Kebony enhances Historic California Park

Martial Cottle Park in San Jose, California recently welcomed three new facilities expected to achieve LEED Silver certifications. These additions, built with Kebony’s modified softwoods, will complement the 287-acre landscape and include a 4,000 square foot Visitor Centre adjacent to the park’s historic orchards, a 3,600 square foot Staff and Maintenance Building with storage and a 300 square foot entry kiosk.

Contractors used Kebony facade as a sun shading device and rain screen for the cladding on each of the facilities. The modified softwood was also applied to pre-fabricated bathrooms and utilised as a fencing material connected to the structures. The project, designed by professionals at Page & Turnbull in collaboration with the California and Santa Clara County Departments of Parks and Recreation, will offer space for park staff and visitor orientation, two spacious informative exhibits, and indoor and outdoor galleries.

Developed in Norway, Kebony’s technology permanently enhances the properties of sustainable softwood, giving it the same characteristics and cellular makeup of tropical hardwoods. Kebony was chosen as a key construction material for this project because of the company’s environmental commitment. The wood’s durability and striking natural beauty made it the ideal choice for the project, which required both durable and low-maintenance materials. Kebony wood has a rich brown colour that eventually fades to a silver-grey patina.

The park, which opened in December 2014 as a joint County and State project, was donated by Walter Cottle Lester to be turned into a historic agricultural park. Lester wanted to preserve the heritage of the area and provide Santa Clara families with educational and recreational opportunities pertaining to the landscape. The park has a working farm and additional trails for running, hiking and biking.

Tom Dufurrena, Principal Architect at Page & Turnbull explained: “We wanted to use building materials that would showcase the natural scenery of this beautiful landscape without compromising the structural integrity of the facilities. Kebony’s durability, high resistance to California’s extreme weather conditions and toxin-free nature aligned with our vision of sustainability and giving back to this park district.”