A compelling centrepiece from which to discuss a circular future.
Photo credit: Digby Oldridge, UCL.
A GROUNDBREAKING research project made its global debut at London Design Festival from 18 to 21 September at the OXO Tower Courtyard and Platform.
CascadeUp is the first building scale demonstration of a glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure which has been created entirely out of waste timber from demolition.
The 3.5-metre high, 2.5-metre wide and 2-metre deep modular structure was designed by University College London’s Circular Economy Lab and UK CLT to provide a stage to share planet saving ideas.
“We can’t solve the climate crisis without transforming our built environment,” says Dr Colin Rose, an architect, Senior Research Fellow at UCL and Founding Partner of UK CLT, who has led on the project. “CascadeUp fully embraces circularity — taking wood which would be chipped and downcycled or sent to the incinerator and instead remanufacturing it to make a sustainable alternative to high-carbon structural products such as concrete, steel and brick. Taken at scale, this is an approach that can boost local economies and drive new employment in reclamation and manufacturing sectors close to urban areas.”
The CascadeUp pilot is the result of years of research to rethink how we can transform our built environment, and rapidly shift to a circular economy.
With the built environment responsible for 30-42% of carbon emissions, over 60% of the UK’s waste, and ~50% of all extracted materials, this could have a major impact.
The project team were on site to provide daily talks.
Photo credit: James Tye, UCL.
Fully modular and reusable, and designed with disassembly in mind, the structure can be easily upgraded and repurposed, ensuring that no materials are discarded.
The project is believed to be the first of its kind to test this approach to the manufacture of wood-based panels and beams from reused, solid timber and assemble it at building-scale — which can provide a way to extend wood’s ability to store carbon over the long-term
Visitors to the pilot had the opportunity to view the structure and learn more about its design and construction, material properties and scalability, and environmental benefits.
CascadeUp formed one exciting component of a South Bank design district which featured both Material Matters and the Wood Awards.
Collectively, all three tell a powerful story of a more sustainable, low-carbon future, and showcase the teams working now to make this possible.
The project has been carried out in partnership with Portakabin, and with the support of a range of other supporting collaborators — including Timber Development UK.
See page 36 of our October/November 2024 issue on our Back Issues page.
