Abstract
Wood – a sustainable building material ?
For thousands of years and all over the planet, wood has been used as a building material and exciting architecture has been created in wood. The fantastic structural, physical and aesthetic properties of the material as well as the fact that wood is a renewable resource makes it predestinated for what is considered ´sustainable architecture´.
But the reality is less linear and there are serious traps: In fact the lecture shows by examples that it is much easier to build very unsustainable buildings in wood than the other way round! Where does the wood come from? How is it harvested? How is it manufactured and treated ? How are the buildings detailed and protected against weather during construction to keep them dry and make them long-life ?
In a period of climate change, forests are the last lungs of the planet to sequestrate CO2. Their global size has shrinked by 30% since the preindustrial times and in countries like China (with a historic tradition for wooden architecture) we could observe enormous desertification. What does this mean for the use of wood in modern architecture ?
A critical reflection is needed. In too many cases, sustainability with wood is only proclaimed but does not stand close examination. In its extreme, this originally healthy building material thoughtlessly is turned into a toxic structure.
But based on a deeper look into contradictions and revealing the potentials of using wood, the lecture focuses on the positive and highly inspiring examples and presents wooden architecture at its best.
For thousands of years and all over the planet, wood has been used as a building material and exciting architecture has been created in wood. The fantastic structural, physical and aesthetic properties of the material as well as the fact that wood is a renewable resource makes it predestinated for what is considered ´sustainable architecture´.
But the reality is less linear and there are serious traps: In fact the lecture shows by examples that it is much easier to build very unsustainable buildings in wood than the other way round! Where does the wood come from? How is it harvested? How is it manufactured and treated ? How are the buildings detailed and protected against weather during construction to keep them dry and make them long-life ?
In a period of climate change, forests are the last lungs of the planet to sequestrate CO2. Their global size has shrinked by 30% since the preindustrial times and in countries like China (with a historic tradition for wooden architecture) we could observe enormous desertification. What does this mean for the use of wood in modern architecture ?
A critical reflection is needed. In too many cases, sustainability with wood is only proclaimed but does not stand close examination. In its extreme, this originally healthy building material thoughtlessly is turned into a toxic structure.
But based on a deeper look into contradictions and revealing the potentials of using wood, the lecture focuses on the positive and highly inspiring examples and presents wooden architecture at its best.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 2014 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
| Event | V International Conference for Architects "The Architectural Opportunities of Wood in Construction” - St. Petersburg, Russian Federation Duration: 19 Sept 2014 → 20 Sept 2014 |
Conference
| Conference | V International Conference for Architects "The Architectural Opportunities of Wood in Construction” |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Russian Federation |
| City | St. Petersburg |
| Period | 19/09/2014 → 20/09/2014 |
Keywords
- Wood construction
- Sustainable construction
- Wood architecture
- Aging of wood
Artistic research
- No