We need sustainable alternatives to our current lifestyle. Construction and housing account for approximately 40% of our carbon dioxide emissions, making solutions in these areas particularly important in combating climate change.
From the perspective of sustainability, the greatest challenges in construction and housing are high energy consumption in the manufacturing of concrete and steel, the growing demand for non-renewable materials, a lack of recycling practices in the construction industry, and chemicals that are harmful to human health.
As a raw material, wood can provide solutions to all of the above challenges in construction and housing. The Wood Wonders exhibition at Helsinki airport showcases the strengths of wood.
If all the buildings constructed in Finland each year were made of wood, the amount of wood needed for the construction would grow back in ten hours.
When used thoughtfully, wood helps us reduce our carbon footprint, as wood-bound carbon is stored in buildings even for centuries.
Wood stores carbon and is a versatile, renewable and recyclable building material. Wood structures can reduce energy consumption in housing. The chemical structures of wood may replace oil-based chemicals, plastics and adhesives which are harmful to the environment.
Sustainability requires cooperation that stretches across disciplines and borders. Wood expertise is one great example of this, and the Wood Wonders exhibition brings together Aalto University's multidisciplinary research and development projects from three different schools and over twenty different researchers and experts.
As trees grow, they bind carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen. At the same time, a strong and sustainable building material is formed. When used thoughtfully, wood helps us reduce our carbon footprint, as wood-bound carbon can be stored in buildings even for centuries.
In terms of the climate, it is important to extend the life cycle of wood products – in other words, to reduce their short-term use as an energy source, paper or packaging. We need to develop wood products that have a long life cycle and that can be recycled for a long time.
It's equally important to ensure that more trees are growing than are being used. We need to develop carbon-sequestering forest management as well as use logging methods that are less harmful to the forest ecosystem.
In addition to the environmental benefits, wood is a luxurious and impressive building material.
Take a look at our virtual exhibition and explore the achievements of Finnish wood construction research and architecture.
Wood Wonders was designed by a multidisciplinary team with members from three of the Aalto schools, and it will open in entrance hall 2B at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on 5 February 2020. The exhibition is part of the long-term passenger experience collaboration with Finavia.
The Finnish Ministry of the Environment has supported the exhibition.
#woodwonders
If all the buildings constructed in Finland each year were made of wood, the amount of wood needed for their construction would grow back in ten hours.
The Wood Wonders exhibition to be opened at Helsinki Airport on the 5th of February will show passengers the innovations related to wood construction and display the sector’s latest developments.
The Wood Program is a one-year program of study that focuses on wood architecture and industrial building. The program is intended for architects, engineers and other students with a background in design and strong interest in timber construction.
