Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026
Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026

Zwarthout

An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about Zwarthout

Project • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanPrivate Houses

A modernist villa shaped by material contrast

In Riehen, Switzerland, a place known for its radical residential architecture, this modernist villa by Barcelo Baumann Architekten makes a powerful statement through material restraint. Japanese and South American influences come together in a design defined by strong horizontal lines, layered volumes and a carefully composed palette of black, brown and grey. Lukas Galantay For this project, Marugame by Zwarthout | Shou Sugi Ban was selected to bring depth, texture and intensity to the façade. The deep black charred wood contrasts beautifully with the raw concrete structure, while at the same time reinforcing the architectural clarity of the building. Between the concrete bands, the Marugame boards introduce rhythm, shadow and... More

Project • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanPrivate Houses

A mindful retreat in nature

Surrounded by water, open fields and mature trees, this holiday home on Schermerland is designed as a place of calm, connection and retreat. The architecture sits carefully within the landscape, embracing the quiet rhythm of the surroundings while creating a strong and contemporary material identity. For this project, the architects selected Shodoshima by Zwarthout | Shou Sugi Ban to clad the three separate volumes. By using the same charred and brushed wood across the different elements, the design gains a sense of unity. The dark façades connect the main house, the guest volume and the yoga space, while allowing each volume to retain its own position within the landscape. Jorrit ’t Hoen Jorrit ’t Hoen The de... More

Project • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanPrivate Houses

Shou Sugi Ban bungalow house

For this new home, Nakatado perfectly matched the client’s requirements and the design of FIER architecten. FIER architecten: ”The clients requested a house with everything on the same level. The roof was a key element that provides large overhangs within the design. Robert Koelewijn Fotografie Robert Koelewijn Fotografie A minimalist and peaceful look was chosen for the house. This included the black charred façade combined with the concrete plinth. It is a peaceful place in a beautiful green natural setting.” Robert Koelewijn Fotografie More

Project • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanApartments

Mooijburg Amsterdam

Sustainable CLT apartments by Mooijburg Amsterdam designed by Natrufied Architecture. We are extremely happy that our fire class B product Yoroi is being used for the facade cladding! Marcel van den Burg More

Project • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanHighways

Groene Boog

We proudly present a new Yoroi project of public buildings designed by Quist Wintermans Architekten: De Groene Boog! Our assembly team mounts the entire façade of the service buildings with our charred bamboo ‘’Yoroi‘’ including fire class B-s1-d0. Kees de Vries Kees de Vries More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanKyushu

Kyushu

Robust scales, versatile and contemporary Kyushu has a robust pattern with large scales. After the wood has been carefully charred by our fire masters Kyushu is brushed and treated afterwards. This makes the robust scales clearly visible.Kyushu is made from Pinus Radiata, a fast-growing pine species from FSC® certified forests in New Zealand. The wood is thermally modified by heating it up to 230° Celsius. Because of this process, the wood type has a durability class 1 (EN350) certification. Kyushu has a lifespan of at least 30 years. Kyushu is a natural product. This means that individual planks may differ from one another. More

Project • By BDG ArchitectenPrimary Schools

Esdal College Borger

On the outskirts of the municipality of Borger-Odoorn, in the east of the Netherlands, the new building of the Esdal College offers a modern home for around two hundred pre-vocational secondary education (vmbo) students. They themselves were also allowed to help determine what their ideal school should look like. Together with the teachers, they created a list of requirements: the new school had to include high-tech features and provide a warm, homely, and safe atmosphere. BDG Architecten The two-story school building is compact and clearly organized around a distinctly recognizable core. The ground floor is designed for activity oriented learning, with practical subjects such as 'Services & Products' and 'Arts & Culture'. On... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanYoroi

Yoroi

Yoroi | Fire-safe charred bamboo for uncompromising façade architecture B-s1,d0 fire performance. No chemical fire retardants. A bio-based material with a powerful architectural identity.   As architecture moves towards a lower-carbon future, façade materials are expected to do more. They must meet demanding fire-safety requirements, reduce embodied carbon, perform reliably for decades and contribute to the architectural identity of a building. Yoroi brings these demands together in one distinctive façade material. Developed by Zwarthout | Shou Sugi Ban, Yoroi is a deeply charred façade cladding made from FSC®-certified MOSO® Bamboo X-treme®. Its intense black, tactile surface gives buil... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanShodoshima

