Forests for building

In the first case study of the project Holtland Flux is focusing on the question of how developers and builders can be provided in their own wood, by planting new forests. The demand for wood will increase and a lot of wood is, at the moment, imported from abroad. The project results in a transition-strategy for wood construction and several matching spatial plans for the development of new production forests. Several new types of forest which seem promising to provide for wood on short-term for housing come forward. The forest-types are the ‘stikstofbos’ (the nitrogen-forest), as a border for nature reserves. A ‘dorpsbos’ (village-forest), on released agricultural grounds around villages with opportunities to build housing and the ‘saneringsbos’ (remediation-forest), with which contaminated lands can be cleaned.
These forests contribute, next to the production of wood, to multiple challenges each time. For example, the contribute to increasing biodiversity, CO2 storage, the purification of contaminated land or to improve the city/ country relations. The project is to inspire companies in the building sector.

The case study is part of the project Holtland, a design research into new forms of forests in the Netherlands. Flux sees a high abstraction level in existing researches about forest, with a lot of attention towards the surface. Therefore, Flux believes that the research into planting forests in the Netherlands is valuable, with attention to a diversity in forest types, a strong relation to the large current challenges in the Netherlands and a concrete spatial development. The design research exists out of three parts; the forest book with forests of the future, several case studies and an alternative forest vision for the Netherlands.

Four case studies have been set up with concrete locations. The stakeholders are: The Province of Utrecht, WWF, Synchroon and Staatsbosbeheer. The project has been financed by Stimuleringsfonds with co-financing of several parties. The focus group for the research exists of Berno strootman (National Advisor Landscape, engaged in the forest strategy of LNV), Kees Hendriks (researcher into forest of Alterra Wageningen) and Martijn Boosten (researcher and advisor at foundation Probos).
Would you like to know more about the other case studies? These can be found by clicking on the links of the casestudy Utrechts Heuvelland, the research into river forests Rivierbossen and the Bossenboek.