Great Designs in Wood (25) - The Curves of Robert Harvey Oshatz

Glulam wood is unlimited in its application, unparalleled in its projection, and unmatched in its ability to unify man's dreams with his environment. One need look no further than these home designs by Robert Harvey Oshatz to understand what glulam wood brings within the reach of man.

http://www.oshatz.com/text/chenequa.htm

The first picture is my favorite view of the Chenequa residence in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I love the way the roof (is it justice to call that a roof? It reminds me more of a fashionable hat on a dainty movie actress of the 1930's.)...the way the roof forces us to glance unwittingly to the heavens to acknowledge the source of its inspiration. Click here to see a slide show...

The second is a view from the deck of the Wilkinson residence in the hills over Portland, Oregon. This is a place where I could while away many an evening, letting the wooden members surrounding and supporting me in the treetops release me from the cares of the day.

http://www.oshatz.com/text/wilkinson.htm

A slide show of the Wilkinson residence can be seen here.

The last two shots are exterior and interior views of the Fennell residence, a floating home also in the Portland area. Men have known for most of their existence that wood and water make uneasy yet inseparable partners, and where you find a waterside, you will find wooden structures. The outside view facing the shore seems to project defiantly back at the shore, "I've captured the spirit of your wood in my hull...come claim it!" While the interior view demonstrates the clean, calming lines that wood, properly done, will always provide, even in the forecastle of a nautical vessel.

http://www.oshatz.com/text/fennel

http://www.oshatz.com/text/fennel

The slide show is here...

I'll let Mr. Oshatz speak for himself on the inspiration for his style of design...

"An architect is an artist, creator, logician of evolving aesthetic structures; a designer of not only the visual but the internal space. I see architecture as a synthesis of logic and emotion, exploring and fulfilling the dreams, fantasies and realities of my clients, whether they are individuals, corporate, or community identities.

Except for the basic elements of design composition, dominance, transition, and identity; I stay away from design theories. They seem to be too transitory and irrelevant to my work. Design theories tend to outshine their author's performance, becoming limiting concepts, prejudicing the mind while tying one's hands behind one's back. They are roadblocks to new ideas. While subscribing to a particular theory of design an architect must solve problems within the parameters of that theory; this is limiting at best.

Without architectural theories the process of designing a structure remains in its purest form, simply solving a given problem. Design becomes a process of integrating its key ingredients… program and environment. The program (problem to be solved) is what makes a project unique, and the seed of a solution is found within the problem itself. An opportunity exists within every design to develop a unique solution. The environment is the source of a projects poetic sense. Every site has its own character; the challenge to the architect is to capture that character and translate its spirit into architectural poetry."

-  http://www.oshatz.com/text/thearchitect.htm

The proof  of one's approach to work, or to life, is in the fruits of their labor. Mr. Oshatz needs no further proof of his personal insight, than these.

Forest Biomass Economics 101

Dr. Jay O'Laughlin holding...wood.

If you've been more than a little interested in the biomass energy posts here at Go Wood, but have had a hard time getting your arms around the why's and wherefore's of the issue, then you'll benefit from taking an hour to view an excellent online presentation entitled "Forest Biomass Residues: Opportunities and Challenges in Idaho" presented by my friend Dr. Jay O'Laughlin of the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources.

The last blog post showed you biomass harvesting up close and personal...in contrast, this presentation is a great view of the biomass energy issue from 40,000 feet, and answers all the basic questions related to the industry.

• Who wants forest biomass, and how much is it worth?
• Can foresters and landowners turn "slash and trash" into cash?
• How far can biomass be economically transported?
• What two factors have recently curtailed or put on hold many biomass operations and projects?
• How does the government attempt to help biomass energy be more competitive with fossil fuels?
• How and why do different government energy policies and programs, such as EISA, the Farm Bill, the 2007 Energy Act, and BCAP, define and exclude different categories of biomass?
• What significant capital cost advantage do most biomass CHP projects have over wind power projects?
• What is the "triple win" of forest biomass utilization?
• Since wood can be converted to liquid transportation fuel, shouldn't woody biomass be worth more than it is?
• What are the approximate economic multipliers of the biomass energy industry?
• What is the US Energy Information Administration forecasting for biomass energy production over the next 25 years?
• What role will short-rotation woody crops play in this future biomass supply?
• What social benefits of biomass energy production actually exceed the value of the energy production itself?

