Timber Extraction

Abstract

Building with natural materials has been perceived as an important concept in sustainable architecture, and plays a key role in tackling the issue of climate change. Timber, in particular, is one of the most popular natural materials that has been extensively used by architectural practices around the world. This extends to those in the UK who have used timber as an alternative to carbon-intensive materials, like concrete and steel, with the aim to reduce CO2 emissions from the building industry.

This dissertation aims to shed light on the other side of using timber in buildings to bring attention to the unnoticed social and environmental effects of the extractivist timber supply chain of the timber trade in the UK.

A case study methodology was used in this research. A critical analysis of a UK-based architectural practice ‘Material Cultures’ work was employed, to understand the complexity of the building materials supply chain, focussing mainly on timber. Tracing the work of this practice was particularly useful in exploring alternatives that could tackle the dependency on the extractivist materials supply chain by the construction industry.

The results showed that the concept of timber use in buildings as a sustainable solution could sometimes be oversimplified by architects and designers, resulting in some serious social and environmental violations and injustice around the world. Therefore, in order to achieve a true meaning of social and environmental sustainability, the consumers of timber like architects need to consider the process of the timber material chain and be aware of the origins, manufacture and design of the materials they use.