sustainable material - wood

“WARM, NATURAL WOOD USES LESS ENERGY AND PRODUCES LESS AIR AND WATER POLLUTION THAN THE ENERGY INTENSIVE MANUFACTURE OF STEEL AND CONCRETE.”


Everything we do affects the environment around us. It is impossible to construct a building without having some impact on the world’s environment. Designers and builders are becoming more aware that the selection of materials, building systems and equipment can reduce the effect of construction on the world around us.

Designers and building owners in North America and elsewhere are embracing the concept of “Green Buildings” and are making choices that reduce energy use, reduce the use of non-renewable materials, and reduce the pollution caused by the manufacture of materials. In this way, they are able to minimize the impact or “environmental footprint” of a building.

As designers make conscious environmental choices, they are returning to the only building material that uses the sun’s energy to renew itself in a continuous sustainable cycle – wood. Wood is the only major building material that is renewable. Warm, natural wood uses less energy and produces less air and water pollution than the energy intensive manufacture of steel and concrete. In addition, new technology is producing engineered wood systems that maximize the use of the material to reduce resource use. In looking at the scientific evidence, wood clearly makes the grade as the green building material of choice.

There are many claims of environmental performance, making it difficult for designers to determine the right choices. In order to assist designers, builders and building owners in these choices, criteria and methods to evaluate performance are being developed by the US and Canada.