{"id":701558,"date":"2026-05-29T05:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T05:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/701558\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T05:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T05:41:11","slug":"products-in-practice-bennpennas-andrew-benn-on-the-new-but-lived-in-timber-that-clients-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/701558\/","title":{"rendered":"Products in Practice: Benn+Penna’s Andrew Benn on the ‘new but lived\u2011in’ timber that clients love"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this installment of Products in Practice we speak to architect Andrew Benn, founder of Sydney-based practice, Benn+Penna. Definining moments in childhood have shaped Benn\u2019s penchant for celebrating Australia\u2019s natural environment, resulting in a body of work that is deeply rooted in material clarity and authenticity. Today, he discusses Birchgrove Husks, a residential project in Sydney\u2019s inner west and the kiln-dried timber product he wrapped around its facade. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favourite architectural product right now, and what do you love about it?<\/p>\n

We generally love using timber claddings, especially those that age gracefully. Among them, Abodo\u2019s Vulcan Cladding stands out for its durability and beauty. As a thermally-modified timber, it performs reliably without chemical treatments. Its consistent pale tone and clean grain suit contemporary architecture, while its strong sustainability credentials make it a good choice.<\/p>\n

If you had to describe Abodo\u2019s Vulcan Cladding in just three words, what would they be? <\/p>\n

Beautiful, raw, sensual.<\/p>\n

\"Birchgrove<\/p>\n

View gallery<\/p>\n

Can you talk us through how you\u2019ve used it in a recent project?<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve wrapped the house almost entirely in Abodo Vulcan, letting it form a continuous timber husk that feels protective and quietly expressive. The cladding reads as a single, tactile skin \u2013 soft toned and fine grained \u2013 giving the building a calm, crafted presence.<\/p>\n

By committing to one material, the architecture feels both contemporary and elemental, as if the house has been carved from a single, living surface.<\/p>\n

What feedback have you received from clients about the cladding? <\/p>\n

Our clients consistently tell us how much they love the warmth and calmness of the Vulcan cladding \u2013 it feels natural without looking rustic. They\u2019ve been surprised by how stable the appearance has remained, with the boards holding their tone far more consistently than typical softwoods. They love how it feels \u2018new but lived\u2011in,\u2019 as if the timber has settled into the buildings appearance.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

View gallery<\/p>\n

Do you have any tips for other designers looking to specify Vulcan\u2019s cladding products?<\/p>\n

Pay attention to profile selection and board width because the shadow behaviour is subtle, and that subtlety is part of its charm. And don\u2019t overthink longevity: We\u2019ve found it far more consistent in tone and texture than most softwoods. But still recognise that it does subtly change over time, particularly under eaves and areas that are less exposed.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s an architectural product you\u2019re keen to experiment with that you haven\u2019t used previously?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m keen to experiment with rammed earth, particularly for its ability to deliver an incredible sense of mass, but also its wonderful textural qualities. It offers a kind of monolithic honesty that feels both ancient and contemporary. It\u2019s a material I haven\u2019t used before, but its potential for sculptural form and environmental performance makes it really compelling.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In this installment of Products in Practice we speak to architect Andrew Benn, founder of Sydney-based practice, Benn+Penna.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":701559,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":["post-701558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}