UPM-Biofore-Magazine-2-2019

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TEXT Janne Suokas   PHOTOGRAPHY UPM; Courtesy of the interviewee

Wonders of wood

T he buildings in which we live and work have both a practical and aesthetic function. Not only do they provide us with shelter but, ideally, they should also look and feel good, as well as representing the values of both their designers and occupants. Since housing is an inescapable necessity, buildings play a significant role in our lives and in shaping our future approaches to sustainable living. “Buildings are metaphors, helping us to communicate. People used to say ‘My home is my castle’, but these days we use newmetaphors to describe them, like ‘nest,’ ‘control tower’ and ‘smart building’,” says Professor Sirkka Heinonen from the University of Turku’s Finland Futures Research Centre. Professor Heinonen has conducted extensive research on the future of communities, such as the messages

When produced responsibly, timber is a great material for sustainable architecture. Many recent wooden buildings are breaking ground for future innovation.

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