In this weeks tree short, we dive into the world of white oak - one of the most popular species across Europe.

Delving deep into the world of wood, featuring unexpected and timely topics from across forestry, architecture and design, the award-winning podcast Words on Wood has returned for a fourth season.

Building on the success of previous seasons’ ‘Tree Shorts’, this season introduces a new series of ‘Making Shorts’.

Building on the success of previous seasons’ ‘Tree Shorts’, this season introduces a new series of ‘Making Shorts’.

Our next instalment of Words on Wood revisits education, this time examining whether there is a need for a more robust curriculum around timber and its properties within architecture courses.

Trees have been a principal building material for most of human history, with archaeological findings showing that humans were using stone axes as early as 40,000 years ago.

We’re probably all aware that climate change is having, and will have, a big effect on our forests – increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and rising temperatures give way to adverse consequences such as droughts and fires, causing rapid tree mortality rates.

Staining wood is a complex and often laborious process that requires careful thought from designers and makers. Considering the complexities involved, and the fact that natural wood is beautiful in and of itself, this Making short explores the benefits wood staining can offer for designers.

Forests take up about 30% of the earth’s surface and come in many shapes, sizes and types. From chilly boreal forests in the north, to temperate forests, dry forests, mangroves, rainforests and more, each forest has specific needs and nuances, and faces its own ecological challenges.

The Workshop of dreams is a creative journey that brings together four of Spain’s most exciting architects and designers, with inspiring talents from diverse cultural fields, in a celebration of Spanish creativity and craftsmanship with American hardwood.

Nine international designers were challenged to create a table and seating, exploring how the onset of Covid-19 has changed how designers and craftsmen work and create

American red oak is the most common species of the American Hardwood Forest. The wood is characterised by its porous structure, sometimes with a pinkish hue. Despite its many qualities, American red oak is often wrongfully seen in Europe as a lesser version of American white oak and European oak. In this video, craftsmen from Benchmark Furniture explore the aesthetic and performative qualities of the oak.