Each designer is working with a choice of two American hardwood species (a single species or a combination), which are hard maple and red oak. Together, these two species account for nearly 25% of the eastern hardwood forests of the USA, one of the largest and most sustainable hardwood resources in the world.

Because these benches will be for outdoor use, the American hard maple and red oak will be thermally-modified, involving high heat in a vacuum, carried out after normal kiln drying. Thermally-modified timber (TMT) is ideal for outdoor use, as it has both increased durability and dimensional stability. Thermally-modified American hardwoods are suitable for applications such as cladding, decking and shading structures, as well as in outdoor furniture and their environmental impact is extremely low. While this material is not yet used widely in the Middle East, it has so much to offer as a natural and low-environmental impact alternative to many other wood and non-wood products.

American red oak

American red oak is the dominant species in the U.S. hardwood forests – with distinctive grain, and wood that is not always red in colour. The name comes from the leaf colour in the fall. Red oak may be sold on the basis of ‘northern’, ‘southern’ and ‘Appalachian’.

FIA data shows U.S. red oak growing stock is 2.62 billion m3, 17.9% of total U.S. hardwood growing stock. American red oak is growing 60.6 million m3 per year while the harvest is 31.9 million m3 per year. The net volume (after harvest) is increasing 28.7 million m3 each year. U.S. red oak growth exceeds or is in balance with harvest in all states except Texas.

It takes 1.04 seconds to grow 1m³ of American red oak.

American hard maple

American hard maple, growing naturally in the hardwood forests of North America, is world-renowned for its delicate colour, hardness, fine grain and finishing quality.

FIA data shows U.S. hard maple growing stock is 995 million m3, 6.5% of total U.S. hardwood growing stock. American hard maple is growing 19.1 million m3 per year while the harvest is 10.2 million m3 per year. Net volume (after harvest) is increasing 8.8 million m3 each year. U.S. hard maple growth exceeds harvest in all major supplying states except Maine. In Maine maple harvests have been high relative to growth, mainly due to increased extraction for pulpwood and bioenergy supplies, and because maple-dominated hardwood forests are slowly being replaced by softwood forest types.

It takes 3.31 seconds to grow 1m³ of American hard maple.

Using material volume data collected by the United Arab Emirates-based manufacturers - Urban Studio and Alfa Interiors & Furniture - and based on AHEC’s Life Cycle Assessment tool, it has calculated that all the maple and red oak used to make the three benches would be replaced in the US hardwood forest through natural regeneration in just 5.8 seconds. At the same time, for the duration of their existence, the three benches will keep approximately 1 metric ton of CO2 equivalent out of the atmosphere.

Photography by Natelee Cocks