Innovative consideration of the forest-timber interaction understanding

Challenges such as climate change, storm damage, increasing demands for use and rising management costs are putting forests under increasing pressure. The ITC INNOwood research project focuses on the complex interactions between forests, wood and society. The website www.waldnutzen.ch has been launched to make the project’s findings and experiences available to a wider audience.

© Ernst Immoos

© Lignum Holzwirtschaft Zentralschweiz. Photographer: Roberto Conciatori, Lucerne

© Florian Rebmann. www.unsplash.com

The forest is a multifunctional talent. It provides clean air, protects roads and railways from landslides and avalanches, and its wood stores a lot of carbon when used in buildings. However, forests need to be maintained and the wood they produce used wisely. Theo Weber, head of the Cantonal Office for Forestry and Natural Risks for the canton of Schwyz, explains why it is important for biodiversity that responsible foresters ensure sustainable forest management: “A forest that is not used tends to grow very uniformly and in a single layer, especially at medium and low altitudes. This means it is impoverished in terms of species. Biodiversity requires a rich mosaic of different life forms. Forests also have an impact on the climate: “Timber buildings store carbon in the long term. At the same time, when we use wood in the forest, we create space for new trees to grow, which in turn absorb CO₂ from the air. It is a perfect cycle,” explains Roland Christen, head of the Obwalden Cantonal Forestry Office.

Examples make correlations visible

The relationship between forest management and the use of wood is complex and not always easy to understand. The website www.waldnutzen.ch aims to make this clearer with the help of several vivid examples. It shows how builders, politicians and customers who choose a building, furniture or other product made from local wood can help to ensure that the many services provided by the forest on their own doorstep continue. “In order to make a decision at the end of the value chain, you need to understand the relationship between the forest, its services and the use of wood,” says Michiel Fehr, Head of Forest Utilisation at the Agriculture and Forestry Service of the Canton of Lucerne. The website gives builders an insight into the positive effects of using wood from the local forest.

Homepage of the new website www.waldnutzen.ch

Interplay between forest – wood – society

Video page of the new website www.waldnutzen.ch

Showcase projects "Haus des Holzes Sursee" & "Tierparkturm Goldau"

Showcase projects "District heating network Hergiswil" & "Berglodge37 Eggberge"

Showcase projects "Schlaufensteg Baar" & "Cantonal Bank Obwalden Sarnen"

GoLive of a flagship project

The pioneers of the new website celebrated the launch at the Berglodge37. Roland Wüthrich, Director of the Office for Forestry and Hunting in the canton of Uri, welcomed representatives of the Federal Office for the Environment, WaldSchweiz, Lignum Zentralschweiz, the cantonal foresters of Central Switzerland and the project team from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Dimitri Moretti, Director of Security for the canton of Uri, emphasised the social importance of forests and wood. Claire-Lise Suter Thalmann, Managing Director of the Swiss Forest and Wood Research Promotion Agency, drew a link to this year’s International Day of Forests with the message “Forests and innovation – protecting and sustainably using forests instead of destroying them”. The attendees were then given an insight into the content of the project work. Sabine Witt explained the role of the forest experts as mediators and the demands of the population for co-design. Sonja Geier traced the arc from the INNOwood project to the digital experience platform waldnutzen.ch. Afterwards, Pascal Wacker eagerly awaited the live launch and demonstrated the functions and levels of the new website. The event concluded with a tour of Uri’s flagship project, the Berglodge37. Host Martin Reichle showed the guests how he used regional wood and circular thinking to create a harmonious place with a breathtaking view over the Lake of Uri.

Sonja Geier, Deputy Head of the Competence Centre Typology & Planning in Architecture (CCTP)

Pascal Wacker, Competence Centre Typology & Planning in Architecture (CCTP)

Dimitri Moretti, Director of Security and Forestry Director for the canton of Uri

Project team and attendees at the GoLive event

Website www.waldnutzen.ch

Website www.waldnutzen.ch

The new website waldnutzen.ch has been developed with the aim of improving understanding of the links between forest management and wood utilisation and the services provided to the population. “This platform helps to support forest owners, foresters and regional companies in the forest and wood value chain in their important work,” says Paolo Camin of the SwissForest association. The flagship projects in Central Switzerland are representative of the diverse added value of the multifunctional forest. Added value which applies throughout Switzerland.

The INNOwood project (2021-23) was supported by the Swiss Forest and Wood Research Promotion Agency (WHFF-CH) with the participation of the Conference on Forests, Wildlife and Landscape (KWL) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), all cantonal forestry offices in Central Switzerland (LU, ZG, SZ, UR, NW, OW), the Lignum Holzwirtschaft Zentralschweiz LHZ, Pirmin Jung Schweiz AG, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts via the participating competence centers’ own funds and the interdisciplinary thematic cluster Space and Society (ITC RG).

Workshop at the premises of Küng Holzbau AG

The project team

Workshop at the premises of Küng Holzbau AG

Organization

Project management:
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences & Arts
Competence Centre Typology & Planning in Architecture (CCTP)
Dr. Sonja Geier

Research team:
– Lucerne University, Competence Centre Typology & Planning in Architecture (CCTP)
– Hochschule Luzern, Competence Center for Regional Economics (CCRO)
– Hochschule Luzern, Competence Center Business Communication (CCBC)

Team CCTP:
– Dr. Sonja Geier
– Pascal Wacker
– Jara Malevez

Project duration: 01.12.2021 – 30.11.2023

Links

Link to the project at the HSLU-website
Link to the website «www.waldnutzen.ch»

Press

– Broadcast Regionaljournal Zentralschweiz, Radio SRF, 22.03.2024
– Article on the launch of the website in the Luzerner Zeitung, 21.03.2024

Contact

Dr. Sonja Geier
Project manager
Competence Centre Typology & Planning in Architecture (CCTP)
sonja.geier@hslu.ch