Wood is Good?
What’s old is new again. This episode shines a light on the current industry move back toward biogenic building materials, with a specific focus on the wood products we use for the construction of homes and buildings. The core question we explore here is “Is wood good, always and in all cases? “ What are the right perspectives to have regarding forests, trees, wood, and carbon accounting?
The basic situation is clear: Wood comes from trees, and trees come from forests. But forests are complex ecosystems with interdependencies that are inextricably woven into a rapidly changing set of climate patterns, forest management practices, and societal demands for building materials for both today and for generations to come.
Guided by two deeply knowledgeable and thoughtful industry leaders, Chris Magwood and Jacob Racusin, we unpack the seemingly simple question of “Is wood good?” With this as a starting point other questions logically follow.
What would be the carbon outcome of not cutting the tree down?
Where is carbon stored in forests?
How much of that forest-sequestered carbon ends up in our lumber yards and homes?
Are current forest management practices appropriate?
Are the certification programs trusted to protect our forests up to the task?
These are relevant questions that are not asked frequently enough to inform decisions about wood and other biogenic materials.
More broadly this episode is about selecting building materials. These decisions have gotten more complicated for all involved in recent years - impacts to the geobiosphere and human health impacts are now top of mind - expanding an already vast range of material considerations that includes aesthetics, thermal and moisture properties, strength and durability, availability and cost. Still, the overarching fact of the matter is that we have arrived at a time in our industry where carbon accounting is an important new normal and tools like BEAM (Building Emissions Accounting for Materials) are here to stay so now is the time to engage.
Chris Magwood
Chris Magwood is working to help create a world where buildings are a leading part of the climate solution instead of a major contributor to climate change and doing so in a way that makes the world more equitable, healthy, beautiful, and efficient.
In 2022, Chris joined the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Embodied Carbon initiative within RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings team. There he leads efforts on HomebuildersCAN, a unique community of practice for homebuilders working to decarbonize, and the development of RESNET/ANSI Standard 1550 for the measurement and reporting of embodied carbon for home.
In 2019, he helped to establish Builders for Climate Action, and has been leading development of the BEAM carbon estimator tool for low- rise construction. At BfCA, he co-authored four major studies on embodied carbon in homebuilding.
From 2011-2022, Chris was a director and teacher at The Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school. Prior to that, he ran a design/build firm specializing in carbon-storing, healthy, energy efficiency new construction and renovations.
Chris has authored seven books on sustainable building. His latest book, Building Beyond Zero: New Ideas for Carbon-Smart Architecture, is co-authored with Bruce King and published by Island Press.
Jacob Racusin
Jacob Deva Racusin is co-owner of New Frameworks Natural Building, LLC, offering services in green remodeling, new construction, consultation, and education featuring natural building technologies. Through their work as a builder, consultant, and educator, Jacob is able to merge their passions for fine craft, ecological stewardship, relationship to place, and social justice.
Their goal in this work is to create a meaningful impact on the built environment in developing healthy, resilient communities. Deva is an instructor at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, where they are the former director of the Natural Building Intensive Program. A BPI-certified contractor and Certified Passive House Consultant, Jacob has conducted field research on moisture and thermal performance of straw bale wall systems, which is featured in the book The Natural Building Companion which they co-authored with Ace McArleton (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012). They have lectured and presented at universities, conferences, and other events across the Northeast. Jacob lives with their family in Montgomery, VT, in a straw bale house on their permaculture-inspired homestead.