Region Archives: International

UK — Industry leading guidance on mass timber buildings is to be updated with further endorsements from three of the UK’s most significant insurance bodies. The hugely successful Mass Timber Insurance Playbook, originally launched in May 2023, has received backing from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Fire Protection Association (FPA), and RISCAuthority. The playbook will be reissued on 4 December 2024 to celebrate this latest recognition. …The playbook enables a collaborative approach between construction teams and insurers, opening the door to more equitable insurance for mass timber buildings. It has generated interest from across the globe, with a US version adapted by Hastings Risk Management, with input from the original authors, published by Woodworks on 14 November.

UPM Biochemicals, Selenis and Bormioli Pharma have partnered to produce the world’s first pharmaceutical bottles made from partially wood-based PET. This bottle takes sustainability in pharma packaging to a whole new level. As the high regulatory and performance requirements for pharma packaging may limit the use of new or recycled materials, this bottle uses standard PET which is made with UPM’s world first wood based BioMEG, UPM BioPuraTM, to take a real step forward in the sustainable transformation of the pharmaceutical sector. The collaboration is driven by a shared vision to support the pharmaceutical industry’s move towards more sustainable packaging solutions, without compromising on product safety and performance. The new pharmaceutical bottles, containing UPM’s carbon negative[1] BioMEG, are made from Selenis’ Selcare’s partial BioPET resins. They have recently been approved for use in accordance with European Pharmacopeia and will be available worldwide at Bormioli Pharma from Q1 2025.

NORWAY — Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) wood scientists are keen to contribute to a circular economy. …NIBIO wood scientist Stephen Amiandamhen is a specialist in wood products and has been researching wood fiber boards for many years. One of his research goals is to get more companies to use residual materials, or waste, in more valuable products, such as wood fiber boards. Just recently, the Norwegian Research Council and Ard Innovation have contributed money and support to help realize Amiandamhen’s research dream. …Now, NIBIO’s wood scientists are investigating how renewable materials and residual materials from the wood processing industry can be used to create light, fire-retardant, and simultaneously environmentally friendly wood fiber boards – and at the same time using non-toxic binders. The new wood fiber boards have been named PhosBoard.

Since more and more deciduous trees are being planted in Swiss forests, whose wood is often burned directly, innovative ideas for a cascade use are in high demand in order to utilize Swiss hardwood more sustainably. Empa researchers are therefore equipping wood with new functionalities. Their latest coup: wood that can glow in the dark… A team led by fungal researcher Francis Schwarze from Empa’s Cellulose & Wood Materials lab in St. Gallen is currently pursuing another idea for a new type of composite material based on hardwood: luminous wood. In addition to applications in technical fields, the luminous wood could be processed into designer furniture or jewelry.

In an attempt to exploit the natural protective properties of tree bark, researchers in Sweden and Latvia have created a water-resistant coating for timber using compounds from birch and spruce bark. This is the first wood-protection coating sourced entirely from tree bark, with no additional chemicals. Durability is a challenge for wood-based materials used in construction as outdoor environments can expose them to moisture, heat, sunlight and microorganisms. Applying a protective coating can prolong the lifespan of such materials, and the wood processing industry currently relies on synthetic coatings that often contain hazardous organic solvents and polymers derived from fossil hydrocarbon resources. …Given bark is often treated as waste or burnt to generate energy, this research adds value to an underused but abundant material.

Jackson DuBois

Jackson DuBois, a 49-year-old from Cooperstown, NY, spent three months in France last year working to rebuild the 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral, which was severely damaged by a fire in April 2019. After an estimated $767 million in repairs by skilled craftspeople from around the world, it is set to reopen to the public Dec. 8. “It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done,” DuBois told The Post of being part of the restoration. DuBois specializes in timber framing — a traditional building technique that was popular before the 20th century and involves using heavy pieces of timber… They were tasked with rebuilding the base of the Notre Dame spire, and adding profiles on all of the gothic tracery around the windows, including the trefoils, quadrafoils and balustrades.

Non-profit organisation Two Sides is calling on organisations to remove or change misleading statements that it labels as ‘greenwashing’. …According to the organisation, economic pressures have caused companies which have previously relied on paper for customer communication to shift from traditional paper-based services to digital platforms, in order to cut costs. Alongside this transition, many companies have made environmental marketing claims such as “Go Green – Go Paperless” or “Choose e-billing and help save a tree.” But according to Two Sides, these claims are misleading, and are clear examples of greenwashing. …Two Sides has challenged over 2,800 organisations communicating these greenwashing messages to their customers, resulting in more than 1,260 changing or removing statements. …“Far from ‘saving trees,’ a healthy market for forest products and paper encourages the long-term growth of forests through sustainable forest management.”

DENMARK — Wellness in architecture is a hotly debated topic. From biophilic design to inclusive architecture and the role of technology in our homes. …Living Places Copenhagen, a research project out of a dedicated, purpose-built mini neighbourhood in the Danish capital, is an experiment that attempts to address the subject by measuring design’s impact on our daily comfort in an attempt to define what makes the perfect, contemporary living environment. …Each of the two homes is slightly different. Both made in wood architecture, they were designed using sustainable architecture principles – one in solid timber featuring natural ventilation, and the other in CLT and hybrid natural/mechanical ventilation. …The aim? To highlight the positive impact of ‘a healthy indoor climate’ and help prove how architecture can be sustainable on different levels in an efficient. …So if you can afford a house, why not make it one that supports health and wellbeing too.

Singapore continues its architectural winning streak: located in Nanyang Avenue, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Gaia, has been named one of the world’s top six most beautiful campuses by Prix Versailles Awards – an international architectural competition recognised by UNESCO that celebrates outstanding achievements in commercial architecture and design. …The World’s Most Beautiful Campuses List for 2024 features six recently opened or revamped university buildings. Designed by architects Raglan Squire & Partners, Toyo Ito & Associates, the 43,500-square-metre campus takes the title as Asia’s largest timber building. …And talk about a space that’s as sustainable as it is stunning; NTU Gaia is almost entirely constructed from mass timber. Not only is it a highly renewable material, but its use of Mass Engineered Timber also boosts environmental sustainability. Plus, with its impressive strength-to-weight ratio, mass timber is easier to handle than steel or concrete, making it a true game-changer in modern construction.

DENMARK — Research initiative Living Places Copenhagen tests ideas around internal comfort and sustainable architecture standards to push the envelope on how contemporary homes and cities can be designed with wellness at their heart. …Wellness in architecture is a hotly debated topic. From biophilic design to inclusive architecture and the role of technology in our homes. …Living Places Copenhagen, a research project out of a dedicated, purpose-built mini neighbourhood in the Danish capital. …Each of the two homes is slightly different. Both made in wood architecture, they were designed using sustainable architecture principles – one in solid timber featuring natural ventilation, and the other in CLT and hybrid natural/mechanical ventilation. … The aim? To highlight the positive impact of ‘a healthy indoor climate’ and help prove how architecture can be sustainable on different levels. …So if you can afford a house, why not make it one that supports health and wellbeing too.