re:Engineered: Exposing the the Architectural and Environmental Possibilities of New Structural Wood Composites

Abstract

While wood is indisputably the most sustainable building material used in the Built Environment, very little of it is recycled at the end of a building’s life. Although both lumber quality and supply continue to decline annually, we persist with our view of wood only as a disposable commodity that is more easily replaced than recycled. This thesis rethinks the ways we create, use, and ultimately dispose of wood and Engineered Wood Products (EWPs) and highlights the many inherent advantages - both existing and potential - that future Engineered Wood Products might offer in an architectural context. The use of recycled waste wood fiber in EWP’s could eliminate the most energy intensive portions of the production process. The development of recycled supply streams would relieve pressure on our forests, allowing them to better fulfill their carbon sequestering potential. As engineered wood products are refined through more frequent and varied application, their identity as wood elements evolves as well. In addition to addressing the environmental possibilities of engineered wood products, this thesis aims to investigate the potential implication of this evolution on the aesthetic and tactile possibilities and the perceptions of engineered wood composites.