Plywood in Design

Plywood in Design

When you hear plywood most people automatically assume lower grade and associate it with cheap and low end products, that aren’t made to last. The opposite is true however, as the majority of plywood seen by people is the lower end softwood plywood used widely in construction as wall and floor panelling and concrete shuttering. This lower grade building material is made to be cheap and strong and is very effective at both and in most cases in construction provides the roof over many people’s heads.

When higher grade materials are used in the making of plywood like thinner hardwood plies the board as a whole is more rigid and uniform with a better appearance and which can be used to create curved structures easily using forms and heat or glue. This can be seen I the works of Alvar Aalto and the Eames brothers and also in the construction of aircraft and boats as well as in furniture and cabinet making.

Plywood was used extensively in the Second World War, especially by the UK, seen most notably in the De Havilland Mosquito bomber, sometimes referred to as the wooden wonder as it had a fuselage made of balsa wood core sandwiched by plywood and plywood wrapped wings. Plywood was also used in the hulls of motor torpedo and gun boats.

During my own time in GMIT Letterfrack I have come to respect the material often used for construction as a furniture grade material with a unique aesthetic and exceptional strength and bending characteristics. s, that aren’t made to last. The opposite is true however, as the majority of plywood seen by people is the lower end softwood plywood used widely in construction as wall and floor panelling and concrete shuttering. This lower grade building material is made to be cheap and strong and is very effective at both and in most cases in construction provides the roof over many people’s heads.

When higher grade materials are used in the making of plywood like thinner hardwood plies the board as a whole is more rigid and uniform with a better appearance and which can be used to create curved structures easily using forms and heat or glue. This can be seen I the works of Alvar Aalto and the Eames brothers and also in the construction of aircraft and boats as well as in furniture and cabinet making.

Plywood was used extensively in the Second World War, especially by the UK, seen most notably in the De Havilland Mosquito bomber, sometimes referred to as the wooden wonder as it had a fuselage made of balsa wood core sandwiched by plywood and plywood wrapped wings. Plywood was also used in the hulls of motor torpedo and gun boats.

During my own time in GMIT Letterfrack I have come to respect the material often used for construction as a furniture grade material with a unique aesthetic and exceptional strength and bending characteristics.