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Building with whole trees Professionals in the A/E industry are finding ways to make sustainable choices when it comes to building materials, and are even saving money in the process.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
amount of water in the soil and air, it contributes to soil loss, and it results in a decline in biodiversity. Urbanization makes up only a small part of global deforestation, but it is important for its psycholog- ical impact. Will we cut down the forests to build our homes, or will we try to incorporate our build- ings into the surrounding environment? How can we change our living habits to be more mindful of nature? Roald Gundersen, principal architect and co-found- er of WholeTrees (LaCrosse, WI) began building with trees when he returned to Wisconsin after working for three years on Arizona’s Biosphere 2, an enclosed ecological system used to study global climate change. While there, he’d come to under- stand the importance of building with local, natu- ral resources.
A rchitects have two choices – work with nature or work against it. More and more architects are choosing the latter. For example, instead of chopping down trees and building houses, they are incorporating trees into new structures. Others are exploring green roof options, bioremediation, and more. “In Wisconsin there are a lot of trees falling down, and no one is using them.” SEEING THE FOREST THROUGH THE TREES. Deforestation has a significant environmental impact. In fact, many studies suggest that it is a contributor to global warming: It impacts the water cycle by reducing the
Roald Gundersen, Co-founder, WholeTrees
“In Wisconsin there are a lot of trees falling down,
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