Research
Research project “Small-Diameter Hardwood as a Resource: Development and Testing of Material-Driven Design and Construction Methods for Multi-Story Residential Buildings Adapted to Climate Change Impacts.” Funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). In cooperation with WKC, ee concept , and the Saxony State Forestry Agency (Sachsenforst), Taura Forest District; testing as part of the V29 collective construction project in Leipzig. Project duration: November 2026–November 2028.
Forest conversion and the construction transition have so far only intersected in isolated cases. While species composition and available wood assortments are changing, structural timber construction continues to rely largely on a few conifer species and standardized, technically dried products. This research project investigates how “small-diameter hardwood,” with its thin, heterogeneous cross-sections, can be utilized for multi-story residential construction using the simplest possible processing steps. The ecological question of long-term material use of this previously underutilized wood resource directly translates into a structural and design challenge: How can we build with thin, crooked, and heterogeneous logs without losing their specific properties through complex processing and standardization? The research project examines how these conditions can give rise to a construction method that works with available resources while simultaneously meeting today’s requirements for load-bearing capacity, durability, and building code safety. A concrete application of this research is the socio-ecological collective construction project V29 in Leipzig. In this multi-story residential building, small-diameter hardwood is being tested on a large scale as the primary material for the structural framework under real-world planning, permitting, and construction conditions.