Charred timber cladding for IBM in Lille

With more than 6,500 m² of facade, the IBM Euratechnologies building in Lille is presented as the largest charred timber building in the world. Delivered in six months instead of twelve by the developer Tereneo (a Nexity subsidiary), it marks a turning point in IBM France’s strategy. Its cladding in charred Accoya boards draws on the Japanese yakisugi technique: more than 80 m³ of sawn Accoya were profiled and then carbonised in the workshop by Romain Brunet Manquat, of the Bruzat joinery, under the brand “Les Brûleurs de Bois”. Charred at maximum intensity to obtain a deep black with a “crocodile skin” appearance, the boards were laid with no finish at all and will not fade. The architect Charlotte Lartigue, of the agency Lalou + Lebec, chose Accoya for its class 1 biological durability, its dimensional stability even in wide boards, its 50-year guarantee and its Cradle to Cradle Gold certification.