TREES
WOOD
ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTORY VIDEOS
In this segment of a masterclass held at the 2022 National Design Festival of the Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA), Paul explains how selection of timber for construction can drive further degradation or assist with repair of our fragile climate and biodiversity. He discusses local and imported timber supplies from both natural and plantation forest systems. He also introduces design thinking and a knowledge base to support more ecologically and socially sensitive selection and use of this precious natural resource.
In this webinar for Builders Declare Australia (October 2020), Paul Haar untangles some of the confusion around responsible timber selection and environmental certifications. He interrogates the notion of wood as the ultimate renewable building material and introduces clear principles and methods for thoughtfully selecting timber for building projects. He then directs us to guides that make selection of responsible timbers easy, across all construction applications and budgets. Paul also touches on his self-help housing work with remote indigenous Australians, Candlebark School Library, Mullum Creek eco-housing project and CERES Fair Wood, to illustrate how his approach to timber sourcing has expressed itself in built outcomes.
In November 2021, as part of South Gippsland's annual Sustainability Festival, the Bass Coast Landcare Network hosted a webinar on local enterprise around trees and timber in South Gippsland. It showcased the good work of a farm forester, a small sawmiller and traditional frame fabricator as well as a social enterprise that aggregates and retails this local product for a discerning Melbourne market. Here Paul Haar highlights concerns with global timber industry and sets the scene for a more local, environmentally and socially regenerative wood culture.
PUBLICATIONS
CERES FAIR WOOD
A Social Enterprise Supplying Farm Forested and Salvaged Timbers
A KNOTTY ISSUE
Sanctuary Magazine Issue 52, Spring 2020
Just about every building project uses timber. While it’s a renewable resource, its harvesting is often associated with deforestation practices that are harmful to the environment. We look at the current state of sustainable timber in Australia, and how to make sure the wood you use for your build is as responsible as possible.
MULLUM CREEK
Timber Knowledge Base
ARE TREE AGE AND WOOD DENSITY MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPECIES
IN DETERMINING NATURAL DURABILITY OF AUSTRALIAN HARDWOODS?
SOURCING RESPONSIBLE TIMBER
CANDLEBARK SCHOOL
Timber Knowledge Base