A holiday resort on the outskirts of Hanover, Germany, has recently completed renovation of a new 745 m2 swimming pool, making use of sustainably sourced Kebony wood to provide decking around the pool. Designed by local architects Lohaus Carl Köhlmos, the high-quality installation at Freibard Berenbostel Garbsen is the result of seven years of development and has been successfully delivered in time to welcome guests for the summer season.
Kebony Clear decking completes the sustainable credentials of a renovated open-air facility. Image Credit: Kebony
The six-lane outdoor swimming pool is the central feature of the public leisure centre, bordered by 11,000 sqm of verdant green landscaping. With an awareness of the local environment and increasing evidence of the recreational benefits of connecting people to nature, the delivery of the project has been guided by the principles of healthy, eco-inspired architecture, both in the aesthetic design and selection of sustainable construction materials.
Kebony Clear wood was used for the poolside flooring and sunbathing areas, with the 200 sqm2 of new decking punctuated by a series of ornamental flower beds produced to create the architects vision of an oasis of calm. Continuing the eco-friendly design, 29 new trees were planted around the swimming pool to emphasise the connection with the surrounding natural landscape. Grass and shrubbery were also added to the perimeter of the site to create a welcoming, inspiring communal space.
Producing the most sustainable and long-lasting building timber to reduce global dependence on deforested tropical hardwoods and help reduce global CO₂ emissions, Kebony wood is dually modified, creating an environmentally friendly, durable, and beautiful building material. Developed in Norway, the patented Kebony® technology involves heating sustainably sourced softwoods, such as pine, with furfuryl alcohol. The resultant timber product is dimensionally stable, absorbs less moisture than untreated wood, and therefore retains its shape and dimensions over a longer period of time, whilst contributing to a reduced carbon footprint.
In addition to its reinforced durable qualities, Kebony wood is also weather resistant and requires little to no maintenance following installation, bypassing the need for extended periods of pool closure for the constant treatment of the decking. The absence of artificial resins or splinters in the new Kebony decking will provide the assurance of safe leisure for the many families and children that will enjoy the space.
Further custom-built features to enhance the sustainable credentials of the new leisure facility include the fitting of steel walls around the swimming pools to reflect the sun and warm the water through natural methods. During the colder periods, the heating of the swimming pool will be supplemented with energy stored from solar collectors positioned around the resort.
Robert Hey, Operations Manager of Freibard Berenbostel Garbsen, commented: "We are proud to have completed renovation of the most modern and beautiful pool in the area – the application of Kebony wood has represented a quantum leap in terms of technology and we look forward to the enjoyment of this leisure facility for many years to come."
Lars Arndt, Country Manager for Kebony, adds: ‘’We are thrilled that Kebony Clear has been used so successfully in the outdoor pool of the Berenbosetl bathing park. Kebony not only offers outstanding properties such as durability, but is also an environmentally friendly alternative to tropical wood. We are proud to be part of this extraordinary project and hope that it will serve as an inspiring example of the use of wood in outdoor pool construction."