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Bio-based construction

Developments in, and design with, timber, stone, rammed earth, hemp, cork, algae and fungi

  1. Intelligence

Material Cultures on transforming woodland waste into sustainable sheet materials

Summer Islam and George Massoud discuss their recent experiments, using timber byproducts such as bark to create additive-free ply, composites and cladding, which are on show at the V&A during 2025

20 January 2025

Innovators in bio-based construction

Three things: How Jonathan Tuckey Design achieves ambience and practicality
Associate Rob Leechmere reveals three of the firm’s favourite products
Practice Architecture and Material Cultures – taking bio-based materials mainstream
Future Winners - Paloma Gormley, Practice Architecture and Material Cultures
Earthy mix: Anne Holtrop adapts to the Bahrain heat
The Dutch architect has learned to work with materials resistant to sun, dust and humidity
Studio Polpo: fungi formulas and architecture as a community service
Sheffield practice is there to spot ways to improve the local lot

Timber construction

As the construction sector turns increasingly to timber to achieve net zero, forestry may be unable to keep pace, requiring a radical rethink of land use, supply chains, engineered products and approaches to design, reports Stephen Cousins

As the construction sector turns increasingly to timber to achieve net zero, forestry may be unable to keep pace

The colourful lightweight wood structures, by design practice Hannah, used 3D printing and robotic fabrication and are destined for adaptive reuse as a residential house

The colourful lightweight wood structures are designed for adaptive reuse as a residential house

Waugh Thistleton's Timber Typologies tackles misunderstanding that limits the material's use and threatens construction's carbon reduction targets

Widespread misunderstanding threatens carbon reduction targets

Piercy & Co brought in timber and fire safety specialists early to ensure the nine-storey, structural timber office block satisfied post-Grenfell regulations

Specialists worked with the team before RIBA Stage 3

Using timber in construction slows global warming through carbon capture and will help the UK fulfil its net zero commitment, argues the Wood CO2ts Less campaign

Using timber in construction helps reduce climate heating

New technique cuts costs by predicting the curves timber will form during drying – eliminating heavy manufacturing processes

Technique cuts costs by eliminating heavy manufacturing

Waugh Thistleton report sees prospect of stronger systems, but fears timber structures could fall victim to a post-Grenfell ban on combustible materials

It's getting stronger – but could fall foul of ban on combustibles

A tower in Brisbane by architects Bates Smart is a lesson in engineered timber construction and off-site fabrication

Bates Smart's Brisbane office development is the tallest timber building in Australia

The largest wooden building in the world will give The Netherlands its first ‘mountain’

The Netherlands plans the world's largest timber building

Students realise the potential of lightweight timber construction at Hooke Park

Timber canopy takes wing at Hooke Park

Urbanisation is one of the most significant issues facing humanity today

Building smarter cities with wood

Waugh Thistleton is known for its pioneering work with timber buildings. Andrew Waugh discusses the realities and possibilities of the material and how it’s better than concrete

Andrew Waugh on why we should choose wood

Amid growing interest in ‘plyscrapers’, British Columbia has amended its regs for 53m student block

North America has cottoned on to plyscrapers

James Latham supports a community project in Bristol designed by Ooma Design and students from UWE with Accoya

James Latham supports community project with Accoya

As a slow growing timber with a density of more than 600kg/m³, Mumford & Wood uses Siberian larch to be naturally durable and withstand climatic conditions

Siberian larch: most naturally durable wood on earth