Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

Timber! should be read by all those in planning, housing policy, construction and agriculture, and many more besides.  The carbon emissions generated by concrete and steel construction are well-known. Why then are we not using more carbon-friendly building materials? In a passionate and compelling argument Paul Brannen advocates the use of timber in buildings wherever possible. His controversial and counterintuitive argument is clear: planting trees is not enough to reduce carbon, we also have to chop them down and use more wood in our buildings and cities. This is the first book to take timber from the margins to the mainstream, from the forests to the cities. The book tackles head-on questions about sustainability, safety, the biodiversity of commercial forests and the pressures on land use. The case for timber as a construction material is persuasively made – the creation of new engineered timbers with the structural strength of steel and concrete enable us for the first time to build wooden skyscrapers – and draws on the latest developments in engineering and material science. 

The European Council has given the green light to the certification framework for carbon removals which includes carbon storage activities that capture & store carbon in long-lasting products for at least 35 years such as wood-based construction products. It is the first EU-level certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products. This voluntary framework will facilitate and encourage high-quality carbon removal and soil emission reduction activities in the EU, as a complement to sustained emission reductions. …Carbon removal activities will have to meet overarching criteria in order to be certified: they must bring about a quantified net carbon removal benefit, they must be additional, they must aim to ensure long-term storage of carbon while minimising the risk of carbon release and do no significant harm to the environment. In addition, activities eligible for certification will need to be independently verified by third-party certification bodies.

The idea of a straw building might bring to mind a medieval homestead. …But a new wave of contemporary straw designs, as well as more industrial-scale efforts to expand the availability of straw as a building material, have modernized this traditional method of making a home. In Slovakia, EcoCocon, a company that manufactures prefab straw panels, just opened a new factory built out of its own product. The automated factory showcases EcoCocon’s modular, straw-based construction system, as well as striking wooden trusses that suggest straw panels could play a role in building out warehouses and other large facilities. …Made from agricultural waste, straw walls sequester significant carbon—about 1.5 pounds for every pound used and can even be composted when knocked down. In addition to incredible insulating power, straw also deadens outside sound, creating a much quieter indoor environment. …The slightly thicker walls can be a limiting factor.

Plans for the world’s first wooden football stadium have been given the green light. Forest Green Rovers FC will build the new eco-friendly 5,000-seat stadium near junction 13 of the M5. Designers say the new ground will be carbon neutral or even negative – made of sustainably sourced timber and built using low-carbon construction methods. Stroud District Council has just approved the new stadium plans which were submitted by Dale Vince’s Ecotricity Group Limited. Forest Green Rover’s current home, The New Lawn, will be demolished to make way for 95 new homes. The developer says the new stadium has been designed with climate change in mind and integrates energy efficiency measures with resilience against extreme weather conditions such as flooding or heatwaves.

Additional coverage from the BBC here: New eco wooden football stadium to be built

…In Finland, forests cover approximately 75% of the land area. Wood is an abundant, renewable resource. In recent years, advancements in technology have made it possible to use timber in exciting ways that were previously unimaginable. Taller structures, intricate designs and impressive durability are now realities when using wood in modern architectural practice. That’s why, as the rest of the world races to cut carbon and embrace renewable energies, Finland is taking an approach that does both — and so much more. This is a timber revolution, and Helsinki is leading the charge. The Wood City in the Jätkäsaari district is a prime example of Finland’s ambitions. The innovative development features residential and commercial buildings constructed primarily from cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam). The site includes the headquarters of popular gaming company Supercell, known for hits like Clash of Clans. 

Södra is proud to announce that our cross-laminated timber (CLT) is now available on the innovative software platform, CLT Toolbox. This collaboration allows engineers and architects to easily design and optimize sustainable and efficient timber constructions using Södra’s CLT. CLT Toolbox is already a trusted and used tool in many countries, and with this partnership, it is now launching on the Nordic market. Södra, as the first partner, marks a significant step in our mission to promote sustainable building with wood. Our CLT offers strong, sustainable, and efficient construction solutions. Adam Jones, Founder and CEO at CLT Toolbox, added: “We’re building tools to make designing with mass timber seamless and efficient. Partnering with Södra is a key milestone as we launch in Sweden. …Our commitment is to create tools that help grow the global adoption of mass timber, and we’re thrilled to achieve this alongside the exceptional team at Södra.”

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.