Each of these questions is a topic of much study and variation over the different regions of the country, but Jay provides the "short and sweet" answer for each, at least in terms of current conditions in the Northwest. While the economics are slightly different here in the Northeast (biomass tends to be worth a little more here, because of the higher energy prices we get to pay), and Jay doesn't go into the different conditions that pertain to in-woods harvesting and chipping versus biomass residuals, the basic fundamentals as explained in the presentation apply just about anywhere.

So, if you want to bring yourself up to speed on the topic, or just need to check your assumptions, you couldn't get a better overview for an hour's worth of your time. Click on the link below...

 "Forest Biomass Residues: Opportunities and Challenges in Idaho"

Publications referenced in the presentation are:

Wood Bioenergy: Homegrown Baseload Energy for Idaho

Managing Organic Debris for Forest Health

Enjoy!

Forest Biomass --- The Rest of the Story

As I mentioned last week, the biggest portion of questions I get refer to biomass supply and demand. And while people asking these questions are usually interested in the quantitative aspect, I find that the qualitative benefits of biomass harvesting are often under-appreciated.

I've touched on them before: improved forest health, better ecosystem diversity, better utilization of forest products, energy security, and retention of dollars in the local economy. Here's a nice video by the Biomass Energy Resource Center that touches on all of these points using real people, and real wood, in the biomass supply process. There's one quote in the video, by a local forester, that I think, really expresses the innate goodness of the biomass harvest that many foresters and landowners feel after the harvest...

"What I enjoy about my job is the health of the forest and when I'm finished, seeing how everything looks...and how the light comes into the forest, and how the trees are properly spaced..."

More reason to Go Wood...

Chinese Construction Slows With Economy; Will U.S. Lumber Prices Respond?

There are more signs that China's economy is showing signs of stress. Their central bank moved once again to reduce the ratio of deposits to loans that banks in the country are required to carry, a move that is seen as an effort to "stimulate" the flagging construction industry and capital investment in other sectors.



Last week, economic Chinese professor and blogger Patrick Chovanec wrote an article entitled "China Real Estate Unravels", in which he explained house the slowdown in housing will inevitably lead to a slowdown in China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the article, he included the following table which is really laid out nicely; it shows how falling property sales impact, in order, construction starts, land sales, rushed project completions, increased unsold inventory, slowdown in investment, and pullback in foreign investment.

http://www.economonitor.com/blog/2012/05/china-real-estate-unravels/

These trends do not necessarily mean bad things for our economy here in the U.S., but it does mean, if the trend holds true, that the Chinese demand for North American lumber will continue to soften. Which means that our lumber prices will not have strong support from the Pacific rim as we've had in the past couple of years.

In January, I forecast a stable market for lumber this year, with slightly strengthening prices throughout the spring driven in some part by all the bubbly news out of D.C.

Source: Penn State Wood Operations Research Laboratory, and Random Lengths

But as you can see, my forecast calls for a softening of lumber prices this summer, and reduced demand from China will reinforce that slump. However, in perspective, the market is relatively stable as housing starts (mostly apartments) pick up here, and oil prices remain soft and stable as the Middle East remains quiet.




Perhaps the lumber market can outperform my forecast for the remainder of the year...if so, that would be a good thing for lumber producers here, which haven't had much to cheer about for a while. In lumber markets these days, no news is good news.

But watch out if the Middle East flares up...then all bets are off.

Why Some Folks are Loggers

I'm not a real big fan of the cable show Ax Men, although I love the topic and respect the work done on the show. But I think it's sort of the nature of reality shows to make folks look bad, and those guys come off looking like real doofuses at times. I've been around loggers and logging jobs for a good part of my career, and I've only worked with a very few who would make some of the unwise, dangerous decisions and throw temper tantrums like those made on the show. I'm sure even the participants of the show would admit their portrayal is a compilation of "worst case" moments. I'm just as sure you could find a lot of west coast loggers that feel the same frustration with the show.

Which is why I like the following video so much. This thing is a real-world work of art, and it helps explain why some folks are driven to such a hard way of life. There is an intangible benefit of working in the woods, and this video really puts the best possible perspective on it. Watch the whole thing, the scenery gets even better, if that is possible. And turn up the sound if you're able, even the background noise makes you feel good.




