Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

i2C Architects’ design for Timbertop Estate, in Melbourne’s south-east, embodies its name with a combination of Cross Laminated (CLT) and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) to be utilised for the commercial and retail hub. CLT and GLT manufacturing capabilities in Australia are growing, with many companies looking to manufacture the cross-stitched timber material, which maximises strength and minimises wastage. i2C Architects Shaun Daly says the benefits of the material make it ideal for the age of sustainable design. “…exposed CLT panelling on the walls and ceiling build on the contemporary external design language to create a harmonious flow,” he says. “The internal timber creates warmth and softness… When biophilic design elements like this are applied, the health of the end user improves while simultaneously allowing the business to reduce their carbon footprint.”

A development team led by two former Greenpeace chiefs and including practices Archio, Ash Sakula, Charles Holland, Mae and Mole have revealed plans for a sustainable 700-home scheme in East Sussex. Masterplanned by Periscope, the £430 million Phoenix project for developer Human Nature aims to create the UK’s largest timber neighbourhood on a 7.9ha brownfield site in Lewes. Among the other design firms on the riverside job are Adam Richards Architects, emerging practices Al-Jawad Pike and TDO with sustainability experts Material Cultures and local outfit Rabble. Lewes-based Human Nature, which was founded by ex-Greenpeace Directors Michael Manolson and Jonathan Smales, is also working with Kathryn Firth of Arup, environmental engineers Atelier Ten, flood and civil engineers Expedition, and timber engineers Whitby Wood. …The housing project on the banks of the Ouse will be constructed from timber cassettes, insulated by bio-based fibres and ‘embellished’ with other low-carbon and repurposed materials.

Fear of fire in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy is holding back a switch to more sustainable building materials, a leading architect has told Sky News. Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects, which is at the forefront of eco-building design, said the construction industry and regulators are too cautious about using engineered timber in tall structures – even though the catastrophe was in a concrete tower. “We are being held back,” he said. “(The UK) were the innovators of this material before Grenfell happened. “Now we have a situation where the rest of the world are changing their building regulations, changing their planning laws and government procurement for housing, hospitals and schools to promote the use of timber. “And we are alone in the UK in not doing anything to promote the use of timber.” Mr Waugh designed the new six-storey Black and White Building, the UK’s tallest office block constructed from engineered timber.

Pune, India — The British Columbia provincial government’s crown corporation, Forestry Innovation Consulting India Pvt Ltd (FII India), popularly known as Canadian Wood, hosted a seminar on ‘Reman Projects with Canadian Wood’ in Pune. It focussed on the rising demand for the company’s sustainable wood, which is sourced from certified forests of BC Canada. Additionally, there were conversations on the emergence of India as an important market for sustainable wood construction, especially with several timber-built projects cropping up across the country. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director of Canadian Wood, said, “we are currently collaborating with 41 stockists in 22 cities across India to provide high quality wood. …our aim is to raise awareness among stakeholders about various Canadian wood species which are sustainably sourced and also become their go-to supplier. …We are the largest lumber producer, and are growing fast and sustainably, providing multiple benefits to our partners.”

It’s renewable, strong as steel, astonishingly fireproof – yet it’s easy and quiet to build with. Could timber construction be the future? We step inside the revolutionary new London workplace that everyone wants to touch. …In Shoreditch, east London, stands the Black & White, a new office block that boasts few of the shiny gimmicks of its bloated glass and steel neighbours… But building it used almost 40% less carbon than comparable structures – primarily because it’s made of wood. …“We’re getting a really clear understanding of the biophilic benefits of natural environments, beyond the carbon savings,” says Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton, the architects behind the project. “People sleep better in timber homes, study better in timber schools, heal faster in timber hospitals and have less stress in timber offices.” …in the development industry, form follows finance. Only this time, it’s keen to be seen to be green.

