Reclaimed sustainable timber demonstrates its circular economy potential once again. As John O’Driscoll and the award–winning Adventure Playground Engineers re-use Greenheart timber re-claimed from the Woolwich Ferry Terminal in an ambitious design for Berkeley Homes.
At Ashwells Reclaimed Timber we’re actively working to support sustainable construction, and want to see the reuse of tropical timber increase to 50%.
That’s why the collaborative projects we work on with civil engineering contractors and landscape architects are so important to us. And the BALI award nominated* Kite Park Playground in Kidbrooke is an outstanding example.
The Kite Park Playground, Cator Park, Kidbrooke has been designed by Ashwell’s client Adventure Playground Engineers (APES) in consultation with HTA Architects for Berkeley Homes.
Working with main contractors Elite Landscapes, the APES park design includes a range of slides, swings, climbing bars, nets, tunnels, a swale with natural log crossings, climbing wall and cast iron stepping stones locally made by children in community workshops run by APES.
Rainforest trees saves by this project – 3 Jarrah and 13 Greenheart
The design brief was to ensure the site was as ecologically sustainable as possible using reclaimed and recycled materials. To make this possible APES sourced Green Heart timber, reclaimed by Ashwells at the request of building and civil engineering contractor Bam Nuttall during the 2018 Woolwich Ferry upgrade project.
Deb Davies Tutt, Managing Director of Ashwells Reclaimed Timber says – “The Greenheart timber featured in this project would have first been felled in Guyana, before being imported into the UK as virgin sections. Too often tropical timber such as this is sent to landfill. However, thanks to Bam Nuttall’s decision to reclaim tropical timber from the Woolwich Ferry Terminal upgrade project (eighty 18m long piles, equating to eighty rain forest trees) valuable resources have been saved and flow in a circular way. With our FSC Certified reclamation and re-purposing, and APES sustainable design approach completing the circular economy loop.”
“Through this shining example of the sustainable treatment of waste, and sustainable design – families and children moving into the new affordable homes development by Berkeley will appreciate the beauty and durability of Green heart timber for generations to come.”
*The design has been nominated for a BALI award https://www.bali.org.uk/news-and-events/bali-awards/
About Ashwells Reclaimed Timber
Ashwells Reclaimed Timber is a tropical reclamation specialist based in Bulphan, Essex. We reclaim and repurpose FSC certified tropical timber and temperate British hardwoods. From our timber mill we supply hard and softwoods to be re-purposed into bespoke pieces, from garden planters and seating to street furniture and sea defences. We’re also proud to collaborate with award winning landscape designers, architects and civil engineers, and our reclaimed tropical timber can be seen in major projects across the UK, including hotel and restaurant chains, the Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court, The Eden Project and London Zoo.
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