Wood at Work: Elegant Strategies for Architecture, City-Building, and Forest Conservation

The Wood at Work community of practice began in 2015 under the banner: Elegant Strategies for Architecture, City-Building, and Forest Conservation. Since our first conference in October 2015, Wood at Work has become one of the worlds most dynamic forums focused on the link between sustainable wood use in an urban context, and the strategies that make sourcing this wood truly beneficial to global forest conservation efforts. Over this short period of time our community and impact have grown to include hundreds of architects, foresters, urbanists, conservationists, researchers, activists, entrepreneurs, industries, non profits, city officials and community forest representatives.

To get involved in Wood at Work 2019 NYC please contact: woodatwork@pilot-projects.org

Wood at Workhas brought together hundreds of influential architects, foresters, policy makers, ecologists, urban planners, scientists, city officials, authors, researchers, artists, craftsmen, and leaders in industries where wood and conservation are both a cultural inspiration and a practical reality. Keynote speakers have included renowned architect and historian Kenneth Frampton; Eric Sanderson, director of the Mannahatta Project; Lars Laestadius of the World Resources Institute; celebrated forest ecologist Robin Chazdon; architects John Patkau and Michael Green; and climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe.

Situated in global centres of innovative urban thinking, our intimate settings and multidisciplinary lineup of speakers, panels, and activities fostered the rich discussions and viable solutions that can only come from cross-disciplinary collaboration. All conference participants joined in lectures, panel discussions, and hands-on breakout activities to encourage dialogue, networking, and creative inquiry. The concepts of craftsmanship and culture were explored as critical components of long-term, deeply-rooted change.

Wood at Work is securing the beginnings of an international community of practice that has the potential to radically impact the discourse around and implementation of wood products and forest policy in North American cities and beyond.

Video recaps of past Wood at Work events can be found here.

Our Brooklyn Bridge Forest project is an innovative pilot that embodies Wood at Work's aims:
a replicable, city-led initative to preserve a celebrated landmark, protect a lifesaving forest,
and cultivate a lasting global partnership.

Learn more here, download the two-page info sheet, or watch the video.

Bill Keeton presents on managing East Coast forests to mimic old growth patterns in 2015.

Scott Francisco introducing the Wood at Work conference in 2016.