Collecting the wooden slats
About our upcycled timber planters
We worked together with HK Timberbank to source the wood, and The Oval Partnership for the design of these bespoke planters just for The Loop.
Our goal was to create planters using a sustainable method that would beautifully display our plants, provide additional seats for tenants and local residents to enjoy, and also be easily configured for The Loop to be able to host community events.
About HK Timberbank
HK Timberbank is a eco-social enterprise with ‘R3 – ReCYCLE, ReDESIGN, ReLINK’, pursuing industrialisation of timer industry using local felled trees due to typhoon, aging or urban development. Weighed within design and artistry, HK Timberbank aims at bringing a second life to local timber which benefits to our home city and the society.
一間以「R3 – ReCYCLE,ReDESIGN,ReLINK」為理念的環保社會企業。回收本地因地方發展或老化而需砍伐或是因颱風倒塌的樹木,於元朗廠房進行分類切割、乾燥製成商用木材以及傢俱,將「美感設計+環保再用」結合,讓木資源再生為社會帶來更大的價值。
About our trees
HK Timberbank believes design can bring the beauty of felled timber back to light. Salvaged timber are turned into commercial building materials, furnitures and outdoor art installations.
Ou planters are designed for maximum mobility for convenience when it comes to re-arranging them for event setups, and encouraging drainage to keep the plants healthy
Planters with a seating area encourage the community to sit and enjoy a moment in the urban garden
Almost ready for The Loop!
鳳凰木 Delonix regia
鳳凰木枝葉條多呈水平狀伸展,傘狀樹型,適合作為庭園遮蔭樹。樹皮灰白或淡灰色,質地光滑略粗糙。羽狀形複葉,小葉細長橢圓狀。花期夏季6-7月,開花時滿樹染成豔紅一片,有Flame of the forest(森林火焰)之稱。製成木材後,邊材與芯材區分不明顯。米黃的木色加上稍帶有波浪的紋理,在眾多原木中獨具風格 。
The tree grows up to 20m tall with spreading branches and umbrella-shaped crowns. A good choice for shade trees. The bark is greyish brown, smooth or slightly coarse. The compound leaves have a feathery appearance and oblong leaflets. Blooms in summer cover the crown in red flowers which is known as Flame of the forest. Properties of wood: The sapwood is not clearly differentiated from the heartwood. The color is yellow and the grain is usually wavy.
大葉合歡 Albizia lebbeck
秋冬季會落葉的大型喬木。夏季枝葉濃密,適合作為庭園遮蔭樹。 樹皮暗灰或淺褐,有不規則的裂痕。羽狀形複葉,小葉長橢圓形。花期在5-9月,花淡黃色或黃綠色,開花時漫步於樹下能嗅聞到濃烈香味。 製成木材後,邊材淡黃色,芯材為暗褐色。木紋光亮、堅硬耐腐,可作傢俱及建築材料。
A deciduous tree that grows up to 8-12m tall. It is a good choice for shade trees in the summer. The brown bark is coarse and irregularly transversely cracked. The compound leaves have a feathery appearance and oblong leaflets. Blooms from May to September with strong odour. Properties of wood: The sapwood is pale yellow and the heartwood is dark brown. The grain is deeply interlocked with fine natural luster. High in density and used for furniture and building materials
檸檬桉 Corymbia citriodora
樹幹通直,在離地相當高的位置才開始有分枝,給人一種修長感。 片狀的樹皮每年春末夏初會脫皮一次,剝落後露出光滑灰白色的樹幹。葉形細長,揉碎後有強烈檸檬香,可煉製精油。 黃白花色,4-12月開花。 製成木材後,邊材為淡褐色,芯材略呈粉紅帶紫色。木材紋理直加工易,亦耐海水侵蝕,是造船良材。
A slender and beautiful tree with the lowest branches usually showing near the top of the tree. The bark peels off once a year so the trunk is smooth and offwhite or light reddish grey. The leaf is lanceolate with strong lemon-scent and the material for essential oil. Flowering time is from April to December. Properties of wood: The sapwood is pale brown and the heartwood is pale pink and purple. The grain is straight. A kind of seawater corrosion resistant wood thus used for shipbuilding.
尾葉桉 Eucalyptus urophylla
與檸檬桉一樣都是樹幹通直,於近樹頂位置才會見到分枝。 樹皮同樣有剝落現象,但只發生在主幹上半部,有半皮樹之稱。尾葉桉,顧名思義其葉子先端帶有一小段長尾,揉碎葉後帶有香味。黃白色花,花期9-11月。 製成木材後,邊材為淡褐色,芯材深褐色。在原生地印尼常被用來作為建築與橋樑用材,也常被作為纖維板使用。
A slender and beautiful tree with the lowest branches usually showing near the top of the tree. The bark peels off only on the upper part thus Eucalyptus urophylla is with the name “Half-barked Tree”. The specific epithet “urophylla” comes from the caudate leaf apex. The leaf is strongly lemon-scented and the flowering time is from September to November. Properties of wood: The sapwood is pale brown and the heartwood is dark brown. Used for building materials or wood fiber board.
黃樟 Cinnamomum parthenoxylon
樹皮為灰褐色,有縱裂的深溝紋。葉形為橢圓形或卵形,揉碎時有強烈樟腦味,可製樟油與樟腦。黃白色花,3-4月時開花。 製成木材後,呈邊材淡黃色,芯材棕褐色。 木紋細密或直紋或波浪紋,帶光澤。 質地堅實帶香氣,是上等的家具用材。
Cinnamomum parthenoxylon is one of the most common street trees which can easily live to more than 100 years. Its bark is brown with deep longitudinal cracks. The leaves are ovals with glossy green. The whole plant is camphor-scented. Flowers are about 0.3cm in diamter, blooming in March and April. Properties of wood: The sapwood is pale yellow and the heartwood is orange-red; The grain is straight or wavy with a high natural luster. High in density, pleasant smell and used for furniture.
非洲楝 Khaya senegalensis
原生於非洲塞內加爾,終年常綠,樹身筆直。 樹皮褐灰色,年輕時平滑,老年呈方格狀或鱗塊狀。羽狀形複葉,小葉先端圓形具短尖,深綠色葉面,葉背則淺綠色。花期4-6月,開白色花。 製成木材後,邊材呈淡粉色,芯材為帶有波紋的桃粉色,可當裝潢用材或製成箱櫃。
It is a large evergreen tree that is native to Africa and grows up to 25m or taller. The brown bark is smooth when it is young but is cracked in scales while getting elder. The compound leaves have a feathery appearance and the apex is rounded and acute. Leaf surface is dark green while the beneath is pale green. Blooms from April to June. Properties of wood: The sapwood is pale pink and the heartwood is vibrant pink with wavy grain. Used for decoration materials or cabinets.