Timber is without question, the Earth’s most attractive and natural building material. Being organic, renewable and biodegradable, it has numerous environmental advantages over other materials.

Concrete, aluminium, plastics and all other man made materials require energy to produce. Making a single house brick uses the equivalent amount of energy as a car travelling 7 miles. This all directly contributes to carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, with growing trees actually absorbing more carbon dioxide than mature ones.

With continued re-planting of commercial timbers it is inaccurate to perceive wood as environmentally unfriendly when used in construction and interior design. Ahmarra recognise this most valuable of resources and therefore only trade with veneer and timber merchants who source from documented, well managed forests.

Generally, hardwoods available from North America, Europe and Australia can be considered as safe, non-endangered species. These include maple, walnut, beech, ash, cherry, elm and the various oaks. Timbers from Tropical regions however, must be extracted with more caution. Teak, Brazilian mahogany and lignum vitae are all endangered species.

It is widely known that the primary cause of forest destruction in developing countries is for agricultural and industrial development. Large areas are felled purely to meet the local demand for fuel. Whilst insisting on stringent forest management practises, it is possible to continue trading with these countries.

By demanding the extraction of timber is only from controlled plantations, we can safeguard both the environment and the continued supply of timber for future generations.