Built by Nature

❓ What do we mean by "better buildings"? In this article, Built by Nature CEO Paul King unpacks the important characteristics and criteria that deliver benefits for climate, nature and people. Today is World Wood Day https://lnkd.in/gnGkxuBA and the International Day of Forests https://lnkd.in/g6rse4Us and today, according to Paul, we continue to promote the power of timber to "transform our buildings into ones that are simply better." At the end of the article, you'll read some exciting news about how Built by Nature is poised to recognise, celebrate, and promote timber buildings from around the world which demonstrate the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction in real-life applications. https://lnkd.in/gyZsNQZd. Stay tuned... there's much more to follow! #timberconstruction #betterbuildings #biobasedbuildings

Congratulations to the team at CircuLaw, winner of the Circular Award 2025! In November 2022, Built by Nature proudly announced a €250,000 grant for the creation of an online legal resource for policymakers and civil servants in the Netherlands to navigate the regulatory landscape around timber construction. The CircuLaw digital platform has come a long way in identifying and promoting the possibilities within existing laws and regulations to accelerate the timber transition as part of a shift towards a circular economy, and we're delighted that CircuLaw is gaining attention and recognition. The original funding announcement can be found here https://lnkd.in/gyzkXSia, and in the meantime, please join is extending well-deserved kudos to Dark Matter Labs, the City of Amsterdam and all those dedicated individuals tagged below! #circulareconomy #timbertransition #constructionregulations

📣BIG NEWS for Built by Nature out of Germany! Continuing our growth and geographic expansion in Europe, we proudly announce the launch of Built by Nature Germany – a network of industry leaders committed to realising the high potential and demand for timber and biobased construction materials while transforming the country’s built environment sector toward decarbonisation and sustainability.   Coordinated by Bauhaus Earth and supported by grant funding from Built by Nature, the launch project establishes a robust national industry network to increase demand, foster knowledge development and exchange, and showcase exemplary projects in timber and biobased construction.   ❗ It's worth pointing out that Germany is the largest market for construction materials in Europe (25% of all demand) -- representing huge potential -- and that the launch of this national network builds upon an analysis of the state of timber and biobased construction in Germany commissioned by BbN and carried out by Bauhaus Earth in 2024. The network is also supported by the BbN-funded work of the sustainability and construction consultancy BuildSystems, investigating the potential for a knowledge platform centred around the regulatory initiative for simple and experimental construction in Germany, known as Gebäudetyp-E. Built by Nature CEO Paul King says, “Built by Nature Germany represents our fifth national network in Europe. Building on the insights gained from investors, developers, designers and others active in our networks in the UK, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands – our Frontrunners in Germany will identify opportunities to innovate and overcome industry barriers, and help inform public policy that can help accelerate the demand for timber and biobased materials in construction ...A significant shift in Germany's demand can help bring about a tipping point across the continent, moving biobased materials onto a level playing field with traditional materials." Belinda Rukschcio, Bauhaus Earth Co-CEO, says “This network is in a pivotal position for advancing sustainable practices by driving timber and biobased materials. As a research institution and Think-and-Make-Tank, Bauhaus Erde will bring together key stakeholders from many fields to establish a multi-sector network."   The network will prioritise multi-storey timber construction, biobased housing affordability, and critical knowledge gaps, with activities comprising regular meetings and exchanges to refine understanding of barriers, formulate actionable solutions and develop and implement three working group action plans: policy, technical solutions, and research. 👏 You'll find more details in the full announcement, and please join us in welcoming our German colleagues who are creating a built environment in harmony with nature! #GermanNetwork #timberconstruction #biobasedmaterials #sustainableconstruction

📣Exciting News from Built by Nature! Announcing our first grant project beyond Europe… a significant step toward building a sustainable, biobased construction network in East Africa. In collaboration with the Climate Smart Forest Economy Program (CSFEP), this important initiative seeks to support a regenerative forest economy and biobased construction in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania -- aiming to strengthen the local timber value chain and pilot innovative solutions that will formalise a regional forest-to-frame economy. Critical to the project's success is working in partnership with a diverse coalition—foresters, manufacturers, government bodies, industry players, and local communities— to address barriers and unlock opportunities across the entire value chain, and by focusing on sustainable forestry practices as articulated by the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction https://lnkd.in/gyZsNQZd. Paul King, CEO of Built by Nature observes that with 80% of future global construction projected to happen in the Global South, East Africa is a key region for creating scalable, sustainable change: "However, the complexities of timber sourcing and differences in how the industry is structured demand a tailored, learning-based approach. This partnership will combine the established network of the CSFEP with the best-practice knowledge of BbN for the benefit of the climate, nature and local communities.” Bongiwe Shongwe, East Africa Program Manager at CSFEP said, "This regional coalition will help to develop a local forest product industry that funds sustainable forest management, strengthens local economies, and maximises climate mitigation and adaptation.” Built by Nature sees this collaboration as a vital learning opportunity as it incorporates CSFEP’s deep local knowledge with our European networks’ experience and insights to create a model that can be replicated across other regions. Read on for the full details about this exciting partnership project. #BiobasedConstruction #EastAfrica #ClimateAction #RegenerativeEconomy

