Better Building Solutions - forests.org (original) (raw)
BETTER BUILDING SOLUTIONS
SFI OFFERS THE WORLD’S MOST RELIABLE SUPPLY OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SOLUTIONS.
SFI-certified wood is a good choice for construction and renovations because it is a sustainable, natural, and renewable resource. The SFI label means the forest the wood comes from is managed sustainably to ensure many benefits, like mitigating climate change. SFI is also implementing a new Climate Smart Forestry Objective that will require SFI-certified organizations to ensure forest management activities address climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.
Building with wood has environmental and economic benefits. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, sequestering and storing carbon while producing oxygen—this reduces greenhouse gases and improves air quality. The benefits of building with wood also include conserving water, ensuring biodiversity, and supporting sustainable jobs in rural areas.
The U.S. Green Building Council recognizes SFI‑certified wood. This means using SFI-certified wood can earn points in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects. LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.
Demand is growing for mass timber, including cross-laminated timber (CLT). CLT—a prefabricated, solid engineered wood panel product—is as strong as traditional building materials like steel and concrete, yet it offers the additional environmental benefits associated with wood. Highly technical and precise, CLT is made by compressing and bonding layers of wood together in alternating directions. Building with CLT is generally faster, safer, and more efficient than traditional building materials and processes. SmartLam, Katerra, and Structurlam, all prominent CLT manufacturers in Canada and the US, are certified to SFI, meaning they and their customers are furthering the environmental benefits of CLT.
Building with wood has health benefits. In the U.S., humans spend 90% of time indoors and have become increasingly disconnected from nature. Building with wood supports biophilia—humans’ innate draw and affinity for nature—and has been linked to reducing stress, improving cognitive function and creativity, accelerating healing, and fostering an overall sense of well-being. By increasing connectivity to the natural environment, biophilic design helps connect people to nature in the buildings we live and work in.
VIDEOS
GREEN BUILDING EDUCATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Buildings Made with SFI-certified Wood
Building and certified wood plays a key role in mitigating climate change, improving occupant health and well-being, and bridging the gap between rural and urban economic development. One of the ways we support this is by sponsoring the Wood Design & Building Awards, in partnership with the Canadian Wood Council, with the SFI Sponsorship Award. Learn more about the award here.
Annie Perkins
Senior Director, Green Building and Supply Chain
Tel: 202-558-0016
FEATURED ARTICLE
SFI DIRECTOR HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF CERTIFICATION IN MASS TIMBER CONSTRUCTION
As the mass timber building movement gains momentum, designers and builders need assurance that the wood products on the market are of high standards on a number of fronts. The Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI), the largest single forest certification standard in the world, is one of three certification agencies to provide that assurance.
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