LET BE WOODEN
The NEBletter of the LIFE-BE WOODEN project Powered by ART-ER |
Let's start The BE-WoodEN project aims to develop skills through a dual modality: a series of webinars dedicated to professionals and all those interested in the use of wood for sustainable construction, preparatory to participation in some interactive activities that allow participants to gain concrete experiences in the field and have conversations with experts. Let's see what it's about. |
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THE NEB FACTOR BE-WoodEN laboratory activities Peer experiences, dialogue with experts and study visits The Be-WoodEN project includes the creation of Innovation Labs, participatory and stakeholder involvement actions, to be carried out in Liguria and Emilia-Romagna with different methods and targets: we talk about it with Alessandro Bosso (ART-ER) andLaura Muraglia (Liguria Region). Among the interactive activities, a study visit to Slovenia is also planned: we talk about it with Andreja Kutnar (University of Primorska - Inno Renew CoE). |
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Laura, what does the Innovation Lab planned in Liguria consist of? Laura: The Innovation Lab is one of the most interesting measures of the Be-WoodEN project. It involves laboratory activities, with a real challenge between multidisciplinary design groups, which has as its object the co-design of some common spaces located in a social housing building in Imperia. |
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Who will be involved in this process? Laura: We are interested in involving different subjects, first of all professionals such as architects, engineers, agronomists who will have taken advantage of the webinars created by the Be-WoodEN project (always available on the FormaGenova website), innovators selected through an expression of interest, we are thinking of artisans, social innovation experts, companies and associations that deal with social inclusion or environmental sustainability, artists. In general, these are placemakers who have carried out activities in the territories. How does the process work? Laura: The process will start in 2025: the first part in Genoa, in February, with an interactive workshop in which the groups will be created. In the second part, in March, the groups thus formed will get to know the pilot area, the object of the co-design: it is one of the buildings of our regional agency for construction and the territory of Imperia. It is a very interesting building, where there are common areas that can be the object of design. It is located in the city center, therefore in close relation with the neighborhood where there are also families and young people, who therefore could be interested in the participatory design phase. The groups will challenge each other in a hackathon to propose solutions. In this way we want to bring an example of application of the New European Bauhaus to the Ligurian territory. |
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You said that there is a call for applications to select participants. What are the criteria? Laura: There are two types of criteria: for professionals, we will take into account the level of attendance at webinars and the number of courses attended, plus the professionalism that emerges from their CV. For others, we will look at their previous experiences in environmental sustainability, cultural planning, and work in the territories, which can be seen from their CV. As a target, we aim to have 48 professionals and 18 innovators. |
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What happens after the hackathon? Laura: Thanks to the collaboration with ARTE Imperia, the most deserving group will be able to carry out the project. It will not involve interventions on the masonry but interior installations. It will have to present a feasibility study that will be judged by a commission composed of the University of Genoa and the Liguria Region. Another interesting prize, in my opinion, will consist of the winners participating in the last event of the project that will be held in Brussels, where they will be able to present their project. We also plan to show the projects of the other groups participating in the challenge. |
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Alessandro, let's now turn to the activity planned for Emilia-Romagna organized by ART-ER, what is it about? Alessandro: In Emilia-Romagna we will work on the wood construction supply chain, from the forestry phase, to the building and furnishings. We are mainly addressing companies, then expanding to designers and public administrations. |
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The activity consists of focus groups in which we try to highlight how improving environmental performance can also make the supply chain more competitive How is the focus group structured? Alessandro: We organize meetings on the enhancement of environmental performance and, in particular, on the tools available to companies. On the one hand, we try to involve the various representatives of the supply chain, from cultivation to forest management to wood processing, construction companies, fixtures, flooring, furniture and furnishings in general. On the other hand, we invite experts in enhancement tools that we can trace back to product or building certifications. What certifications are we talking about? Alessandro: We are talking about products that use FSC and PFC certified wood, but also that improve environmental performance, such as the EPD in MADE GREEN IN ITALY. There are certifications such as LEED and the ITACA protocol, which concern the sustainability of the performance of the building as a whole and of the place where it is located. We are talking about environmental management systems, therefore how companies can organize themselves, such as EMAS and ISO 14001. For the product there is the carbon footprint and we also go for carbon credits, which can intervene in different phases of the supply chain, where we have storage and an increase in absorption, both in the forestry phase and in wood products. |