Man, if every tree was as idyllic as this one, people would be lined up to be loggers. Unfortunately, they're not all like this.

Energy Crisis? What Energy Crisis?

If you've never heard British politician Daniel Hannan speak, you've never heard the art of the speech at its finest. I've been a follower of Mr. Hannan for three years now, ever since I heard what I consider to be the finest short speech since the Gettysburg Address. But since his realm is politics, and not directly relevant to my commentary on Go Wood, then I've never thought to introduce him to the Go Wood audience.

Now, however, he has given a one and a half-minute speech at the EU that is right in the spirit of our Go Wood energy policy posts. That is, he has addressed the issue of high energy taxes and economic growth, or lack of it, that they are currently experiencing in the EU.




Mr. Hannan makes specific reference to the difference in results between the EU's policy of fuel tax increases (which stifles economic growth) and the benefit we here in the states have received due to the boom in natural gas harvesting like that of the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.

The "carbon tax" enacted by the EU is a direct reason why European countries are leaders in biomass energy utilization. It has effectively doubled the price of fossil fuels, and the taxes collected have gone into development of renewable energy production, mostly of wood chips and pellets, wind energy, and biodiesel. And some there think that additional taxation of carbon is a better way to solving current economic problems than "austerity" measures in government budgets. But thinkers like Mr. Hannan have observed that the price for alternative fuels has been a tremendous burden on the economies of the EU, and are effectively preventing the EU from growing its way out of its current economic woes.

Fortunately for us, we're following in Europe's footsteps, and have the opportunity to avoid the problems they've encountered. That is, we can pursue the American way of free markets, instead of the European way of government-controlled markets through targeted taxation and regulations.

That is what we're doing, right?

Biomass Markets and Sustainable Harvesting Guidelines

Last week, I received an interesting call from a new investor in wood pellet production. He, like the many others I've met with over the last few years, was interested in knowing how much biomass was available to his company within the regions he had chosen for his wood pellet operations. I was not surprised to find that he had some gaps in his knowledge of how current biomass markets are driven, and especially by his lack of understanding of how pulp and paper companies run their procurement operations. That is a fairly common knowledge gap for bioenergy entrepreneurs when they first get started on their projects.

Log Driving and Sawmilling in Old Maine

By far the most popular post on Go Wood is Logging the Redwoods back in the Good Old Days. The video in that post is great for its focus on the hardships endured and overcome in delivering the wood back in the days when the country's demand for wood seemed insatiable.

Well, although the trees were smaller, the hardships endured by loggers back east were about the same. Here are a couple of great videos of log driving and sawmilling in Maine.

Great Designs in Wood (24) - The Renovo Bicycle

 Marc Lewis of Dwight Lewis Lumber and Lewis Lumber Products sent me a note that he had taken possession of his new Renovo Hardwood bicycle. And what a beauty!

Wood Science 101 (4) - Nanocellulose

Here's an excellent introduction to the concept of wood nanotechnology, courtesy of TAPPI and the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory. If you're a traditional wood producer or user, you may wonder why wood should be processed into even smaller and more fundamental units. After all, we make enough products from wood now, right?

Toilet Paper, Wooden Pallets, and Costco

There's a special on CNBC this evening you may want to catch. It's called The Costco Craze: Inside the Warehouse Giant. Costco is a prime mover of a lot of wood products, especially of the paper type. One preview I saw of the show highlighted the amount of toilet paper it sells (over one billion rolls) and the process their product testers go through to differentiate the best toilet paper for sale in their stores. The rest goes to companies and universities to discourage their employees from taking restroom breaks.

Knowledge in The Age of Wood

A thought provoking excerpt from Eric Sloane's A Reverence for Wood...

"[These days], when an American turns on the water and the lights in his apartment, he has little awareness of where these things come from; the greatest pity, however, is that he says, 'Who cares where it comes from, as long as it keeps on coming?' 

The Other Inconvenient Truth

While digging into another project I'm working on, I ran across this video that, while not directly targeted at forest resource utilization, really does a great job of putting our land use challenges in perspective. The speaker, Dr. Jonathan Foley of the University of Minnesota, addresses in a very graphic and compelling way the impact that world population growth, and the related increase in demand for agricultural products, is changing the very face of the planet.