ZGF Architects, along with Barcelona-based firms MIRAG and Double Twist, have designed a net-positive, mass timber center for research on planetary well-being. Located in Barcelona, the Mercat del Peix Research Center will bring together global experts in the experimental sciences, social sciences, and humanities to address challenges related to the future of the planet, including biodiversity loss and climate change economics and governance. In January, the design won a global laboratory design competition that drew 41 entries from 10 countries. …The research center’s mass timber building envelope and mechanical systems aim to reduce embodied and operational carbon, while optimizing the quality of the interior environment. …The research center’s high-performance mass timber building envelope and mechanical systems will significantly reduce both embodied and operational carbon while optimizing the quality of the interior environment. 

The new Timber TED courses provide a comprehensive understanding of timber design and support practical development of vital timber skills, according to the first group of students to graduate. The first full Timber Technology Engineering Design (Timber TED) courses began last year, with students from across the timber supply chain graduating from the 12-week course in December. The Timber TED courses have been developed by the New Model Institute for Technology & Engineering, in partnership with Timber Development UK and Edinburgh Napier University. They are designed to upskill and reskill the built environment professionals of the future to address the climate emergency and have a better understanding of timber’s role in the path to net zero. Students included architects, engineers, project managers and timber frame manufacturers, all of whom wanted to upskills and better their understanding of how to use more timber in their design and building projects.

HANNOVER, Germany — More than 90,000 professional visitors from the woodworking and wood processing sectors are expected to attend LIGNA, the world’s largest trade fair for woodworking and wood processing plants, machinery and tools. Hundreds of vendors spread through seven categories of machinery, plant and technology from across the entire wood industry will be showcasing their wares from May 15 to 19 at the Deutsch Messe in Hanover, Germany. Global market leaders welcome this opportunity to stage live demonstrations of their plant and machinery in operation. Every two years the wood industry has its own season ‒ LIGNA. The show has numerous special formats that go beyond the pure exhibition area. The show features seven categories of products, and three broader themed focus areas: Energy from Wood; Wood Based Panel Production; Machinery for Forestry, roundwood & Sawntimber Production; Machine Components and Automation Technology; Surface Technology; Sawmill Technology; and Tools & Machinery for Custom & Mass Production. 

Construction and the built environment are responsible for approximately 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. A significant percentage of this comes from the extraction, processing and energy-intensive manufacturing of building products.  To meet targets for net zero CO2 emissions by 2050, the construction industry must halve carbon emissions each decade, while still meeting the needs of a growing urban population, responding to the increasing demand for new buildings and tackling the urgent requirement to retrofit 29m existing homes in the UK alone to reduce energy consumption. …As it stands, wood is the only sustainable structural material that grows worldwide which can enable substantial decarbonisation of the built environment based on existing business models and proven technology. …Lifecycle assessment studies consistently show that timber products absorb and store more carbon than is emitted through their production – which means timber can actively reduce carbon emissions rather than adding to them on projects.

On December 2-3, Canada Wood China (CW China) organized an inbound mission to Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, to visit traditional and modern wood construction projects. Despite COVID-19 travel restrictions, the mission had 20 participants, including developers, architects, engineers, GLT manufacturers, wood builders and material suppliers. Situated in the Yangtze River Delta region, Nanjing holds a prominent position in Chinese history, having served as the capital of multiple Chinese dynasties and a major center of culture, education, research, politics, economics, transport networks and tourism. As a sophisticated metropolis where the ancient traditions intersect with contemporary culture, Nanjing has an abundance of traditional wood structures, and a growing number of high-quality modern wood buildings. This 2-day mission consisted of several visits to wood project, including: Jiangsu Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital; Jinling Style; and Nanjing Garden Expo Park.

The last three years have seen the world reset its lifestyle buttons in numerous ways, one of which has been a major shift to sustainable living. Driven by a need to find a balance in an increasingly urbanised world which the UN Report predicted will be 68% by 2050, consumers, irrespective of being eco-conscious or not, are seeking to bring nature home. Thus, it is easy to see why architects and real estate developers are constantly coming up with initiatives and contemporary designs that are rooted in biophilic design. Lumber is not only sought out for aesthetics, but has proven to have engineering as well as health benefits. Here is how the versatility of the Canadian Wood is giving it an edge over others: Sustainability quotient; Varied offerings; Durable & resilience; and tech-friendly.