PROGRAMME

Wood is the only renewable material produced by photosynthesis. Wood has the ability to preserve the stored carbon in its molecular structure as long as remain within a structure. Small-scalelightweight timber dwellings are gaining recognition in Europe after the dominance of concrete and steel since the second World War . Nevertheless, public is still sceptical on their environmental impacts, structural behavior and durability. In Greece, small-scale timber dwellings became popular at rural and forested areas for their touristic attraction, aesthetic superiority and compatibility to the natural landscape. Information from literature and industrial studies showed that the use of structural timber has beneficial environmental impacts as well as economical impacts. Specifically, compared to other common building materials, timber has competitive structural characteristics, due to its low weight to strength ratio, low embodied energy and allows an easy and fast construction with minimum disruption to the environment. Moreover, lightweight timber buildings may have a high potential of waste re-use and recycling, when designed for future ease of deconstruction. The successful waste management contributes to circular economy. Local economy benefits directly from the all the relevant applications of wood.