Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

One of the amazing things about plants is their ability to change shape in response to environmental stimuli such as light and moisture, even without a brain or central nervous system. Now, a new generation of biomaterials is similarly able to respond to environmental cues… The research started off with cellulose – a material found in plants that changes size in line with humidity levels around it… In terms of borrowing from nature, this adaptive material ticks all the boxes. First, it is made from plant raw materials. Cellulose is an abundant natural material found in the cell walls of plants, fruits, leaves, and vegetables. Second, the cellulose is processed in ways that are inspired by the makeup of biological organisms. In short, it is both a biomaterial (made from biological stuff) and a bio-inspired material (designed based on biological mechanisms).

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — A yellow crane hovers above a building site in Sickla, a former industrial neighbourhood that’s home to one of Stockholm’s biggest real estate projects. But instead of delivering concrete, it’s manoeuvring giant chunks of wood to construction staff working in sub-zero winter temperatures. This is the beginning of what Swedish property developer Atrium Ljungberg describes as “the largest mass timber project in the world.” On the outskirts of Sweden’s capital, construction of ‘Stockholm Wood City’ began in October and is set to provide 2,000 new homes by 2027. The company’s core goal is to improve the sustainability of construction projects. Building with wood instead of concrete and steel would… help offset half of Europe’s construction industry emissions. …Atrium Ljungberg also hopes the wooden buildings themselves will boost locals’ wellbeing. There is already a small but growing body of academic research linking wooden materials with lower stress levels.

By now, you may be familiar with biophilic design — it’s the idea of integrating nature into design to enhance our connection to the environment. Sustainability, wellness and harmony are usually part of the deal. Some architects and home designers are using one particular biophilic element to striking effect: trees. We’ve already seen public spaces around the globe incorporate trees in remarkable and beautiful ways. The Ford Foundation in New York boasts a 12-story-high atrium filled with magnolias, eucalyptus, jacaranda, cryptomeria, iron bark and pear trees. The Winter Garden atrium in lower Manhattan’s Brookfield Place is home to 16 40-foot-tall Washingtonia palm trees. Singapore’s Jewel Changi airport features 2,500 trees — natives to Madagascar, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia — in a 6-acre indoor forest with walking trails. If you’re flight’s delayed, lucky you.

 At the dawn of the Neolithic Revolution, humanity discovered the power of building with wood, marking the shift from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to permanent settlements. This fundamental advancement, alongside the rise of agriculture, laid the foundation for the civilisation we know today. For over 10,000 years, timber was the primary building material, until the Industrial Revolution introduced concrete and steel, which combined the strength and durability of stone with the workability of wood. …Advances in EWPs are revolutionising modern construction, enabling the creation of timber skyscrapers through industrial prefabrication techniques. …The rise of carbon taxes may further drive EWP adoption by making high-emission materials like concrete and steel more costly. …While EWPs may facilitate the storage of carbon in buildings, it is forests that play a pivotal role in removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. EWP demand must align with a sustainable wood supply that preserves our forests’ ability to sequester carbon.

We continue our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series with a look at Waugh Thistleton Architects’ Murray Grove, “the original timber tower”. On an unassuming street in the east London borough of Hackney is a relatively small housing block that looks entirely unremarkable. But this building – the world’s first plyscraper – kickstarted a timber revolution. A blockbuster year for architecture, 2009 saw numerous landmark projects opening around the globe. …However, the much more low-key Murray Grove would have the greatest impact on architecture in the following years. Described by east London studio Waugh Thistleton Architects as “the original timber tower”, it was the first high-rise housing project in the world to be constructed almost entirely from engineered timber. “The exemplar project has spearheaded the introduction of CLT [cross-laminated timber] in the UK, and pioneered a wider international movement in its use,” said Waugh Thistleton Architects co-founder Andrew Waugh.