Built by Nature is sharing today's post from our European Network Lead Joe Giddings, providing his reflections on last week's Forum Bois Construction event in Paris. In addition to his comprehensive commentary on the substance of the conference below, Joe offers this observation on the dynamics between innovation and regulation: "Government regulations always play catch-up to innovation in the private sector, and we're seeing this play out in the construction sector in countries around the world. New regulations often appear, at first glance, more onerous for frontrunning companies seeking to innovate. This is the case today for timber and biobased materials in France, as the Government is catching up with a construction sector that has seemingly jumped ahead in efforts to decarbonise." Another observation: Forum Bois is a good example of Built by Nature providing a platform for the dissemination and advancement of new knowledge and solutions, in this case around fire safety and regulations: It was during a BbN-moderated discussion, led by our Knowledge and Innovation Lead Mona Menadi, that the French government representative Jean-Michel SERVANT provided a detailed presentation on substantial revisions to their building regulations. #timberconstruction #biobasedmaterials #buildingregulations

A quick video recap from Built by Nature CEO Paul King, who attended last week's Build for Biodiversity summit in Copenhagen: highlighting the need to design for biodiversity on-site, but also to look upstream for impacts and thinking about where our building materials come from. Paul concludes with what he sees as the opportunities for Denmark in biobased materials... given the amount of agricultural land in the country. #timberconstruction #biobasedmaterials #biodiversity

Encouraging news from the UK Government: New, ambitious plans to increase the use of timber in construction to boost the domestic timber industry, economic growth, rural jobs and housebuilding targets, were announced yesterday by Environment Minister Mary Creagh CBE MP at the Timber in Construction (TiC) Summit in London. Built by Nature is inspired to see the UK government's renewed commitment to sustainable construction through the Timber in Construction Roadmap -- an initiative to help realise the goal of 1.5 million new, affordable homes while emphasising the pivotal role of timber in reducing the built environment's carbon footprint. By promoting the use of sustainable, low-carbon building materials and modern construction methods, this roadmap paves the way for a regenerative economy and the creation of green jobs in the forestry and timber sectors. We look forward to collaborating with government, industry partners and our own Network and Frontrunners to turn these possibilities into a new reality. #timberconstruction #decarbonisation #sustainableconstruction #housingtargets

Great media coverage in leading Danish construction industry publication Dagens Byggeri on Built by Nature CEO Paul King's information session on Tuesday with Frontrunners Arup at their offices in Copenhagen. Paul was in Denmark to explore some of the country's groundbreaking solutions in regenerative construction and to promote the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction https//https://lnkd.in/gyZsNQZd while continuing to advocate for the BbN vision of a built environment in harmony with nature. At Arup, Paul described both the opportunities and challenges facing more sustainable construction – especially as they relate to the role of wood and other bio-based materials – as the future is becoming increasingly hybrid. This combination of conventional materials such as concrete, glass and steel with sustainable wood and other innovative, biobased materials such as hemp, algae and seaweed will be based on an a comprehensive understanding of the total environmental impacts of all materials – from raw material extraction and production to emissions on the construction site itself. You'll find the full article below (in Danish). #biobasedmaterials #hybridconstruction #decarbonisation

❗ It's not too late to register for the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products 9th annual Healthy Buildings Conference and Expo (Wednesday 26th February 2025 at the Human Rights Action Centre in London). Tomorrow, Built by Nature UK Networks Lead Anna Lisa McSweeney will be introducing the mass timber buildings session at 12:00, giving an overview of Built by Nature, our mission, and the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction https://lnkd.in/gHxtVaJN, as well some of the BbN-funded solutions including the IMPACTT project and Measuring Mass Timber.   At 16:20 Anna Lisa will be a panelist during the Biogenic Carbon and Regenerative Design session, alongside Louise Townsend FRSA, Woodknowledge Wales, and Jonathan Fashanu from Dash House group -- discussing regenerative design as a mindset shift. Full details below! #masstimberconstruction #regenerativedesign #responsibletimber

📣 Check out this latest addition to the Built by Nature Knowledge Hub: A new report from #SustainablePublicAffairs, co-funded by Built by Nature and #SustainableFoundations VZW, underscores the crucial role of natural, biobased building materials in achieving the EU’s climate goals while unlocking economic opportunities for bioeconomy and rural development. The report, "Understanding and Engaging with the EU Policy Landscape for Natural Building Materials", highlights key policy opportunities to accelerate the uptake of materials such as timber across Europe’s construction sector. The insights presented in the report were derived from an analysis of the EU policy landscape as of January 2025, augmented by a series of anonymised interviews conducted with researchers, experts from civil society organisations and think tanks, trade associations and EU institutions. Key recommendations from the report include: 👉 Fostering EU policies to enable responsibly sourced NBMs through sustainable land use and cultivation policies, and stronger localised supply chains. 👉 Creating EU policy incentives to boost demand for NBMs via investment in skills, demonstration projects, trust-building, and regulatory harmonisation. 👉Building a stronger NBM ecosystem by uniting stakeholders across the value chain to advocate for NBMs at the EU level. “Natural building materials must be part of the solution to decarbonise how we build, to achieve a built environment in harmony with nature,” according to Paul King, CEO of Built by Nature. “We work with networks of frontrunner organisations across Europe that use local resources responsibly. They are contributing to the transition of the construction sector and helping to create economic opportunities for rural areas. As concluded by this report, EU policy can work as an enabler to natural building materials, including timber, by creating incentives that foster sustainable supply and demand across the value chain.” “A fundamental shift in the way we build is needed for the EU to meet its climate targets,” said Henry Kaeding from #SustainablePublicAffairs. “This report shows that EU policy can unlock the potential of natural building materials, ensuring they are at the heart of the EU’s construction and bioeconomy policy." The report comes at a pivotal moment as the EU enters a new policy cycle (2024-2029) with a strong focus on boosting sustainable and affordable housing. Built by Nature urges policymakers to prioritise natural biobased materials as part of a holistic approach to decarbonising construction while revitalising rural economies. #decarbonisation #biobasedconstruction #EUpolicy #bioeconomy