V&A Make Good: Building from Forests

Hardwood species make up half of the UK’s forests, but most have little widespread industrial use beyond firewood or biomass, and most of the nation’s timber is imported from softwood plantations abroad. Although conditions in the UK are ideal for mixed-species forests, which are inherently more resilient to pests, disease and climate shifts, the timber resources are significantly under-harvested. This is largely because knowledge of how this hardwood can be used in building is still very limited, so Building from England’s Woodlands examined species including oak, beech, sweet chestnut, birch, sycamore, ash, alder, and willow. By generating data to support strength grading and future application, the project has helped establish a technical foundation for expanded use of homegrown hardwood.

From that point, the V&A were interested in the potential findings from Building from England’s Woodlands. When it came to the display, the earliest proposals were intentionally minimal, with the representation of the research consolidated into a single table, but this quickly evolved into a more ambitious material narrative. At the V&A, the installation brings our research to life through material samples, data visualisations, prototype components and architectural models. These include new recipes for engineered timber such as CLT and glulam made from British hardwoods, demonstrating renewable alternatives to carbon-intensive materials like steel and concrete. 

Creating Building from Forests was a highly collaborative process. BE-ST developed and constructed the main timber structure, while dRMM produced a series of models to help communicate the research and design approach. Highland Heritage Woodworks fabricated the display tables and knuckles. A specialist boat rigger designed a rope system using Dyneema that supports the timber vault so that it appears to float, without mechanical fixings or visible structural support. Evolving Forests produced the display’s video content, adding context around woodland management, material processes and the broader research landscape.

Projects such as Kingsdale School, Maggie’s Oldham and Endless Stair alongside research study Measuring Mass Timber and our Treeology series demonstrate dRMM’s longstanding interest in timber’s environmental, structural, and experiential potential.

Across this work, dRMM approaches timber not only as a material but as a connection between architecture, ecology, industry, and craft. The Building from Forests display continues that trajectory by using research-led design to reveal what local timber can offer the future of low-carbon UK construction.