PAVA

Teak Cycle

by PAVA

Project: Thematic Pavilion, Teak
at Architect Expo 2023, “Time of Togetherness”
25-30 April 2023, at Challenger Hall 1-3, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani

Teak World

Teak (Tectona grandis) is native to the Indian – Burmese Floristic Region. It is found specifically in India, Myanmar and Thailand. In order to serve the global market’s demand, Teak has been extensively planted for plantation forest across various tropical climate countries; in Asia, including Laos, Indonesia and Bangladesh, in African countries such as Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania, as well as in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela and Colombia. The quality of teak is best when it is cultivated from an abundant natural forest in its native area which is older than 60 years old.

Teak Ecosystem

Teak can be found naturally in a mixed deciduous forest and is occasionally found on a riverbank in some rainforest. The suitable condition for teak cultivation is at 100-700 meters above the mean sea level with 1200-3600 millimeters of annual precipitation, 3-5 months of dry season, highly permeable soil, and in an area with occasional wildfire. High quality teak is typically found in a dry upper mixed deciduous forest which bearing teak as a dominant tree that grows up among mixed species of plants such as Burma padauk (Pterocarpus macrocarpus), Burma Ironwood (Xylia xylocarpa), Guava Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia calyculata), and White Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia tomentosa). Additionally, the low plants that are common to teak forest includes Long sheath bamboo (Thyrsostachys siamensis), Indian timber bamboo (Bambusa tulda), Burmese bamboo (Bambusa polymorpha.) and Solid bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus). The common pollinators such as Stingless bee, Dwarf honey bee, Lemon emigrant, Oriental blue fly, and Small carpenter bee are commonly found pollinating at the canopy level of teak trees.

Teak Anatomy

Teak is a deciduous tree which has the circumferential growth rate at 1 - 2.5 centimeters per year. Fully grown teak trees are typically taller than 20 meters, having greyish-brown straight trunk with shallow-cracked along its bark and no branches are presented until the near top for its large canopy. Teak wood has a golden brown colour with apparent annual rings pattern. The number of annual rings can be used to estimate the tree’s age; 1 layer of teak’s annual ring refers to 1 year of living. The leaves of teak will sprout along the branches and trunk, in adverting direction with one another. Teak leaves are large when the tree is young, thus they get smaller as the tree aged. The leaves normally have a rough surface texture. While the back side of the leaves has a dark green colour with pinnate venation, the front side of the leaves has visible embossed line and a light green colour. Teak leaves will start shedding during November and December, and will be completely shed in January up until March. Thus, the leaves sprouting restarts in April and during rainy season in May, and they will be fully grown in July.

Teak Sustainable Cycle

Sustainable Harvesting is a process of harvesting resources that aims to create sustainable yield, which the products can be used now and continuingly used in the future, creating cycles of resources that are sustainably renewable. For Example, in Myanmar, there is a managing system called ‘Brandis Selection System’ or ‘Myanmar Selection System (MSS)’, which has been practicing in Myanmar by England since 1856. The MSS method is regulated by selective season, selection of cultivable trees, and prescribed the boundary of annual allowable cut (AAC). In addition, the cultivation will happen only once and in only one particular area a year, leading to sustainable teak forest usage. Furthermore, the Girdling method is employed for cutting process, the teak tree will be left dying in a standing state for 3 years to drain out all moisture before cut down. Since the cultivation commonly happens on a steep mountain area that is covering with plants, elephants are a suitable way for logs transporting. Likewise, this method also lowers the cost and lessen the impacts on the surrounding creating by machines.

Teak Vernacular

Teak is popular for its strenght and the lower rate of shrinking and streching. In addition, the tectoquinone in the wood gives it a resistance to termites. The wood can easily be dried by natural sunlight and air, furthermore, it can be sawn, cut, shaved, sharpen and decorated easily, therefore Teak is widely and extensively put to use. For architectural construction purposes, teak’s large leaves can be used for thatching. The trunk is used as coloumn, flooring, walling and for doors and windows. Teak also has other benefits, for example, the leaves and wood for herbal benefits and the aged leaves for dyeing colours. Teak had been used to construct architectural elements for vernacular architecture. Besides, it had been used to create domestic products, sculturing and musical instruments through local intelligence, tools and methods. In which, all have shown that the usage of teak has been widely spread because of its unique usability features since the ancient times.

Teak Potential

Teak products are popular due to their beauty, durability and versatile usage. More importantly, wood products have lower environmental impacts and lower rate of Carbon Footprint comparing to others construction material because lesser energy is required for productions. Likewise, the end products can be reused, recycled and biodegradable. Nowadays, modern technology and manufacturing process have been used in teak timber productions to enhance the accuracy, decrease production time and increase the possibilities of usability. For example, employing kilning process which is faster than drying process, using machines to saw the wood for more accuracy and less unusable wood chips. By pre-finishing texture form factories also help controlling the quality of product and lessen on-site workloads, resulting a faster construction. Including Mass timber technology, which made by compressed layers of wood fastens by adhesives. It is able to control quality, examine strength and is flame retardant, thus, able to use in a complex building construction.