Timber Perception Lab: First Year Report

The Timber Perception Lab: First Year Report outlines the progress of the Timber Perception Lab project, which aims to accelerate the adoption of mass timber construction in Italy. The initiative, supported by multiple stakeholders including Lendlease, Politecnico di Milano, and Waugh Thistleton Architects, focuses on overcoming barriers related to regulations, finance, and technical expertise. The report details various workshops, outcomes, and the creation of Italy’s first Timber Living Lab, a platform to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration across the construction value chain.

Key Takeaways

• Stakeholder Engagement: Over 50 organizations participated in workshops to identify and address barriers to mass timber adoption in Italy.
• Barriers to Adoption: Challenges identified include regulatory and policy hurdles, financial constraints, technical limitations, and a lack of public and institutional knowledge about timber construction.
• Living Lab Initiative: The project led to the establishment of Italy’s first Timber Living Lab, aimed at facilitating collaboration and developing solutions to advance timber construction.

How It Can Help You

This report is useful for architects, developers, and policymakers who are:

• Interested in understanding the challenges and opportunities for mass timber construction in Italy.
• Looking for insights on how to overcome regulatory, financial, and technical barriers to timber construction.
• Seeking collaborative opportunities to promote sustainable construction practices.

Key Learnings

1. Barriers to Timber Adoption: Regulatory and financial challenges are key obstacles to mainstreaming timber construction in Italy.
2. Collaboration is Crucial: The success of mass timber adoption depends on collaboration across stakeholders, including developers, policymakers, insurers, and designers.
3. Timber’s Climate Benefits: Timber construction plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions, aligning with climate goals and promoting sustainable building practices.

Date: February 2023