Left to right: Claire Ironside (marketing executive at West Fraser), Helen Wilson, Peter Richardson and Matthew Walker (Woo Architects) and Jan-Carlos Kucharek (deputy editor of RIBA Journal).
THE ANNUAL SterlingOSB Zero/RIBAJ competition is now in its 11th year and established as a prestigious event — as well as one that produces great discussions with panelists and entrants alike.
It is designed to encourage architects to push the creative boundaries when considering the use of SterlingOSB Zero, the first UK produced OSB panel to be net carbon negative. The competition, where the winners enjoy cash prizes and industry acknowledgment, has seen some incredibly innovative creations in its time; each year poses a different challenge which is designed to reflect real-life topics in the architectural world.
Here, Matthew Walker of Woo Architects talks to West Fraser about his use of SterlingOSB Zero. Matthew Walker, Helen Wilson and Kevin Owens created the commended entry, Transformational Venue, in the West Fraser SterlingOSB Zero/RIBAJ competition: Zero to Hero.
What inspired your design concept for this competition?
The inspiration for design was to create something small, bespoke, and also modular. It also needed the capability to be rebuilt, reformed, taken away, taken apart and put back together again. We gravitated to this concept because we thought OSB gave us all those properties. It’s sustainable. It has the ability to be shaped into various different forms. It has its structural capabilities and also gives the right aesthetic for what we were going for in terms of a temporary and kind of unique one-off venue.
What are the most common issues you face when meeting sustainability goals?
Generally, the cost of the material and the time it takes to build with are definitely two big factors. We think that OSB gives a good, clear and understandable narrative when it comes to sustainability.
How has designing with OSB informed your view of the material in regards to versatility and aesthetic?
It’s a simple one. It’s a sustainable product. It can be completely recycled at end of use and is an easy swap for other sheet materials on site. It’s definitely got the aesthetic that we were looking for. In terms of choosing OSB for its versatility, its structural capability and also its finish, whether we’re going for a painted finish to highlight the texture of the material or whether it’s just a straight OSB finish, the material provided us just what we were looking for. In terms of offering a sustainable yet temporary facility, where we could build something that’s modular and quick to put up, quick to put down and can be re-used, and is cost effective, SterlingOSB Zero just made lots of sense.
See page 25 of our February/March 2025 issue on our Back Issues page.
