06/11/2008 Metsäliitto Wood Products Industry delivered the wooded elements for the new building of the Bear & Water canoeing equipment shop in Sipoo, Finland. The delivery included a glulam frame, Finnforest roof panels, Kerto® for the wall and shelf structures, as well as a range of King panel timber cladding for the exterior walls. "I wanted to use as much wood as possible for the construction," says Björn Lehtinen, the owner and Managing Director of Bear & Water. "Timber is the natural construction material in Finland, and should be used more often." According to Lehtinen, timber is particularly suitable for a specialist shop for canoeing and hiking, as the customers are outdoor people and comfortable with the natural elements of nature. When commissioning the work, Lehtinen told architect Matti Rotko that the wood should not be covered. "I want to let the wood weather and mature naturally, and not cover it with layers of paint," Lehtinen says. The glued timber columns adorning the centre of the ridge roof hall are 7.5 metres high. The main supports of the roof are also of glulam, and remain uncovered. The 1,200 square metre building comprises the shopping space, storage and administrative facilities. The outer cladding is made from King panel, manufactured from split glulam beams. By using a panel which is 312 mm high and 42 mm thick, you can build a surface up to 12 metres in length without seams. "The overall construction schedule was boosted by the selection of Finnforest roofing panels," says Project Manager Petri Silvonen from Metsäliitto Wood Products Industry. "We very quickly had a roof over our heads to shelter the workers from the winter weather. The indoor work continued immediately once the roofing panels were installed." Bear & Water sell 1,500 canoes per year, most of them solo kayaks. The company is the Finnish industry leader and among the top five in Europe. Its location along the Helsinki-Porvoo motorway is convenient for those travelling from a distance. For further information: Project Manager Petri Silvonen, Metsäliitto Wood Products Industry, Building Solutions, tel. +358 50 511 4775 Managing Director Björn Lehtinen, Bear & Water Oy, tel. +358 500 474 835