The Ghent University organized WoodStock – Empowering climate-smart, circular, and zero-waste use of underutilized wood from the forest and building stock in the construction sector to support the New European Bauhaus project kick-off meeting, held 4–6 November 2024, in Affligem, Belgium.

InnoRenew CoE researchers – Dr. Rok Prislan, Špela Vrtovec, Lea Primožič, Dr. Andreja Kutnar and Dr. Michael Burnard – attended the meeting. InnoRenew CoE is leading the work package dedicated to human health and well-being, while University of Primorska is responsible for the European Wood Construction Observatory and NEB Lab.ž

The meeting gathered all project partners from different areas and European countries to explore innovative wood-based solutions for sustainable building. Over three days, participants discussed project work packages including Living Labs, climate-smart resource management, zero-waste construction techniques, and the development of a European Wood Construction Observatory.

WoodStock is a multifaceted project aimed at promoting climate-smart wooden construction practices in line with the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative. The primary focus is on quantifying and mapping wood resources, including underutilized streams, using a new methodology for tier 3 harvested wood products and dynamic material flow analysis modeling to gain insights into wood utilization potential, climate mitigation impacts, and resource availability.

The 4 year project is financed within the HORIZON RIA programme.