| 53
In the 18th century, Shoreditch was at the heart of the UK furniture industry, and the James Latham warehouse, which would occupy the space for the next 42 years, represented the distributor’s first commercial property since its foundation in 1757. The establishment of the drying shed and warehouse marked the starting point of James Latham’s ongoing aspiration not only to champion timber as a preferred architectural and joinery material but also to make it as accessible as possible for its diverse audience of specifiers, fit-out professionals, and furniture manufacturers. This approach remains at the heart of the business today. Since these modest beginnings, James Latham has grown significantly over the last 200 years to occupy 18 sites and become one of the nation’s most respected distributors of sustainable, technical timber. Ever aware of its rich heritage and association with London’s East End, when The Black & White Building project was presented by Pacegrade the firm jumped at the opportunity to be involved. “Not only does this project represent a landmark in commercial architecture, it also allowed us to re-establish our association with this vibrant community, which remains a centre for design and craftsmanship,” explained James Latham’s chairman, Nick Latham. “It’s amazing to see how TOG, Waugh Thistleton, and Daytrip Studios have used timber to such great effect within both the structure and finish of the building.” “Indeed, the project also perfectly represents James Latham’s tradition-rooted but forward-thinking approach, a constantly evolving distributor with over 265 years of timber distribution expertise.”
TOTALLY TIMBER
The Black & White Building possesses many other stand-out features, complementing James Latham’s contribution and emphasising timber’s incredible potential for interior and exterior specifications.
These include thermally modified timber (TMT) louvres on the building’s exterior, which reduce solar gain on the façade while maximising the natural light reaching the interior (see p50). Running from street level to rooftop, the louvres change in depth as they ascend the building in order to optimise energy efficiency.
The louvres were made from tulipwood, recommended by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC). As well as being affordable and attractive, tulipwood is lightweight, hardwearing, readily replenished, and currently available in surplus as a result of storms in the US bringing down many shallow-rooted trees. Structurally, the architects made use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber (LVL). These are high- performance wooden materials that are ►
Above: The building possesses many stand-out features – including thermally modified timber louvres on the exterior – demonstrating timber’s incredible potential for interior and exterior specifications
www.ttjonline.com | January/February 2023 | TTJ
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
