the surrounding parklands of Bundoora.
Get the timber effect on large surfaces
The large exterior surfaces of multi-storeyed buildings often present a challenge when it comes to cladding, not only in design and installation but also ongoing maintenance.
Thanks to its lightweight qualities, timber look aluminium can be specified in formats that allow simple installation across large surfaces while delivering a consistent finish. Ever Art Wood Mokuzai flat panel sheets proved this at the SkyOne installation with the superior characteristics offered by timber look aluminium ensuring a natural wood finish on the three-storeyed wall of the Box Hill multi-residential and retail space. The wall is made entirely of innovative and fire-tested timber look aluminium panels, which were folded to look like large timber planks.
Mokuzai folded panel sheets gave the retail space a luxurious and organic look without the need for time-consuming installation or maintenance.
Streamlined, uninterrupted linear aesthetic
The application versatility of timber look aluminium extends beyond merely covering vast surfaces. The aluminium battens and panels can be fabricated extra-long to create fully streamlined timber finishes without risking the usual warping, shrinking or rotting problems associated with real wood.
The Calibre project in Sydney’s Surry Hills designed by Koichi Takada Architects features a tall, curved, linear batten facade created using timber look aluminium battens from the Ever Art Wood series in colour Oku, with an added custom texture for maximum visual effect. By selecting realistic timber-like aluminium battens instead of wood, the designers were able to achieve a streamlined, uninterrupted linear aesthetic across the vast exteriors of the multi-storeyed building without worrying about potential deterioration of colours, patterns, textures or shapes.
Stunning decorative facades in eye-catching detail
The Ever Art Wood series of timber look battens and panels can deliver impressive design outcomes across large expansive surfaces as well as in the form of decorative detailing that can add both character and visual impact to the project.
For the Club Dubbo NSW project, Ever Art Wood Mokuzai panels and Koshi hollow section battens were installed on the ceiling of the entrance while the 2-part Kabebari concealed fix battens were used for detailing on the exterior to create a modern, striking building facade that draws attention to the venue. Kabebari battens spell out the name of the club, with the intricate design created using various lengths of the battens wrapping around the curvature of the building to direct guests towards the entrance.
Considering the aesthetic, functional and environmental benefits of the material, timber look aluminium is highly preferred by designers and specifiers, inspiring innovation across a variety of indoor and outdoor projects, including walls, facades, features and even signage. Thanks to its design and application versatility, Covet’s Ever Art Wood series has become the go-to material for challenging design concepts and projects, not only helping designers to achieve their vision but also encouraging them to push their creative boundaries.
