A start-up that turns wasted wood destined for the tip or chipper into cross-laminated timber is behind a new art exhibition, ‘The Campfire Coil,’ launched at the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, Oregon, yesterday. Working with Sterling Structural, RIOS Architecture, and Minimal Impact Engineering, the Cambium superstructure proves that salvaged lumber can be turned into high-value engineered products.
“Rios, Minimal Impact Engineering, Sterling and Cambium partnered to create not only a stunningly beautiful art installation but also a testament to regenerative design, showcasing how local sourcing networks, innovative design, and engineering can reshape the future of timber construction,” according to Michaela Harms, Vice President of Mass Timber at Sterling Structural – the company which last month launched the world’s first mass timber training kit for students.
Using AI to Build a Fully Recyclable Supply Chain for Timber
Founded by Ben Christenson, Marisa Repka, and Theo Hooker, Wood Central last month reported that Cambium is busy building a fully recyclable supply chain for forest products: “We’re building a better value chain where you can use local material, you can use salvaged material, and all of that is connected to that through our technology,” Christensen told the TechCrunch’s Podcast last year.
“So that’s what we do: we deliver carbon-smart wood, locally salvaged wood, tracked on our technology, to large buyers to build buildings, build furniture, and use any sort of thing that you use wood for. And we do that in an efficient and cost-competitive way.”
Ben Christenson, co-founder of Cambium, on the value of salvaged wood in the next generation of cross-laminated timber products.
According to Christensen, just 5% to 10% of wood waste gets reused, with the vast majority of wood ending up in landfills. In nearly every case, the main reason is coordination: “If you’re a tree care service, you’re only incentivised to get to your next booking. So, if you drive to drop off logs somewhere that would reuse them, it won’t work.”
Please note: Wood Central will have special coverage from the International Mass Timber Conference in the coming days.