Chunky columns wrap the exterior of Wood Up, an apartment block in Paris by French studio Local Architecture Network (LAN) with a glued-laminated and cross-laminated timber structure. Created for developers Semapa and REI Habitat, the 14-storey building in the city’s 13th arrondissement provides 132 timber-framed apartments raised on a concrete base containing commercial units. Paris-based LAN created the fifty-metre-tall block with timber sourced entirely from France and transported via the river Seine. It is left exposed both externally and internally. “Wood Up is one of the first buildings in France to surpass the typical height limits for timber constructions,” said the studio. “…the wooden structure is deliberately exposed. It is entirely encapsulated in glass to make it visible. Usually matte, the wood becomes reflective thanks to its protective layer.” The glued-laminated timber and cross-laminated timber structure is formed of Douglas fir on the exterior and beech and spruce on the interior…

Smurfit Westrock’s innovative new paper pallet wrap is helping companies to make their supply chains significantly more sustainable. Smurfit Westrock has produced a 100% paper-based alternative to the polyethylene stretch wrap which is commonly used to stabilise pallet loads in transportation. The global stretch wrap market was valued at USD 4.27 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow significantly. The innovative new solution is made from Nertop® Stretch Kraft paper which is fully recyclable. Its capabilities also include high energy absorption and strong performance in humid conditions. …Encirc, a leading glass supplier which manufactures over three billion containers annually, was the first company in the UK to use the new paper wrap. …The Better Planet Packaging paper pallet wrap is manufactured in Smurfit Westrock’s Nervión paper mill in Spain.

As well as providing Parisians with housing, LAN Architecture’s 16-storey tower has also served as an experimental research project for the development of timber as a building material, with each of its elements requiring laboratory testing from scratch. Is timber a functional proposition for housing in Europe’s densest city? …With their proposal for a 16-storey tower on the banks of the Seine, competition winners LAN Architecture and REI Habitat undertook to achieve the necessary density. …Wood Up is a hybrid structure, with a three-storey concrete base tackling the complexity of the site’s 7m drop to the Seine and creating new connections between river and neigbourhood. …The glulam timber structure above is braced by the concrete of circulation areas, while floors are fabricated with a wood-concrete composite. But the principal material is beech. Wood Up is the first building constructed from France’s most plentiful timber, transported to the site by barge from Normandy.

We explore the latest advancements in renewable packaging, guided by insights from industry experts at Stora Enso, Borealis and BASF. From alternatives to fossil-based materials to biopolymer developments, we examine how companies are shaping a more sustainable future for packaging. Seven out of ten European consumers prefer renewable materials over fossil-based plastic in packaging, according to Stora Enso. The packaging materials supplier finds that younger consumers, in particular, generally prefer paper bag applications. …This year, BASF expanded its biopolymers portfolio by introducing biomass-balanced (BMB) ecoflex, a polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) that is frequently used in the compounding of biopolymers. …“Our ecoflex BMB, an industry-first on the global biopolymers market, advances the sustainability efforts in the packaging industry by reducing the use of fossil resources, decreasing GHG emissions and driving the use of renewable feedstock derived from organic waste and residual biomass.”

This research concerned the possible use of waste poppy straw as an alternative source for producing lignocellulosic materials. The suitability of the materials for paper products and particleboard was determined based on the selected properties measured. While poppy-based particleboards need further optimization to match wood fibres, they show comparable properties to agricultural residues. Future research should focus on improving resin types and pressing conditions to enhance performance. From the point of view of paper products, poppy pulp produced by the pulping process has better properties than nitrate-alkaline pulp. …Therefore, both applications of waste poppy appear to be alternative raw materials in the future, especially in the case of wood scarcity, which can ensure the continuity of production and composite materials in an economically advantageous and more environmentally friendly way. Using poppy straw has environmental benefits such as reducing deforestation and the carbon footprint…

Fire-resistant and durable materials play a critical role in ensuring safety and longevity in modern construction, manufacturing, and design. These materials are engineered to withstand extreme conditions, including high temperatures, mechanical stress, and environmental exposure. By effectively resisting fire, they can prevent structural failures and significantly reduce the risk of property damage or personal injury. Advancements in technology have enabled innovative material development, combining strength with enhanced thermal insulation. Common examples range from treated wood composites to high-performance alloys. …Fire-resistant materials, such as concrete, gypsum, and fire-rated glass, provide critical protection in high-risk environments by mitigating fire spread. Durable options like reinforced steel and engineered wood combine strength with resilience to withstand prolonged exposure to harsh conditions. Innovative solutions, like intumescent coatings and advanced composites, offer additional layers of safety while optimizing performance. 

