Black House Series Chapter 10 ~ What is 'Shou Sugi Ban' & why you need to know about it
I am excited to share with you the art of this ancient Japanese craft, its relevance in contemporary design, how I became obsessed with it & launched a lighting range using the technique.
Our Journey to the Black House Dream
When we started on our renovation journey, Matt (the husband) and I both envisioned our dream Black House. We did lots of research and finally agreed that the best plan for the house was to clad the exterior in a mix of corrugated steel and Siberian Larch which had been preserved using the Shou Sugi Ban process. The reason for the mix, was a cost saving exercise as there were walls that would never be visible so it made sense not to use the wood cladding on one of the neighbouring side elevations.
What is Shou Sugi Ban?
Shou Sugi Ban - the science of toasting wood, is the Japanese art of preserving and finishing the wood by charring it with fire. It’s a centuries-old technique and is not just visually breathtaking but also imbues the wood with enhanced resistance to fire, pests, and decay, making it an ideal choice for exterior cladding. I still can’t get over the fact that it can withstand all of those things and will outlive us.
The oldest wood building in the world dates back to 711 AD and still stands. You can visit the Horyuji Temple in Japan, which was built using burnt wood. Japan is on my travel bucket list, as soon as the little ladies are old enough to appreciate it, we will hopefully visit.
Photo credit: https://www.japan-guide.com
Once we had settled on Shou Sugi Ban, we had to find a supplier which was trickier than we had anticipated.