Wood Urbanism

de Jane Hutton, Daniel Ibañez, Kiel Moe

From small-scale thermal properties to large-scale forestry, territorial, and carbon cycle issues, wood has latent propensities not well addressed in the current discourse on wood construction. Through a range of design research formats, from material testing to in-situ documentation to speculative urban projects, this book articulates and illustrates future architectural and ecological potentials of wood. From under-considered thermal properties to emerging manufacturing possibilities to forestry regimes to larger ecosystem and carbon cycle dynamics, wood is uniquely positioned for ecological urbanization in the twenty-first century yet remains inadequately characterized in architecture, landscape architecture, and urbanism. As the unique material properties of wood operate at multiple, simultaneous spatial and temporal scales, so should the discussions surrounding wood's role as a critical material for design today. This book brings into conversation scholars and practitioners who focus on wood from a range of perspectives, from the working forest to the mid-rise building to the cell itself. The aim is to examine the implications and potentials of wood urbanism, drawing particular focus to the complex relationships between land-use, wood production, and wood construction. While relying on the inherent intelligence and depth of multiple disciplines, a more totalizing thermodynamic perspective on the role of wood in contemporary buildings, urbanization, and territories is needed: from the imperceptibly small to the confoundingly large.