Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

AVIGNON, FRANCE — In Avignon, Jakob+MacFarlane has transformed a dated library into a civic icon for the future, all without erasing its past. The newly reopened Madeleine Renaud and Jean-Louis Barrault Library, now dubbed The Canopy, is both a renovation and a reinvention, complete with a rooftop metaphor and a structural nod toward the digital age. Originally designed in 1985 by architects Jacques Prunis and Béatrice Douine, the library sat squarely in the French city’s Saint-Chamand district. Jakob+MacFarlane’s intervention … recasts the building as a symbol of community rebirth. …the design concept by Jakob+MacFarlane centers on the powerful metaphor of a tree.  …the structure offers shelter, light, energy, and growth. The soaring central staircase — its flanks lined with bookshelves — evokes a trunk rising skyward, while the expansive new roof functions as a literal canopy. Constructed from cross-laminated timber and embedded with solar panels, it provides both shade and sustainable energy.

NEW ZEALAND — Green construction materials from the top of the South Island will be used in new multi-storey buildings being constructed at Parliament. Nelson Pine Industries will be providing more than 700 cubic meters of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) timber, which will form part of the mass timber frame for the Museum St building, instead of using steel or concrete. Company chief executive Kai Kruse said the LVL timber, which was made using only logs from the top of the South Island, had a high level of seismic resilience. “As well as being lighter and stronger than traditional steel or concrete structures, using a mass timber frame was the more environmentally conscious choice,” he said. The framing will arrive in Wellington from April in partly-assembled sections and will be installed three storeys a time.

Indonesia is one of the active exporters of logs and sawn wood, so the waste generated is very large. One of the applicable technologies developed for the utilization of wood saw waste is to process it into liquid smoke through the pyrolysis process. The application of liquid smoke to plants can affect plant’s growth and production processes due to the presence of acetic acid and methanol. The purpose of this research was to find out about the properties of Surian sawn waste liquid smoke and how it could be used as a biofertilizer an Arabica coffee seeds. …The effectiveness of liquid smoke from sawn wood waste for the increase in height, stem diameter, and the highest number of leaves of coffee seeds was obtained at a concentration of 2.5%.

“We want our towers to be pleasant to look at, and wood can help us to do that,” says Jean-Claude Geha, chief technology officer at Vantage Towers. Today the company has 84,600 towers to its name, with most of these structures made from traditional materials such as steel. However, Vantage has sought to break from the norm and try a different approach with some of its newer tower structures. This is where wood comes in. Although a very small number – 12, to be precise – of Vantage’s tower portfolio are made from timber. …Founded in 2020 by Vodafone, Vantage Towers operates across 10 European countries. …At present, Vantage has deployed its wooden structures in Hungary and Germany, where, in October 2023, the company announced it was building North Rhine-Westphalia’s first sustainable wooden-structured telecommunication mast in the town of Neunkirchen, Siegerland. The 40-meter high Ecopol tower is set to be erected early this year. 

Built by Nature (BbN) is excited to announce the launch of its 2025 global Prize, recognising exemplary real-world applications of the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction in predominantly timber buildings. On April 7, the grant-funding network will open applications for completed and in-use projects, including new builds, renovations, and significant extensions. The Prize will highlight excellence in demonstration of the Principles, with winners announced at the annual Built by Nature Summit in October. Winning buildings will be showcased at high-profile events and a documentary film premiered at COP, included in an international study tour, and presented as examples of responsible timber construction on the Built by Nature Knowledge Hub.

Wood, a traditional and sustainable structural material, has long been used in construction and furniture due to its availability and mechanical properties. However, natural wood’s strength is often insufficient for advanced engineering applications. Now, researchers from Nanjing University have developed a novel self-densification strategy to create super-strong wood that could replace metals and alloys. The team used a combination of partial delignification and a LiCl/DMAc swelling process to release and reorganize wood fibers. This method allows the fibers to move inward and fill the cell lumen, followed by air-drying to achieve self-densification. Unlike traditional compressed wood, which relies on unidirectional compression, this self-densified wood exhibits uniform shrinkage in the transverse area, maintaining its longitudinal dimension.

The headquarters of the construction company Blumer Lehmann in Gossau, Switzerland, illustrate the possibilities of contemporary timber architecture. The collaboration between the Stuttgart-based team at ICD and timber construction specialist Blumer Lehmann builds upon extensive research into curved timber structures. In contrast to the orthogonal grid of the overall building, the tapering surfaces of the atrium articulate two distinct spatial expressions. Convex outward-facing walls offer a textile-like softness, while concave intersections generate sweeping ridges that extend vertically through the structure, modulating light and perspective. These elements simultaneously act as a spatial enclosure and a load-bearing system, transferring forces across five floors with a slender 130-millimeter-wall thickness. The stairway of the atrium is integrated within this timber composition, guiding movement while creating balconies and alcoves.

