Though it has been one of the first materials utilized by man for construction, today wood has an innovative role, capable of responding to social, environmental and architectural challenges. An ancient material par excellence, wood is also surprisingly new, thanks to a fresh, diversified vision of its use. Wood is a technologically advanced natural product, which offers concrete solutions to many of our present problems: it is self-renewable, and has a workmanship process that minimizes environmental impact. It can be shaped and colored, adapted to many different products, and has a high strength/weight ratio, permitting a wide spectrum of applications. As a carbon-storing material, it is a highly sustainable alternative to other CO2-emitting materials.
AHEC, Nordic Pioneer by Maria Bruun, “Connected”, Design Museum London, 2020
an creative ideasAware of all this, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), a leader in the sector of exports of American hardwoods, with an ongoing commitment to the spread of sustainable practices, has presented the “Guide to Sustainable American Hardwoods” with the aim of inspiring sector professionals, providing them with techincal information and creative inspirations with which to make aware decisions about materials, to ensure a greener future for our forests and for the entire supply chain.
The guide responds to the growing international concerns regarding the climate crisis, and it offers technical details on the various varieties of American hardwood, along with images of projects made with the material. It also includes a legal risk assessment commissioned by AHEC, environmental profiles of American hardwoods (AHEP), and an interactive map of forests, for an overview of the distribution and growth of wood. The ultimate objective of the guide is to demonstrate the enormous resources we have available, helping users to make more effective ecological choices.
AHEC, Sno Collection by Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng, 3daysofdesign 2023
The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, New Haven, USA
Royal Academy of Music, London
Besides the guide, to promote aware use of American hardwoods AHEC has create a podcast: Words on Wood. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms, the podcast has been made in collaboration with the magazine Disegno.
This season will explore the world of wood in even greater depth, addressing unexpected themes from the forestry industry and the fields of architecture and design, while also introducing a new series of “Making Shorts” – quick episodes that highlight various production techniques with which to design and build with wood. The first stop is a trip to Australia, to discover CNC milling.
Photo © David Cleveland, Benjamin Lund, Adam Scott, Morley von Sternberg
