Center Focus on Wooden Architecture

The Biophilia Hypothesis

Coined by social psychologist, Eric Fromm, the term Biophilia is the idea that even as humans evolve, we maintain an innate desire to be connected to and at one with nature.  The term was popularized by biologist, Edward Wilson, who expounded upon this Aristotelian concept of a, “love of life”—Bio, meaning life, and philia, meaning love of. Like taking a deep breath as instinct or being enraptured by the vastness of a sunrise over a deep valley. Nature calls to us. It’s in our DNA, our spirituality and day-to-day rituals and practices. This is what the Biophilic Hypothesis proposes.

As time passed and the architecture industry came to flourish, wood has been a foundational element of the craft. Even when the trend has waned towards and away from wood architecture, wood architecture design has come to represent something nostalgic, foundational, and timeless. With growing trends occurring in the mid 2010’s, the rustic aesthetic has called for a rise in lumber centered architecture. People were no longer painting over wood as a design choice, but instead they were letting the raw wood be of great aesthetic value. Architectural wood doors, windows and siding was now luxury.

From crafts to homes, wood designing grows more popular everyday that passes as people are looking to take design back to natural states. For a more simplistic look over the past few years, crafters have been shaping wooden art and selling the pieces blank as is allowing for a more cohesive feel into your displayed space. Wooden crafts blend in well with modern day architecture as the collaborative design brings in classic and modern day feels. Vice versa by adding modern touches to wooden designing is another great way to make your vision unlike any others.

Adding a few accent colors around bare wooden architecture, will always make the wood stand out. The use of wood in your designing should always be the main focus. Adding a feature wallpaper wall will make the room stand out from the rest. Creating a plant feature wall will make an extremely noticeable feature especially in the Summer season when bringing the outdoors in is a major request for room renovations all around.

Sustainably Timeless Materials

Heavy duty materials like iron, steel and other mined materials have only improved and strengthened architectural practices, but lumber remains a foundational element of the craft due to its accessibility, nimble versatility, and environmentally conscious impacts. Some governments have begun to push for the use of timber as a primary means of construction due to its lesser effects on the environments than other harshly manufactured materials. Lumber is renewable and consumes the least amount of energy during production since it does not take as much effort to mine and form.

In addition to its environmentally friendly attributes, wood also provides an heir of unique luxury to each individual project thanks to some of its key features such as its color, scent, texture/ grain and veining. A wood’s texture/ grain and veining are what makes it unique and gives it its one-of-a-kind finish. These wood architecture details are what makes this material stand out. And beyond aesthetics, wood offers great sound absorption and can act as a thermal insulator allowing you to cut back on heating and cooling costs.

Prefab Homes

Bensonwood, amongst others, is a company that specializes in sustainable prefab homes, with architectural wood panel, expertly crafted from lumber to make constructing a living space quicker, user friendly and cost effective. These homes are an investment, but they are built to ensure future generations don’t suffer the detrimental effects of construction processes of today.

Living large comes at a big price. Despite efforts made to recycle scraps and materials, building a traditional home is just an unfeasible detriment to the environment. Construction waste contributes to 40% of the solid waste found in the US, according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Extra materials are ordered, weathered materials are thrown out, plans change and construction has to adapt and completely change a fixture that was already built. An immeasurable number of factors contribute to construction costs rising and the amount of waste growing.

There is an estimated 10,000 people living in Tiny Homes in the US alone. Their reach has grown rapidly amongst downsizing retirees, starter home-seeking couples and minimalist young people. Tiny homes are great for those looking to get out of the bustling and congested cities and get back in touch with nature.

Additionally, the sustainable living homes are beneficial for their lower price points, lower construction material waste production, reduction of carbon footprint, and a significant reduced energy consumption. With an estimated 40% of harmful emissions coming from buildings, these sustainable living spaces are just what the world needs right now.

Panda and Wood Clad Efficiency

At Panda Windows and Doors, we value innovation, top performance and energy efficiency. With our all aluminum and wood clad thermally broken line of doors, you can save on your home’s energy cost, by allowing our systems to help regulate the temperature in your home by creating a barrier between inside and outside. The thermally broken systems prevent the flow of thermal energy and provides protection against the elements allowing you to save energy. Below are some of our architectural wood door options:

Lift & Slide Door

The Panda Lift & Slide style sliding doors are one of the best options when looking to maximize weather resistance in the coldest or warmest climates. With a unique system of levers and wheels, this mechanism creates an airtight seal to keep your home at a comfortable climate regardless of the elements outside. With this temperature regulated addition to your home, you can spend less money on heating or cooling cost and more time enjoying your ideal indoor environment. The TS.13 and IS.14 systems come with wood clad thermally broken configurations.

Horizontal Sliding Wall

These sliding glass walls offer a frameless option giving you a virtually unobstructed view of the world outside your walls. This lets in more sunlight during the cooler months to warm up your space without relying on your heating and cooling system.

With our Horizontal Sliding Walls, a thermally broken system lets this energy efficient door stand up to the harshest of climates. These glass walls come with a thermally broken aluminum option and a thermally broken aluminum/ wood-clad option that helps you save energy. The HSW.75 system comes wood clad and thermally broken.

French Door

French doors—also called egress or terrace doors—are a timeless option for your home. With our aluminum based French Doors, your system is guaranteed to be durable, lightweight and weather resistant – even with repetitive daily use. And with our Low-E glass, which is standard for most of our systems, you reduce energy cost by letting in the sunlight, but keeping out the heat that comes with it. The TS.69 system comes wood clad and thermally broken.

Pivot Door

One of the most popular trends in luxury architecture is the Pivot Door. This oversized staple feature is the perfect first impression to show your guests. Customizable to your home or commercial property, these systems can be designed up to 16ft tall and 8ft wide. The TS.69 system is available in a thermally broken wood clad configuration.

Q&A

• Is wood used in architecture?
  • Wood is one of the oldest used materials in construction, dated all the way back to the Neolithic period.
• How long can wooden architecture last?
  • A properly built wooden structure can last 100-150 years if taken good care of.
• What is sustainable living?
  • Sustainable living is a conscientious way of doing life where you focus your efforts on limiting your energy use and reducing your carbon footprint to create a thriving environment for future generations to come.
• What is Biophilic Design?
  • Biophilic design is a way of purposefully integrating and/or invoking nature into the architectural design of a space. This is utilized through the formation of a space as well as the materials used in the space. Wood and wood architecture is a method of creating a biophilic space.
• What makes wood better than other stronger materials?
  • Besides its renewable and eco efficient attributes, the true uniqueness is in the wood architecture details such as the color, scent, texture/ grain and veining.

Download one of Panda’s door buying guides to help determine the perfect door that’s right for you. Our selection is expansive, and you’re sure to find the perfect door for your style, space, and life.