The world’s most respected corporate brands, institutions, governments, and
commercial and residential builders are increasingly demanding Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood in construction projects so that
they can tell an impeccable sustainability story. Across North America,
thousands of companies make FSC-certified construction products — from lumber
and plywood to windows and doors, and everything in-between. And every year, the
FSC Leadership
Awards’ Design &
Build category celebrates projects that make the most innovative and extensive
use of FSC-certified materials.
With nominations
open
for the 2020 Awards, we wanted to highlight a few standout projects from the
past decade:
Image credit: Bullitt Center
- Known as the most sustainable office building in the world, the Bullitt
Center is a heavy-timber structure using only
FSC-certified wood. This International Living Future Institute “Living
Building,” designed by
Miller Hull Partnership, generates all of its
energy from solar panels on the roof (no small feat in Seattle!).
Image credit: Heron Hall
- Across the water from Seattle on Bainbridge Island, Heron
Hall may be the world’s most sustainable home
residence. It relies solely on FSC-certified new wood, although it also
makes extensive use of salvaged materials. Home to Jason McLennan,
founder of the Living Building Challenge
and McLennan Design (the project’s
architect), Heron Hall offers a new path for rural living.
Image credit: Byron E. Small/Atlanta Business Chronicle
- Across the country in Atlanta, the Kendeda Building for Innovative
Sustainable
Design
at the Georgia Institute of Technology was created to show what’s
possible in a mixed humid environment. Designed by Lord Aeck
Sargent and Miller Hull
Partnership, the building relies on mass
timber
not only for structural support, but also as a thermal insulator. While
making extensive use of salvaged material, all of the new wood in this
stunning project is FSC-certified.
Image credit: Kum & Go
- While many iconic projects such as the examples above have been deemed
worthy of acclaim for their beauty, others have been noted for their
everyday utility. With more than 400 stores across 11 states, Kum & Go
Convenience
Stores
use a minimum of 95 percent FSC wood — from shelving and coffee islands to
checkout, the projects make extensive use of FSC wood throughout.
Image credit: Bell Museum
- The Bell Museum and
Planetarium
at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus relied on
FSC-certified, locally sourced, thermally modified Eastern White Pine boards
for its siding. Design by Perkins &
Will,
this project also supported local forestry.
Today, there are more than 207 million hectares of forests certified to the FSC
standard, and 41,000+ forest product manufacturers FSC-certified in more than 90
countries — including the United States, and the global system is growing
rapidly. Across the country and around the world, thousands of buildings use FSC
certification as a way to ensure that the wood materials used support
responsible management of forests, keeping them intact and healthy for the
people and animals who depend on them.
These are only some of the many benefits gained by specifying and using
FSC-certified wood in building projects. If you have a great recent project in
mind, nominate it for this year’s FSC Design & Build
awards.
Or you can learn more about the benefits of using FSC-certified
wood, or find FSC-certified
construction materials near you.
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Brad Kahn is communications director of ACR — a carbon crediting program that was the world’s first private greenhouse gas registry when it was founded in 1996.
Published May 11, 2020 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST