Building with Insect-damaged Timber

Spruce forests in Europe face significant challenges from increasing bark beetle attacks, partly attributed to droughts and extreme weather conditions.

Drawing from field research conducted in Feldbuch, Germany, this project analyses factors that lead to bark beetle outbreaks and their impact on the trees, local forests, and communities. As bark beetle infestations escalate, there is a growing focus on understanding their impact on trees and forests, yet research into beetle-affected wood and its potential applications in architecture and digital fabrication remains limited. This research aims to address this gap by identifying key questions surrounding beetle-infested wood and showcasing its potential for valorisation.

While bark beetle damage is mostly superficial, mutual attacks by fungi cause mass loss, weakened mechanical properties, and altered appearance- and thus infected wood currently is mostly for short lifespan applications such as burning for energy or packaging. This project proposes a modular construction method of interlocking units designed according to the heterogeneities and material characterisation of infected wood to facilitate the adaptable and optimal utilisation of this resource. These units serve as possible modules for architectural construction as a failure-tolerant method that can accommodate beetle-induced irregularities and strength variations and enhance overall structural integrity.