Answer: Yes, at least for well-being. Wood has many qualities that are impossible to replicate. There are many academically approved studies highlighting the positive impact of forests and trees on humans. Recently, there has also been high-quality research on the benefits of using wood as a construction material. Wood is a restorative material that supports well-being. A Slovakian study found that wooden materials with brownish colours are ideal for relaxation. Another study highlighted that the use of wooden materials positively impacts the human nervous system due to their appealing aesthetics. Seeing or smelling wood in a building boosts positive feelings and reduces negative perceptions of the environment. And this – a positive feeling about the environment – is not a minor thing, says Riina Muilu-Mäkelä, Research Manager and Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

Celebrating their 10th anniversary in 2024, Wood Awards Ireland (WAI) recognise and award excellence in wood construction and design. Common to all awarded projects is that wood is the inherent sustainable medium. The Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland has been a founding partner of the Wood Awards Ireland, which are organised by Forest Industries Ireland (FII) and Rotary Ireland with support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Enterprise Ireland. Speaking on the 10-year partnership, RIAI President Sean Mahon FRIAI said, “Over the last 10 years, we have seen an evolution in how Architects are using wood as an inherent material in the design of buildings, including in a structural capacity in form of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT).  Architects have developed great knowledge and skills in designing, detailing and delivering timber buildings, and these awards are a great platform to share this expertise.”

The European Council has formally adopted the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, meaning it will now enter into force in EU law. As the final step in the ordinary legislative procedure, the Council’s approval of the Regulation allows it to be published in the EU’s Official Journal; in turn, its rules will apply eighteen months after its entry into force. It is hoped that the rules will cut down on the generation of new waste by encompassing the full life cycle of packaging. Among the Regulation’s targets are minimum recycled content thresholds, ranging from 10% for contact-sensitive packaging made of non-PET plastic by 2030 to 65% for single-use plastic bottles by 2040. The amount of recycled content in a pack, its material make-up, and other sustainability-related information must be provided to consumers through on-pack labelling, marking, and information. …Reuse targets have also been set for 2030, alongside indicative targets for 2040. 

Finnish company Nordic Bioproducts Group (NBG) has partnered with southern European distributors to make its microcrystalline cellulose offerings available to cosmetics manufacturers across the continent. …NBG is marketing microcrystalline cellulose as a sustainably sourced cosmetic ingredient that can serve as an alternative to talc and titanium dioxide. “We’re excited to work with C.Q. Massó and others who share our commitment to advancing a safer and more sustainable beauty industry,” says Olli Kähkönen, CEO of NBG. “Our collaborations go beyond distribution. Together, we’re exploring microcrystalline cellulose’s potential to replace fossil-based and other harmful ingredients in innovative new formulations.” Microcrystalline cellulose is refined wood pulp that is purified and partially depolymerized. It is a fine, whitish powder and is used as a gentle exfoliator, emulsifier, stabilizer and dispersing agent in personal care products.

UK — Timber buildings will be instrumental in the global response to climate breakdown, locking in carbon from the atmosphere and replacing high-impact materials like concrete and steel. But increasing reliance on sawn and engineered wood over the coming decades is also expected to put huge pressure on sustainable commercial forestry. And with fierce competition for wood biomass from other industries, such as aviation and power, there are concerns that supply may be outstripped by demand, putting net-zero targets in jeopardy. A report published last year by Metabolic forecast that, to meet a target for 50% bio-based residential construction in Europe in 2030, production of engineered timber would need to increase nearly fivefold and roundwood by four and a half times. The study concludes that the increase in wood consumption is not compatible with the realistic growth potential of harvesting, making it necessary for decision-makers to carefully weigh up their options.