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| The activities are underway, how is it going? Alessandro: The focus group meetings aim to develop a “toolbox” or toolkit, a sort of guide to the strategic choices of the various players in the supply chain, therefore companies, those in charge of supplies, designers, but also for the public administration. The first meeting was characterized by a review of the tools currently available on the market and the companies provided feedback. |
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Afterwards, we will work with the companies on the application problems, especially from the point of view of resources required, complexity of the tool, market opportunities or difficulties. From this work the toolkit will be developed. We talked about companies, but there are also public administrations. How does this toolkit support public bodies? Alessandro: We involved local bodies but we are also interested in housing agencies. The role of the public is relevant from various points of view. In terms of contracts for the construction of public buildings or supplies, for the choice of the most suitable opportunities and certifications. For the role that the regional body can have in promoting and financing to support the use of wood, through incentives. For policies, which can connect choices along the supply chain to climate adaptation policies, natural capital and circular economy. These are all aspects that require operational tools and with the Be-WoodEN project we can provide them. |
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Let’s talk now about the study visit in Slovenia organised by the University of Primorska: Andreja, what’s the sense of this activity within the project? Andreja: Well, LIFE BE-WoodEN is focusing on increasing the knowledge in the sustainable built environment that can be achieved with the wood value chain. |
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Of course we can use videos and webinars, lectures, even laboratories, but then we can combine the theory with the practice, with the experience of touching or being in the building. That is a demonstration of what we are aiming to deliver to the audience. And that's the reason why we decided for this study visit, where we will show different aspects of the process: the different types of wood based engineered products, different facades and innovative treatments that are contributing, not just to a sustainable built environment, but actually to regenerative sustainability. We want to show that this approach doesn't do just less harm but it actually contributes also by putting something back to nature.The facade that has the capability of cleaning the air is an example. Will the study visit include some phases of the wood value chain? Andreja: Yes, since it's sometimes hard to imagine how this product was made out of a tree, we have combined the study visit of wood building examples also with the manufacturer of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) production. Participants will see the whole process, how a CLT panel is created, how they cut it, how they bond it. We think it’s important that participants can actually trust the material because they will see all the quality control measures that each company that is producing building materials needs to follow. |
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How many people do you expect to welcome? And which are the locations where the study visit takes place? Andreja: We expect around 20 people from Italy and additional participants from the consortium. The building to be visited is the biggest wooden building in Slovenia, made of CLT, and it’s located in Isola, which is around 15 kilometers away from Trieste, very close to Italy. |
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The language of the visit will be English. And then we will visit Stilles CLT manufacturing company in Sevnica, South-East of Slovenia. When is the visit scheduled? Andreja: The arrival is expected on February 17th, then on the 18th the visit will last the whole day, including lectures about the specifics of timber buildings and different engineered wood products that are used in construction. We will demonstrate the use of sensors for health monitoring of timber buildings. Of course there will be a tour of the building and all the laboratories that we have. On the 19th in the morning we’ll drive to this cross laminated timber production. At the end it is scheduled in the afternoon with departure back to Italy. What do you expect out of this visit? Andreja: I'm expecting that the majority of participants will be architects, I hope they can be encouraged to design their next building in timber. It's a way to stimulate them to think: it's possible! Architects are the ones that need to really responsibly design, so it’s important they understand specifics of wooden buildings and that they trust wood as building material. |
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| Laura Muraglia is an expert in environmental sustainability and specialized in local development and European planning. She was a manager at the Ligurian Agency for Environmental Protection, where she managed the European Planning Office until March 2021, when she took on the role, currently in place, of head of the European and International Affairs Sector of the Liguria Region. |
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| Alessandro Bosso is a geologist and has an international master's degree in integrated environmental management. He deals with natural resources management and environmental sustainability, and is an expert in issues related to natural capital, climate change, and the circular economy. |
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| Andreja Kutnar is the director of the research institute InnoRenew CoE, and a full professor in the field wood science at the University of Primorska, Slovenia. She holds a PhD in Wood Science, and she is researching in-depth several areas of this multifaceted science, distinguished by its highly interdisciplinary approach and broad international involvement. |
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LIFE Be-WoodEN Winter School in Florence. Stay tuned! |
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