This study investigates the influence of nanocellulose fibre (CF) derived from wood pulp on the hydration, mechanical, shrinkage, and pore properties of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) mortar. The CF was incorporated into mortar mixes at varying dosages (0.15–1.5% by weight of mortar) to evaluate its effect on physical, mechanical, and microstructure properties. …The results suggest that an optimal CF dosage of 0.45% provides a balance between workability, mechanical properties, and durability, making it an effective additive for enhancing the performance of OPC mortars in sustainable construction applications. The study promotes the use of recycled cellulose fibres in mortars, which helps reduce the reliance on non-renewable resources. By carefully managing CF content, it is possible to achieve an acceptable balance between workability, mechanical strength, and durability. 

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has launched a candid new video that demonstrates the importance of the essential and sustainable products our sector creates, Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Diana Hallam said today. “This video Try living without Aussie timber and paper is the latest development in AFPA’s 2025 Federal Election Campaign following the launch of our policy Platform Australian Timber.

Unlike traditional engineered timber, which relies on subtractive processes such as cutting and laminating, Woodflow builds material only where it is needed, says Daniel Ortiz del Río, architect and a chief technology officer at strong by form, a company that creates lightweight structural solutions combining the sustainability of wood with high performance and productivity. …”By combining materials science, digital fabrication, and computational design, we create ultra-lightweight yet structurally strong components that outperform conventional materials in sustainability, weight, and mechanical performance,” he added. …Del Río emphasizes that using Woodflow technology reduces wood consumption by up to 75 percent, significantly lowering carbon emissions compared to natural wood. …”A key advantage of our process is that we maximize the efficiency of forest resources by using veneer in the form of flakes, allowing us to utilize a much larger portion of the tree for structural applications,” Del Río explained.

Graeme Dey and Matt Colgan

SUSTAINABUILD has unveiled its latest ‘Green Skills’ Impact Report, outlining insights and recommendations from its recent ministerial-led Assembly. The Assembly, opened by Scotland’s minister for higher and further education, Graeme Dey, focused on the need to close the green skills gap within the built environment. The report identifies ‘urgent’ workforce priorities to help Scotland meet its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. Among key recommendations are the establishment of a national green skills strategy and stronger collaboration between educational institutions and industry to establish high-quality training programmes. Other measures include inclusive hiring practices as well as targeted mentorship and scholarships to support women and underrepresented groups entering green careers.

UK — The Measuring Mass Timber project presents research led by architecture practice dRMM, conducted in collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University and the Quality of Life Foundation. The methodology was developed with a goal to assess the quality of life and whole-life carbon impacts of five case study projects across different sectors. These are UK buildings for education, infrastructure, worship, residential and commercial uses. According to the report, mass timber is a readily available option to help achieve embodied carbon targets, while the quality of life assessment of the case study buildings show benefits healthwise. Each building was subject to detailed lifecycle analysis, internal environment monitoring and user consultation over the two-year study. dRMM believes this could be seen as a first step in building an evidence-driven case for timber construction using whole-life carbon and wellbeing metrics.

Canadian Wood, commemorated World Wood Day (March 21st) by hosting a highly engaging seminar on the theme “Wood is Forever – Sustainable & Renewable.” The event, held at Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, brought together leading architects, developers, manufacturers, and industry professionals from across Hyderabad to explore the significance of wood as a sustainable and renewable resource in modern architecture and designs. The seminar opened with insightful presentations by Mr. Vivekabhilash Sharma from Artius Interior Products and Mr. Ashok Kuriakose from Kelveneers, who shared their experiences and passion for integrating wood into their projects. Their presentations set the stage for an engaging panel discussion, moderated by Ar. Kuldeep Singh, Founder & Director of ARKA Integrated Project Management Solution. The discussion focused on sustainability, benefits and practical applications of wood in contemporary and hybrid construction, highlighting its ecological advantages and long-term viability.

Ms Zimmi Forest, a basket weaver in northern New South Wales, has tapped into the desire to do death differently, and her workshops have been booked solid since they started 18 months ago… Ms Forest said the idea of weaving coffins came to her after she was invited to make baskets at a property where a Landcare group was working to remove invasive Cat’s Claw vine. The Brazilian vine is perfect for weaving; once it is stripped from the trees and pruned back, it forms long, flexible strands. “The great thing about a woven coffin is it’s permeable, all the microorganisms in the soil can get in and its breaks down so much quicker. “For cremation, why would you burn solid timber?” The process to make a woven coffin took about 150 hours, and Ms Forest said she had made about 15 coffins at the workshops and on her own as commissioned projects.

NEW ZEALAND — Signing of a ‘letter of intent’ on forestry co-operation between New Zealand and India as part of the Prime Minister’s delegation visit to India this week is welcomed by the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of Newzeald (WPMA). The ‘letter of intent’ is between the Ministry for Primary Industries and our nearest counterpart Indian agency, the Ministry of Environment Forestry and Climate Change. The key subject areas, reflecting MOEFCC’s and MPI’s respective mandates and scope, includes sustainable forest management; research and innovation; education and capacity building; and utlilisation and certification. …India is the most populous nation in the world yet for our forestry exports India currently ranks 11th (down from 5th in 2019). …With a recent ruling from the Indian government stipulating that federal housing schemes include ‘a greater mix’ of wood, there are new opportunities opening, for example, in the Indian residential market for our sustainable wood products.