Kebony stands the test of time in Norway’s Nansen Park

The award-winning Global Cleantech 100 company, Kebony continues to demonstrate its pioneering product offering with a number of high profile international projects, including Norway’s Nansen Park. 

Landscape architects Bjørbekk and Lindheim chose Kebony’s award winning sustainable alternative to tropical hardwood and toxic preservative treated wood for more than 30 buildings, bridges, docks and children play areas at the Nansen Park. 

Situated on the waterfront of the Snarøya peninsula near Oslo, Nansen Park lies at the heart of the community – a popular outdoor recreation space built on the site of the former Fornebu International Airport and named after the great Norwegian explorer, Fridtjof Nansen. The park has remarkable environmental credentials, demonstrated through the widespread use of local vegetation, a vast central pond and, of course, Kebony. 

Chosen not only for its environmental qualities, Kebony is also aesthetic, non-toxic and, of particular importance in the harsh Norwegian climate, durable, resistant to decay, easy to maintain and cost effective. The product demonstrates comparable, and often superior, properties to tropical hardwood: Kebony’s high density and exceptional quality ensures it is resistant to wear and weathering without the need for any expensive and environmentally-damaging chemical treatments. As such, the decking continues to evolve with the surrounding natural landscape of the park and has acquired a beautiful silver grey patina over time. 

Mr. Simen Gylseth, for Bjørbekk & Lindheim comments: “Kebony has obvious advantages compared to ordinary wooden materials...Kebony also has a better durability, which is of great importance in areas with direct contact to soil, as well as stone, concrete, steel and other foundation materials, where the wood will dry slower after rain. The improved wear- and dent-resistance of Kebony was a key criteria as it is important to us that the material stands heavy use.” 

Jan Terje Nielsen, Director of Marketing for Kebony comments: “Bjørbekk & Lindheim won the competition to design the park and we are thrilled that they chose Kebony for such a landmark project. Since opening, the Kebony decking has endured very tough weather conditions and continues to look beautiful, perfectly complementing its surroundings.” 

In Norway, the UK and internationally, leading architects, contractors and developers alike are increasingly turning to high quality, durable and environmentally-friendly products. Kebony offers a revolutionary wood product that can be used not only for exterior decking but also cladding, flooring, roofing, windows, indoor and outdoor furniture, yacht decking and other construction materials. 

Kebony has received several awards in recognition for its green credentials. The Norwegian wood company was named as one of the world’s most promising clean technology companies in the Global Cleantech 100, both in 2010 and 2011, in competition with more than 3,000 companies from 50 countries. Kebony also received Deloitte’s ‘Fast 50 Award’, was cited as one of the top 50 companies that could change our world in 2010, alongside being cited by CNBC as a top 25 creative European Company. Kebony has also received the Nordic region’s eco-label, the Swan, the Glass Bear for sustainable consumption and production and the Norwegian Blue Ocean Award. Kebony has a carbon footprint less than 10% of unsustainable logged timer such as Ipê or Burmese teak.* 

www.kebony.com  

*A recent study by Norwegian environmental consulting firm Bergfald & Co demonstrated Kebony maple to be a suitable substitute for unsustainable Burmese teak in maritime and other applications, with a substantially lower carbon footprint.

Kebony ASA

Kebony® offers a sustainable alternative to tropical hardwood. A proprietary wood modification technology called 'Kebonization' permanently transforms sustainable wood specifies…