Context

WoodStock addresses the underuse of certain hardwood species in the construction sector. These species are often excluded from forest management strategies and end up in low-value applications such as firewood or bioenergy, while their potential for high-quality, climate-smart construction remains untapped. 

WoodStock aims to unlock this potential by promoting the sustainable and circular use of underutilised hardwoods in the European construction sector.The project engages architects, researchers, construction industry partners, policymakers, and foresters to raise awareness of the unique qualities of these species. By creating new value chains and market opportunities, the project helps increase the incentive for foresters to manage and market these hardwoods more actively.

This contributes to greater biodiversity in forests and supports a more stable, long-term income from sustainable forest management. In doing so, WoodStock contributes to a carbon-neutral construction sector through climate-friendly wood construction solutions that are beautiful, sustainable and inclusive. This is in line with the values of the New European Bauhaus.

Objectives

WoodStock has set clear ambitions. It will map and quantify wood resources through material flows, carbon accounting, and a robust dynamic Life Cycle Assessment (d-LCA) method. The project will develop zero-waste, circular product and building designs that consider human health and well-being. At the same time, WoodStock will conduct real-world experiments, create full-scale prototypes of building elements, and explore human perception of using underutilised wood in construction. Frameworks for policies as well as innovation and business strategies will support the transition to a more sustainable construction sector. The WoodStock project will additionally develop the European Wood Construction Observatory (EWCO), a collaborative, online platform that features best practices in wood construction, guidelines, and solutions to enhance the overall knowledge on circular and zero-waste product and building design.

Through six Living Labs across Europe, WoodStock will collect input and co-create solutions for sustainable wood construction to achieve these ambitions. These Living Labs will bring together research organisations, industry, government agencies and citizens in the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Poland, France and Slovenia. They will gather collective expertise to develop zero-waste and circular product and building designs, define scenarios, assess human health and well-being aspects, and co-develop policies and business strategies.

Activities

WoodStock organises six types of co-creation workshops, each addressing a different aspect of sustainable wood construction. Each of the six Living Labs will organise several co-creation workshop.There are six types of co-creation workshops:

1. co-development of storylines and narratives
2. zero-waste solutions through design: development through co-creation
3. zero-waste solutions through design: validation
4. assessing wood industry policies, norms and standards
5. creating the ‘European Wood Construction Observatory’
6. stimuli for the analysis of human health and well-being

WoodStock will also organise student workshops on zero-waste solutions and building blueprints. In these workshops, students will co-create innovative and sustainable concepts by collaborating with local partner SMEs, contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers. There will be student courses for architecture and engineering students. In these design courses, students will collaborate with local partner SMEs, contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers guided by the WoodStock research team through design, prototyping and testing. They focus on exploring sustainable design practices, developing zero-waste concepts, and building blueprints by using underutilised wood. The Living Lab ‘the Green Village’ in the Netherlands will organise a one-week international school at TU Delft, in cooperation with the Living Labs from Norway and Poland. This international school will focus on the creative use of hardwood and damaged, low-quality, and post-consumer wood in building design. Students from WoodStock’s partner organisations will be encouraged to apply for this international school. An open call will be organised to give all EU-wide architecture and engineering students this opportunity.