Aalto University was one of the organizers of this two-week doctoral school, which was held in Espoo (Finland) and Gothenburg (Sweden) on the topic of design for deconstruction with wood between 26 August and 6 September 2019.

Dr Michael Burnard, the InnoRenew CoE’s deputy director and research group leader for Human Health in the Built Environment, gave an invited to lecture a group of 20 PhD students attending the school from across the globe. Dr Burnard’s presentation considered interactions between humans and wood in buildings and how these interactions may affect human health and well-being – a vital component of broader sustainability objectives.

Building design solutions that support material reuse are critical to producing a sustainable built environment and this Catapult PhD Summer School provided students with insights and practical learning opportunities necessary to realise that goal. By using a learning-by-experiencing approach, participants were able to boost their skills in an interdisciplinary environment.