The research emphasises the importance of adapting timber designs to work within the constraints of UK forests, advocating for a regenerative approach to timber use.
Global timber demand is expected to quadruple by 2050. In the UK there is interest to meet this demand with an increased use of domestic timber. This approach could minimise transportation emissions, however, it is complicated by the UK’s timber availability. The UK has one of the lowest percentages of forest cover in Europe, and with tree planting rates declining in recent decades, the availability of timber could start to decline as early as the early 2030s.
The study seeks to reframe the question of sustainable timber use, moving beyond local sourcing to acknowledge the limitations of UK forests. By reviewing current timber use in the UK and illustrating the flow of wood through the economy, the research provides insights on how designers can reduce the use of virgin timber and utilize the UK's abundant but underused forest resources.
One of the key findings, is the call for a closer relationship between forestry and timber design. Rather than focusing solely on timber reuse and recycling, the research advocates for a deeper connection between timber designers and the forests that supply their materials. This involves adapting to the UK's transition from conifer monocultures to more diverse and ecologically healthy woodlands, encouraging designers to use a diverse range of timber types.
A framework for the sustainable use of UK timber transcends the circular economy model, which maximises material reuse and recycling, and embraces the concept of regenerative design. Regenerative design aims to balance the needs of society and ecology, promoting mutual prosperity and co-evolution.
Matthew Leeder, from Bristol’s Faculty of Engineering, and PhD student in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Composites Science, Engineering and Manufacturing (CoSEM), is leading the research. He said: “This approach is particularly timely given the global climate and biodiversity emergency, with experts warning of a potential catastrophic forest ecosystem collapse in the UK within the next 50 years.
“The study lays the groundwork for a more regenerative use of timber in the UK, supporting a sustainable supply of domestic timber while promoting the regeneration of UK woodlands.
“In a world that seems too resistant to change, it’s exciting to work on research that hopes for a more ambitious future, to take a step back from simply focusing on incrementally reducing carbon emissions and to think what the end goal of sustainability research should actually be."
Future research will explore developing sustainability assessments that move beyond carbon accounting to a more holistic evaluation of progress. Essential to this research, is a better understanding of the compromises and mutually beneficial relationships between forest ecology and timber extraction.
Matthew is supervised by Dr Neha Chandarana, Dr Eleni Toumpanaki, Prof James Norman, and Prof Stephen J Eichhorn, in the School of Civil, Aerospace, and Design Engineering.
To learn more about regenerative design, read the book that helped inspire this work: “The Regenerative Structural Engineer” by Oliver Broadbent and Prof James Norman.