Yakisugi

Yakisugi (Japanese: 焼杉, lit. 'to heat cypress with fire') is a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation.[1][2] It is referred to in the West as burnt timber cladding and is also known as shou sugi ban (焼杉板), a misreading which uses the same kanji characters but an alternative pronunciation. The ban character means "plank".

Traditional houses in Naoshima, Kagawa clad with yakisugi panels
Close-up view of charred yakisugi board
Yakisugi treated wood used in a box for sunglasses

By slightly charring the surface of the wood without combusting the whole piece, the wood becomes water-proof through the carbonisation and is thus more durable, [3][4] however there is conflicting evidence that this method of wood preservation does not improve durability or fire resistance.[5] It also protects against insects, as well as making the wood fire retardant.[6]

Examples

Contemporary architect Terunobu Fujimori works with yakisugi.[7][8]

References
  1. Fortini, Amanda (19 September 2017). "The Latest Design Trend: Black and Burned Wood". The New York Times.
  2. MacDonald, Deanna (9 February 2016). Eco Living Japan: Sustainable Ideas for Living Green. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-1845-4.
  3. "Use This Incredible Technique to Waterproof Wood Furniture". Architectural Digest. 3 November 2017.
  4. Mehta, Geeta; MacDonald, Deanna (9 July 2012). New Japan Architecture: Recent Works by the World's Leading Architects. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-0850-9.
  5. Hasburgh, Laura E.; Zelinka, Samuel L.; Bishell, Amy B.; Kirker, Grant T. (16 September 2021). "Durability and Fire Performance of Charred Wood Siding (Shou Sugi Ban)". Forests. 12 (9): 1262. doi:10.3390/f12091262.
  6. Steele, James (16 March 2017). "Contemporary Japanese Architecture: Tracing the Next Generation". Routledge.
  7. "Yakisugi House by Terunobu Fujimori", Megan Wilton, Dezeen, 11 March 2009, Photograph: Edmund Sumner.
  8. "Interiors: A Japanese charred-timber house inspired by a cave dwelling", Yuki Sumner, The Telegraph, 28 August 2009
  • Media related to Yakisugi at Wikimedia Commons


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