There are some projects we like to come back to. First, we showcase them ourselves, and later, others start asking about them. Sometimes a project becomes not only a litmus test for the knowledge, determination, and capabilities of the team involved, but also a source of pride for the entire company. For Burnblock and WJ Group, such a project is the Creative Centre at York St John University in England.
When we think of the UK, we often picture majestic universities with a long history. This is one of them – York St John University, established in 1841. In the heart of its 44,515 m² (11-acre) campus, the Creative Centre was built: a low-carbon footprint facility designed for students of the arts and technology. A space where architecture and concept align within the framework of sustainable development. And as we know, ideas have no limits. As it turns out, neither does wood – especially when combined with a team of experts and the right treatment methods.
Let’s take a closer look at this impressive project. The 3,000 m² building, designed by Tate+Co, was entirely clad in prefabricated timber – both inside and out. The vision? A centre with a view of York Minster and the ambition to achieve the highest environmental standards (BREEAM Excellent). The material of choice was Siberian larch, protected by WJ FireWright using Burnblock®.
I think it was one of the things that kick-started our journey and people being aware of WJ. It was our first coating job and we were doing it in-house.
says Alex Torkington
With such complex and demanding undertakings, a network of dependencies is key to project success. In this case, the raw timber was supplied by Russwood. However, the decision on how to protect the wood lay with the client. The interior, acoustic panels, and a large part of the façade required fire-retardant treatment, and the contractor, BCL Timber Projects, sought a solution that would be safe, ecological, and non-toxic.
York St John was a project I got involved in within the first few months of joining WJ. They were looking for sustainable and functional solutions that would make the building look as creative and beautiful as possible.
Alex recalls
But the coatings tested to that point had failed to meet the standard required for fire protection – specifically, achieving a consistent application necessary to ensure fire classification B-s1,d0.
Another important factor was maintaining the natural colour and texture of the wood. At the time, WJ FireWright had just completed trials with Teknos coatings. The missing piece of the puzzle was a fire-retardant solution. This was where Burnblock® came in. Alex knew that this two-layer system had the potential to meet both the visual expectations and the fire classification requirements.
Natural, non-toxic, and 100% biodegradable composition, proven performance in fire tests, and advanced trial results finally convinced the main contractor, Kier Group, to opt for the Teknos + Burnblock® technology. The decision to pursue long-term cooperation with Burnblock® was based not only on product parameters. The partners also received detailed guidance, instructions, and analysis – that is, full technical support and comprehensive documentation.
The project used a total of 190 m³ of timber, of which 70 m³ was coated with a fire-retardant system. Carefully selected Siberian larch was deeply impregnated with Burnblock® to provide B-s1,d0 fire resistance while preserving its structure and colour. It was then finished with protective coatings from Teknos, enhancing durability in changing outdoor conditions.
This was also WJ FireWright’s debut in applying the coating system in-house – an achievement that came at a considerable effort. The challenges included limited working space for the vacuum coater and the need to check every single board to ensure compliance with the fire certification system requirements.
How did they do it? It turned out that manually weighing each board was the only reliable way to ensure the correct amount of product was applied.
What made it more difficult was the specification of the coating was 70 grams per square meter. So we had to weigh every single piece of timber to make sure that we were getting the right volume of coating on. It was an absolute nightmare, but what did we get as a result? A project we proudly show off on a regular basis!
Alex from WJ FireWright recalls
The project won numerous prestigious awards, including:
- RIBA Yorkshire Building of the Year 2023
- RIBA Client of the Year 2023
- RIBA Sustainability Award 2023
- Times Higher Education Outstanding Estates Team 2023
- York Design Awards – Sustainability & Community/Education
It’s a fantastic building that draws attention. It shows how beautiful and safe timber-based constructions can be. And how much of a difference the right partner can make. I also think it’s thanks to this project that people began to see WJ and Burnblock as the optimal fire-retardant solution for timber.
concludes Alex Torkington
The Creative Centre offers not only excellent acoustics and natural finishes, but also meets the highest fire safety standards (B-s1,d0 class). This is particularly important in public buildings. We are proud that Burnblock® could play a role in such a spectacular, sustainable, and timeless project.
We asked Alex about WJ FireWright’s future plans:
We want to be the leading supplier of fire-retardant timber products in the UK. This year, we doubled our production capacity. We now have an autoclave and seven drying kilns, which increases our output to over 300 m³ per month – and we’re very pleased about that. Our plans for the future are to make full use of it.
We wish Alex and WJ FireWright all the best and once again congratulate them on this impressive achievement.
Read more about this project here and also remember to visit WJ FireWright.