Shodoshima

For Shodoshima, the wood is cut parallel to the annual rings (Dosse). This gives Shodoshima a beautiful flame pattern. The planks are charred in our own oven. The wood is then brushed and treated again. The robust and lively grain structure is clearly visible and gleams beautifully in the sun. Shodoshima is resistant to all weather conditions and does not stain. After charring and brushing, Shodoshima is treated with our Bito Black. Bito Black provides good protection against water, dirt, mould and other deposits. We recommend repeating this treatment every 3 to 5 years. Shodoshima is made of Douglas fir from sustainably managed European forests. The durability of Douglas wood is Class 3 and is therefore very suitable for use as wall clad... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanSakaide

Sakaide

Sakaide is made of Douglas fir from sustainably managed European forests. Characteristic of Douglas wood is the scent and the presence of knots. These knots may be visible in the flame pattern. The contrast between the dark and light parts of the wood gives Sakaide a beautiful, rustic look. The planks are cut flat (with the growth rings) and charred in our oven. They are then carefully brushed, thereby creating a characteristic relief of the flame pattern. Sakaide exudes a timeless, but warm atmosphere as a façade, but also on walls, tables and other interior applications. After charring and brushing, Sakaide is treated with our Bito Clear or Bito Orange.Bito Clear is a transparent oil for interior applications. The oil hardens und... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanTakamatsu

Takamatsu

Takamatsu wood is cut at right angles to the growth rings (quarters/false quarters). This cutting method gives Takamatsu a special but fine, linear structure and a classic, calm feel. The planks are charred in our own oven after which the wood is brushed and treated again. Takamatsu is resistant to all weather conditions and does not stain. After charring and brushing, Takamatsu is treated with our Bito Black. Bito Black provides good protection against water, dirt, mould and other deposits. We recommend repeating this treatment every 3 to 5 years. Takamatsu is made of Douglas fir from sustainably managed European forests. The durability of Douglas wood is Class 3 and is therefore very suitable for use as wall cladding. Characteristic of... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanNakatado

Nakatado

Nakatado is charred by our fire masters and then brushed and treated with Bito Black. This brings out the lively grain structure which has a height difference of about 1-2 mm between the higher and lower parts. Nakatado is resistant to all weather conditions and does not stain. The flat flame pattern adds a touch of serenity and gives the room a contemporary feel. The versatility of the wood makes Nakatado a great alternative for applications that require a highly durable wood type. After charring and brushing, Nakatado is treated with our Bito Black which provides good protection against water, dirt, mould and other deposits. We recommend repeating this treatment every 3 to 5 years. We can also provide a silk gloss and/or scratchproof coa... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanNaoshima

Naoshima

Naoshima is our version of Shou Sugi Ban and the primary product we are proud of at Zwarthout. Naoshima has an irregular but characteristic pattern, which gleams beautifully in the sun. The brittle, black carbon layer ages over the years acquiring a beautiful patina (weathering), which fits the Japanese philosophy of life of Wabi Sabi. The philosophy of Wabi Sabi embraces the serene beauty of transience and imperfection. Noashima is particularly suitable for exterior applications. The carbon stains somewhat, but it does not wash out when it rains. The brittle coal layer requires a specific detailing of the building to reduce the influence of wind and weather. We recommend that this type not be used above a height of 6 metres above ground l... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanOmiyama

Omiyama

Omiyama’s hard carbon layer gives a brilliant bronze glow in the sun. The deep-charred carbon layer has a robust appearance with an irregular structure and can withstand harsh weather conditions. This makes Omiyama very suitable as durable facade cladding. In addition to the carbon-only version, we can also supply Omiyama that has undergone a Bito White treatment. This is a water-based ecological resin and will tone down the outer surface, make it slightly more matt and prevent the carbon from staining. This makes the treated version of the product extremely suitable for interior applications.  Omiyama is made of Fraké wood. A sustainable product of Fraké wood, which has undergone hydrothermal modification (in bri... More

Product • By Zwarthout l Shou Sugi BanMarugame

Marugame

This beautiful, charred wood has a characteristic and equally divided pattern. The silvery glow of the charred layer has a different look depending on the angle of the sunlight. The hard charred layer makes Marugame ideal as a sustainable cladding for roofs and facades. Marugame is also very suitable as an attractive eye- catcher in a special interior.   The wood used for Marugame is Accoya® of the Pinus Radiata tree, a fast-growing pine species. The wood is modified through a non-toxic acetylation process. Accoya® is labelled with durability class 1 and other quality certifications (i.a. KOMO, RAL, BBA, WDMA), and a cradle-to- cradle gold certification. The wood has a lifespan of at least 50 years above ground, and 25 years... More