S5E1: The Neurology of Timber with Andrea Bariselli, Dorte Mandrup and Suchi Reddy

A special deep dive into Forested Future, a new documentary telling the story of the hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Across this episode, we speak with the film’s makers and characters, discussing the significance of the film for communicating the first and supporting its future survival. With special guests; Van Wagner (advocate and musician), Alison Brooks (Architect), Fred Pearce (Author and journalist), Petr Krejčí (Director) and Joey Awonohopay (Director of language and culture at Menonimee Enterprises). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we examine a range of new conservation projects that offer different ways of understanding the forest and new opportunities for audiences to connect with them. We examine the stories we’re telling about forests, and how they can help to protect them and their communities moving forward. With special guests, Anna Bates (curator and researcher), Anab Jain (co-founder of Superflux) and Samy Rio (Industrial designer). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the significance of timber design being tied to the landscape and resources of the site on which it is built or manufactured, examining the opportunities and limitations of using local materials for local projects, and the manner in which global and local networks of material and craft might work together to produce more sustainable results. Asking the question how can international timber products support a rising interest in design and architecture projects that are responsive to their local context and immediate site? Featuring guests Viktoria Millentrup, BIG Architects, Seetal Solanki, Ma-tt-er and Rupert Oliver AHEC Environmental Policy Director. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does it matter where our wood comes from? In this episode, we explore why provenance is one of the central questions facing the timber industry today, and the arguments for new forms of certification that can meet the challenges it poses. Speakers featured on this episode include, Ben Gunneberg (Former CEO of PEFC), Seetal Solanki (Founder of Ma-tt-er), Tim Brownlee (Previous AHEC chairman and COO of Brownlee Lumber) and Jade Saunders (Director WFID). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it about timber that makes us feel good? We all know the benefits of natural spaces and materials, but new testing suggests that we may actually also be drawn to synthetic alternatives that appear sufficiently natural in aesthetic. This might sound like an endorsement of non-natural materials, but what if, instead, it actually tells us that we need to get more natural in our palette, and move away from the industry tendency to standardise wood products as much as possible? Rather than eliminating the imperfections and complexities of wood, is it actually these natural features that were triggering our neurology all along? Featuring Andrea Bariselli (Clinical and neuroscientist psychologist), Andrew Waugh (Waugh Thistleton Architects), Daniel Schofield (British designer), Andu Masebo (British designer). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens to the brain when we come into contact with wood products and wooden spaces, and what positive changes occur in the body when it is surrounded by natural materials? Featuring guests neuroscientist Andrea Bariselli, architect Dorte Mandrup and architect and artist Suchi Reddy from Reddymade. Hosted by journalists Helen Gonzalez Brown and Oli Stratford from Disegno, the Journal of Design.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forests take up about 30% of the earth’s surface and come in many shapes, sizes and types. From chilly boreal forests in the north, to temperate forests, dry forests, mangroves, rainforests and more, each forest has specific needs and nuances, and faces its own ecological challenges. Around the world, there are communities and teams of people who oversee forests, ensuring they regenerate and survive. Commercial foresters, indigenous tribes and local foresters all care for them in different ways: some are managed through planting; others use low intensity forestry techniques; and others are studying how the careful removal of trees can, in some instances, benefit forests overall. In this episode, hosts Oli Stratford and Evi Hall speak to Jim Smalls and Mike Williams of the U.S. Forest Service, former forestry consultant at the Architectural Association Jez Ralph, and designer Ash Pales to ask what caring for a forest on a day-to-day basis actually looks like and how design can play a meaningful role in promoting forest health and sustainable management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Staining wood is a complex and often laborious process that requires careful thought from designers and makers. Considering the complexities involved, and the fact that natural wood is beautiful in and of itself, this Making short explores the benefits wood staining can offer for designers.When done right, staining beautifully enhances the intricate and unique characteristics of wood. To elaborate further on this, architect, designer and educator, Giles Tettey Nartey, joins this episode to discuss why wood stain is an integral part of the design and narrative behind his pieces Interplay and Communion, as well as the process involved to achieve the desired finish. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re probably all aware that climate change is having, and will have, a big effect on our forests. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and rising temperatures give way to adverse consequences such as droughts and fires, causing rapid tree mortality rates. So, how can we plan for the future to ensure these forests, in the face of climate collapse, are around for future generations?Joined by Leander Anderegg, Assistant Professor at the University of California; Ron Waukau, Forest Manager for Menominee Tribal Enterprises; and Marianne Goebl, Managing Director of Artek, this episode asks how we can manage forests in response to rapid, and longer term, changes precipitated by climate collapse, and explores design’s relationship with climate change, questioning how the decisions designers and architects make can impact forests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trees have been a principal building material for most of human history, with archaeological findings showing that humans were using stone axes as early as 40,000 years ago.With the advent of machinery during the Industrial Revolution making woodworking more efficient and accessible, this Making short episode asks why a designer today might opt for hand working over industrialised techniques. Host Evi Hall speaks to industrial and product designer duo Inma Bermúdez and Mortiz Krefter about why they decided to employ hand working techniques in the making of The Lost Herd, a series of animal-depicting wooden furniture sculptures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.