 

Springtime Means Redbuds, Dogwoods, and Charcoal

Walking to work last week, I got some great shots of spring breaking out all around. I used to think that East Texas was the only place that redbuds and dogwoods bloomed, but as I got older and my horizons expanded past Tyler, I discovered that a few other states have the same purple and white display each spring. Growing up, I always knew that the first faint hint of purple in the woods meant that the redbuds were signaling the end of winter, the beginning of spring, and hot weather about three weeks away. In Pennsylvania, basically the same, except that hot weather is still about three months away.

Great Designs in Wood (23) - The Pallet House for Refugees

Well, some of you architects might take exception to my classifying this as a great design in wood...but hey, if you're fleeing into another country, or just plain down on your luck, I think this idea is great for a temporary respite, at least. And if you think about it, the concept isn't really too far removed from how the United States were settled...

 

Forest Bioenergy Sustainability...What is the right level?

This was the title of the article that came across the news wire today:

"Analysis raises atmospheric, ecologic and economic doubts about forest bioenergy"

That sounds pretty dire, and I'm sure will be used by anti-wooders to their advantage. The article, as is usually the case, was too brief to understand precisely, so I clicked over and read the full paper, published in the journal Global Change Biology: Bioenergy. The paper as published was an invited editorial entitled "Large-scale bioenergy from additional harvest of forest biomass is neither sustainable nor greenhouse gas neutral". 

"Owing to the peculiarities of forest net primary production humans would appropriate ca. 60% of the global increment of woody biomass if forest biomass were to produce 20% of current global primary energy supply. We argue that such an increase in biomass harvest would result in younger forests, lower biomass pools, depleted soil nutrient stocks and a loss of other ecosystem functions. The proposed strategy is likely to miss its main objective, i.e. to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, because it would result in a reduction of biomass pools that may take decades to centuries to be paid back by fossil fuel substitution, if paid back at all. Eventually, depleted soil fertility will make the production unsustainable and require fertilization, which in turn increases GHG emissions due to N2O emissions. Hence, large-scale production of bioenergy from forest biomass is neither sustainable nor GHG neutral."

First They Come for Your Chickens, Then They Come for Your Firewood, Then They Come for You

Well, let's start off on a pleasant note, before we get into the sad and bizarre.

"Urban chickens" are in the news recently, as homeowners across the country choose to raise chickens in their backyard. The video below was featured in an excellent article in Treehugger.com that explains how some folks are finding themselves fighting local ordinances in order to raise fryers and eggs.

Great Designs in Wood (22) - The Hive of Worcester

Here's an interesting addition to our "Great Designs" collection. It falls in that category of "non-traditional" wood designs that may perhaps be the key to the future of wood-based construction.

The building is called "The Hive" and is a new library for University of Worcester, which promotes itself as the UK's "third greenest campus". The really interesting story here is that the building was originally designed as a steel and concrete structure, but the design team worked to change the design to a wood-framed building by utilizing glulam beams and panels, which they claim saved 2000 tons of CO2 emissions over the original design...a feature that fits perfectly with the University's carbon-management objectives.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

More great video that promotes the source and use of wood in society. Paul Lyskava of the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association sent this out last week...

"As part of its Opening Day broadcast earlier this week, ESPN presented the attached video, entitled “Reincarnation of a bat”. It is a beautifully shot and highly informative piece showing the entire development of a baseball bat from the harvest of a tree in a Pennsylvania to delivery into the hands of Major Leaguer.

It includes scenes from the selected harvest in a PA forest, to a trip to a sawmill in Warren County, PA for initial processing and drying, then delivery to Louisville Slugger for the final manufacturing and finishing process.

They say the a picture speaks a thousand words. This video is certainly an example of that truth."

Great Designs in Wood (21) - The Philadelphia Furniture Show and Pallet Furniture

On the way back from Saratoga Springs a couple of weeks ago, I made a detour through Philly to attend the 2012 Philadelphia Invitation Furniture Show. It was an excellent show in an historic location, the Old Armory which is the historic home of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry. The place reeked of history and was a great venue in which to appreciate the finest of wooden furniture and art.

Even upon entry the wood aficionado is greeted by something we don't see much of anymore, such as double wooden oak doors that were about fifteen feet high. Here's a picture of my six-foot one son standing by the doors. I had a tough time just getting past these to admire the rest of the show.