If there is one material that defines wellbeing, it is wood!

At a time when we spend most of our time at home, we place greater value on the materials that make our surroundings more welcoming and pleasant. That is why today we are talking about wood: a material with a wide range of technical and aesthetic qualities that embodies wellbeing like few others.

We look at what lies behind that feeling —its thermal behaviour, its relationship with the humidity of the air, its role in acoustics and what research says about wood and health— and focus on the craftsmanship of Mardegan Legno, through two of its proposals: the Scolpito a mano surface treatment and the Casablanca shape.

Why wood conveys wellbeing

Among wood's most notable qualities is that it is a natural, renewable material. In the midst of a climate emergency this is a compelling reason to choose it, provided it comes from responsibly managed forests: this is what forest certifications such as FSC attest to, tracking the wood from the forest to the final product through the chain of custody.

• Thermal insulation: wood conducts heat far less than stone, ceramics or concrete, as the table shows. That is why it feels warm to the touch and, in building envelopes and window and door frames, contributes to energy savings.
• Humidity regulation: it is a hygroscopic material. It absorbs moisture from the air when the environment is humid and releases it as it dries, which helps to buffer changes in indoor humidity. This same capacity explains why wood moves —swelling and shrinking— with the climate of the room.
• Acoustics: solid wood is a hard material that reflects a good part of the sound. Where it helps to reduce echo and reverberation is in slotted or perforated wall and ceiling linings with absorbent material behind them; in floors, impact noise depends mainly on the base on which they are laid.
• Health and wellbeing: a scientific review published in 2015 by Burnard and Kutnar in Wood Science and Technology brings together studies that observed lower stress responses in rooms with wood than in rooms without it or with less of it, although the authors call for more research to confirm this.

All of this translates into a positive impact on people's quality of life, summed up in the word wellbeing: spaces that are more comfortable, warmer to the eye and to the touch, and more pleasant to spend many hours in.

Beauty, expression and versatility

And what is most immediately striking is its beauty. The naturalness and expressiveness of the grain, together with how easily it can be worked, make wood a highly versatile material, with an enormous range of design solutions: from tone and finish to the format of the piece and the laying pattern.

All these characteristics, combined with craftsmanship that respects nature, add to the richness of wood. That is why we want to highlight the work of Mardegan Legno, whose artisan processes bring out the beauty of the material.

Mardegan Legno: craftsmanship from Slavonian oak

Mardegan Legno was born in Hungary, close to its main raw material, Slavonian oak. It manufactures in Barcs (Hungary) and has its commercial headquarters in Fanzolo di Vedelago (Treviso, Italy). It combines artisan production with respect for nature and the environment: in 2020 it held FSC forest certification for both production and sales, and could supply its FSC-certified oak to order. It also states that it complies with the EU Timber Regulation (EU 995/2010).

At that time its catalogue comprised 15 parquet collections, 144 hand-applied colours, 13 surface treatments and 7 shapes; the manufacturer put the number of possible combinations at 3,714. The shapes were the plank, herringbone (Italian and Hungarian), Damasco, quadrotte, Casablanca and, for walls, Be:Wall and Wall:Design. These are the surface treatments, with their original Italian names:

To see the differences between treatments and shapes, the best option is unquestionably to see and touch them: a hand-worked wood surface is only truly appreciated when you experience its texture by touch.

Scolpito a mano: carving by master craftsmen

It would take too long to discuss each collection, so from Mardegan Legno's range we have selected one surface treatment and one shape. The first is Scolpito a mano (hand-carved), an exclusive treatment carried out by the brand's master craftsmen with chisel-blade planes.

The result is an interweaving of the grooves left by the chisel and the natural grain of each board. Its texture creates an evocative relief and lends character to a room. Like most of the brand's treatments, it has a micro-bevel on all four sides; in 2020 it was offered in seven collections.

Casablanca: geometry with the grain of the wood

Of the shapes, today we have chosen the one called Casablanca: intersections of different geometric shapes coexist with the grain of the wood, unified by colour, creating a formal interplay that brings distinction, elegance and movement.

Mardegan Legno describes it as a chequerboard of surfaces and volumes, uniform in colour and surface treatment but rich in lines and movement. It can be used to floor several rooms or to highlight just one part of a space. In 2020 it was offered in twelve of the fifteen collections.

Key points when specifying a wood floor

Whatever the surface treatment or shape, these points are best resolved at the design stage:

• Certified origin: if the project needs to demonstrate the responsible sourcing of the wood, ask for the FSC certificate for the specific product.
• Indoor climate: as a hygroscopic material, wood moves with humidity. Mardegan Legno recommends keeping rooms between 16 and 21 °C and between 45% and 60% relative humidity.
• Finish and maintenance: oiled floors need periodic treatment with specific products; varnished floors are cleaned with neutral soap, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Acoustics: impact sound insulation depends on the base or resilient layer beneath the wood, which must be planned together with the laying system.
• Texture at full scale: treatments with more relief, such as Scolpito a mano, change a great deal under raking light. It is advisable to see them in large samples before deciding.

We invite you to get to know Mardegan Legno's artisan parquet collections better by touching and experiencing their surfaces: discover them at Matter Barcelona.