Acoya Group Buys New Senior Living Community in Scottsdale

Ryan Companies US, Harrison Street, and Cadence Living have closed on the first phase of Acoya Shea, a new luxury senior living community in Scottsdale. The community features 135 independent and assisted living apartments.

Accoya Group Buy uses sustainable, plantation-grown Radiata pine that is modified through acetylation. This process blocks the wood’s natural ability to absorb water, dramatically improving dimensional stability and rot resistance without adding preservatives.

Accoya is a unique wood.

Accoya wood is a high-performance sustainable building material made from fast-growing, FSC-certified timber that undergoes the acetylation process to deliver outstanding sustainability credentials. Expert joiners and manufacturers worldwide use the material for window frames, doors, decking, and siding.

The acetylation process alters the wood’s cell structure, making it stronger and more rot-resistant. It also makes the material 80% less able to absorb moisture, which increases stability and decreases maintenance requirements. It is highly durable and can be routed, sawn, drilled, carved, and machined without losing any of its performance benefits. It is also rot-proof, insect-resistant, and can withstand the elements for decades.

Its durability and stability mean it lasts significantly longer than untreated hardwood, requiring less frequent coatings and maintenance. It is also a more energy-efficient option, with thermal insulation superior to softwood by up to 8% and far better than teak. It’s also biodegradable, possibly upcycling into new Accoya products or as a fuel source.

Accoya is gaining popularity among designers and builders who choose the material for its beauty and performance. For example, the outdoor velodrome in Assen, Netherlands, designed by Sander Douma Architects, was built with Accoya. This unique construction has a modern aesthetic and helps cyclists to train in fresh air.

It is environmentally friendly.

Accoya is made from sustainably sourced wood that undergoes a non-toxic chemical alteration known as acetylation. This process improves dimensional stability and rot resistance without adding preservatives, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to tropical hardwood. It is also able to withstand the harshest environments, including canal lining. This makes it a sustainable choice for outdoor structures such as bridges, decking, and doors, replacing traditional metal or concrete solutions.

The acetylation process adds no materials to the wood and is powered over 50% by renewable energy, leaving it CO2-negative throughout its life cycle. Extensive laboratory and field testing has shown that acetylated wood is highly reliable. Its superior dimensional stability and weathering performance allow it to last longer, which reduces the frequency of maintenance work and saves time and money for homeowners and businesses. It is also easy to paint and is resistant to fungi and fungal decay.

The wood used to make Accoya is sourced from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC’s advanced chain of custody systems ensures that the wood comes from well-managed, low-risk sources. It is also a good option for high conservation value areas or where there is a need to protect local biodiversity.

It is a durable material.

Accoya wood is a high-tech, long-life material manufactured from sustainably sourced, fast-growing softwood that offers class 1 durability according to EN 350-1. It outperforms man-made alternatives that deplete resources and emit heavy carbon pollution, allowing architects, builders, and manufacturers to achieve quality without compromise and sustainability without sacrifice.

The acetylation process pioneered by Accsys transforms the natural cellulose of the wood into a more durable and stable material. The process reacts the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose with acetic anhydride to increase the number of acetyl groups, which makes it harder for moisture to pass through the cell walls. This increases the material’s dimensional stability, reduces maintenance requirements for coatings, and makes it indigestible to insects and fungi.

This process also produces a more consistent and durable material that can withstand a range of weathering conditions. The material has been tested extensively and can resist swelling, shrinkage, jamming, and insect attack. It has also been proven to be virtually rot-proof. This consistent performance means fewer maintenance costs, reducing the need for toxic chemicals and saving time and money.

This consistency is why Accoya is popular with joiners and builders. The material is easy to finish and lasts longer than uPVC, cladding, or untreated timber. It also has a low environmental impact, being non-toxic and recyclable at the end of life. In addition, it is sourced from sustainable forests and is Cradle to Cradle Gold certified, with a positive CO2 balance over its life cycle.