Episode 42. AJ Climate Champions with Hattie Hartman and George Morgan. Montreal-based architect and systems thinker Scott Francisco explains why architects must educate themselves to understand the nuances of timber sourcing.
Francisco believes that greater use of timber in construction in coming decades will be essential to meet our climate targets. This in turn means an increase in plantation forestry, but this can be achieved without compromising biodiversity.
He also explains why it’s crucial for designers to have a holistic understanding of the timber supply chain. While timber certification is important, relying on certification alone is not enough. He outlines the range of factors that impact the carbon footprint of timber and how to understand different sourcing strategies.
Architects can play an important role in specifying ecological timber by asking the right questions and educating themselves to understand that specifying a species and a grade is not enough. In some instances, particularly on smaller projects, architects can construct a timber value chain for a particular building.
For show notes and to catch up on all AJ Climate Champions episodes, click here.
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AKTII’s David Watson on how to reduce the environmental impacts of brick
‘Over-specification of concrete is an industry addiction’
Henning Larsen’s Martha Lewis on how to screen materials for both chemicals and carbon
‘I’m no longer the wood weirdo,’ says Andrew Waugh
The Public Practice associates driving retrofit and net zero in the public sector
Je Ahn on setting up Studio Weave and working with found materials
Material passports and Architects Declare four years on
Architype’s Ann-Marie Fallon: ‘Net Zero has almost lost its meaning’
‘We apologise for designing buildings that exploit the planet’
Chinese architect Xu Tiantian on revitalising rural villages
Historic England’s Morwenna Slade on why a ‘fabric first’ approach must be used with caution in heritage buildings
Adapting conservation area guidance for climate emergency
Balancing heritage and climate urgency in listed buildings
Educators Sofie Pelsmakers and Cíaran Malik on teaching climate literate design
The trade-off between ventilation and airtightness in the post-pandemic world
Why architectural education needs radical reform
Danish architect Lone Feifer on ‘absolute’ sustainability
Hawkins\Brown’s Louisa Bowles on what net zero actually means
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