A combination of tradition and modernity thanks to the use of Accoya®

Englebert Strauss, the leading European mail-order company for workwear and protective equipment, sought an ultra-durable material that reflected and complemented the brand image. Accoya® wood was used for the building's cladding, perfectly illustrating the robust and practical nature of the brand's workwear. Roggemann, the German and Polish distributor of Accoya® wood, supplied 500m² of this high-tech timber for the project. The wood was then coated with a clear stain to highlight its natural beauty. This, combined with the building's understated structure, offers the perfect blend of modernity and ease of use. The Englebert Strauss workwear store also incorporated a design robust enough to withstand the elements over time. The exceptional properties of Accoya® wood made it the ideal material for this outdoor application. Accoya® wood is highly durable and particularly well-suited for outdoor applications where performance and appearance are paramount. Unlike most tropical and European hardwoods, its color does not fade when exposed to UV rays. Studies have shown that with Accoya® wood, the contraction and swelling cycle is reduced by 70-80%, thus lessening the expansion and contraction of film-forming coatings. Furthermore, Accoya® wood comes with a 50-year above-ground guarantee and a 25-year in-ground guarantee against mold and rot. Accoya® wood was used in two parts of the store: the main building and the Strauss Engelbert advertising totem that greets customers at the entrance and is easily visible from a distance. The use of Accoya® in two distinct structures lends symmetry to the design and contributes to the modern architecture. Product manager Jorg Neben states: “Accoya® wood is the ideal material for this construction. Its dimensional stability, durability and UV resistance will allow the building to last a long time and retain its aesthetic appearance, thus representing the Englebert Strauss name well.”  -FIN-  Additional information about Accsys Technologies and Accoya® is available at www.accsysplc.com and www.accoya.com. Notes to editors: Accsys Technologies (www.accsysplc.com) is an environmental science and technology company primarily focused on the production of Accoya® wood and technology licensing through its wholly owned subsidiary, Titan Wood Limited, which operates manufacturing facilities in Arnhem, the Netherlands, a European office in London, and a US office in Dallas, Texas. Accsys Technologies is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market and on Euronext Amsterdam by NYSE Euronext under the symbol "AXS". Accsys' operations include three main operating departments: (i) the Accoya® facility for wood production, (ii) technology development, focused on a continuous improvement program for process engineering and operating protocols for wood acetylation that are currently under development, as well as the development of technology for the acetylation of wood components, and (iii) technology licensing for the production of Accoya® wood and Tricoya® wood components worldwide. To access the Accsys Technologies news archive, please Visit www.accsysplc.com/news.asp. Accoya® wood (www.accoya.com) is produced using a process that is licensed worldwide. This process efficiently converts environmentally sustainable softwoods and non-sustainable hardwoods into "high-tech wood." Accoya® wood, distinguished by its durability, dimensional stability, and perhaps most importantly, its reliability (in terms of both quantity and quality), is particularly well-suited for outdoor applications where performance and appearance are paramount. Unlike most tropical and European hardwoods, its color does not degrade when exposed to UV rays. Furthermore, the Accoya® wood production process does not compromise the wood's strength or machinability. The combination of UV resistance, dimensional stability, durability, and retained strength means that Accoya® wood offers architects, designers, and specifiers a wealth of new possibilities. For uses in maritime navigation where loads are also heavier, Accoya® wood offers boat builders for the first time a wood that is strong, light and durable and that retains its natural beauty for a long time.   To access the complete Accoya® news archives, please visit www.accoya.com/news.asp. Wood acetylation  is a process that increases the amount of "acetyl" molecules in wood, changing its physical properties. This process protects the wood from mold by making it "inedible" to most microorganisms, but does not make it toxic, unlike conventional treatments. In addition, it significantly reduces the tendency of the wood to swell and contract, and therefore makes the wood less likely to crack, thus significantly reducing maintenance costs when the wood is painted.