Forest-Timber-Frame: Changing Dynamics of Wood in the American West
Join us for the Final Review of the UC Berkeley Master of Advanced Architecture Design (MAAD) Studio, where researchers will present the results of a year-long investigation into the evolving relationship between wood, architecture, and the forest landscape. Through a critical lens, the studio explores how timber processes, structures, and assembly systems can support a reciprocal relationship between sustainable forest management and thoughtful building design.
In addressing the global impacts of climate change, architects have shown a renewed interest in wood building, highlighting the role timber can play in reducing both embodied energy content and carbon emissions of buildings. Despite our industry’s best efforts, this increased demand for timber production, particularly in California, runs counter to the sustainability issues it seeks to address. This is due primarily to the lack of a localized timber ecosystem with most Cross-Laminated Timber being sourced from out of state. While rigorous conservation efforts have replenished forest stock, this has led to frequent and expansive wildfires, whose emissions negate decades of carbon savings.
As architects, it is important to take a critical look at the relationship between wood and architecture as it connects back to the forest landscape. How can wood processes, structures, and assembly systems support a reciprocal relationship between forest management and building design?
In this Final Review of the UC Berkeley Master of Advanced Architecture Design (MAAD) studio, researchers will share the results of their year-long investigation into the shift from “stick” building to “mass” timber assembly and its direct implications on architectural design in the coming decades. Participants are invited to observe and engage in the discussion as presenters delve into their research and design process in understanding wood construction as a material practice, extending from forest management to manufacturing, construction, and waste reclamation. Accompanying the Final Review will be an exhibition of the Studio’s exploration on novel techniques and wood fabrication, which will be on display at the Center for Architecture + Design.
Schedule
12:15 PM – Introduction of the Studio – Philip Tidwell
12:30 PM – Student 1 – Asa Brandyberry
1:15 PM – Student 2 – Junsong (Steven) Lin
2:00 PM – Student 3 – Nadya Mikhaylovskaya
2:45 PM – Short Break
3:00 PM – Student 4 – Shreya Venkatesh
3:45 PM – Student 5 – Esteban Salazar
4:30 PM – Closing Comments
4:45 PM – End
Moderator: Philip Tidwell, MArch
Organization: University of California Berkeley, College of Environmental Design
Philip Tidwell is a registered architect in Finland and director of Peripheral Projects. He has practiced professionally in the offices of Juhani Pallasmaa, Agrest & Gandelsonas, and Perkins Eastman. As a designer and educator, Philip focuses on wood construction and emerging technologies in timber. His teaching and research examine the relationships among architectural form, constructive technique, and the agency of matter. For more than a decade, he served as studio coordinator for the Wood Program at Aalto University in Helsinki. From 2021 to 2023 he was an assistant professor of architecture at McGill University and he has served as a visiting professor at the Universities of Florida, Massachusetts, and Arkansas.
Together with Kristo Vesikansa and Laura Berger, Philip was curator of the Pavilion of Finland for the 2021 Venice Biennale of Architecture. The exhibition and book, New Standards, examines the industrialization of the wood industry in Finland during and after the Second World War. Philip’s research has been supported by grants and fellowships from numerous organizations including the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the U.S. Fulbright program, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. His work and teaching have been recognized by The Architectural Review and the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, among others.
Presenter 1: Paul Woolford, FAIA
Organization: HOK
Paul is a Senior Principal and Design Principal for HOK’s San Francisco studio and is responsible for some of the firm’s most innovative and creative buildings. He is a recognized industry leader, whose work has focused on being a design catalyst for helping people rethink the relationship between themselves and their environments. Recently elevated to the AIA College of Fellows, Paul has been responsible for design leadership on several of HOK’s most complex, innovative and sustainable buildings and environments, leading interdisciplinary teams comprised of architects, engineers, planners, interior designers and landscape architects. His diverse portfolio includes civic and institutional buildings; corporate and commercial buildings; educational facilities; research facilities; hospitals; aviation/transportation facilities; and museums and have been honored with numerous regional, national and international awards.
Presenter 2: Sean Quinn, AIA
Organization: HOK
Based in San Francisco, Sean leads HOK’s global regenerative design practice. Over the past two decades, he has demonstrated his commitment to performance-based sustainable design and progressive approach to biomimicry in planning and design projects all over the world.
Sean is committed to ensuring that the built environment of tomorrow goes beyond net-zero strategies and yields mutualistic, net-positive benefits for nature, buildings and people. He brings regenerative strategies to all types of projects, from planning and urban design to architectural, landscape, interior design and experience design. His data-driven approach ensures that all solutions are based on ecosystem performance metrics related to water, air, carbon, soil, biodiversity, and health and well-being.
Sean cofounded and is the past chair of HOK Impact, which leads the firm’s approach to social responsibility and empowering the communities where our people live and work.
Presenter 3: Claire Moore, PE
Organization: HOK
As Director of Engineering at HOK, Claire brings 23 years of experience in structural engineering design and project management. Her technical expertise encompasses both linear and nonlinear analysis, seismic evaluations and retrofits and structural design in all major construction materials. With projects ranging from large iconic buildings to small-scale art installations, Claire has worked on a variety of project types, including government, justice, science & technology, higher education, healthcare, and aviation.
Presenter 4: Forrest Zhang, PE
Organization: HOK
Forrest is a Sr. Project Engineer and Mass Timber Subject Matter Expert at HOK. Specializing in steel and engineered wood, Forrest brings over 15 years of experience across multiple project types and scales from scientific research and healthcare facilities to corporate commercial headquarters.
Presenter 5: UC Berkeley Master of Advanced Architecture Design Studio
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
The UC Berkeley Master of Advanced Architecture Design (MAAD) is a one-year post-professional design studio intended for those who have a professional (accredited Bachelor of Architecture or Master of Architecture) degree, and who wish to continue to explore current design issues in a stimulating, rigorous, and experimental studio setting. The year-long studio is at the core of the program, integrated with seminars and lectures in design theory, history, digital applications, and building technology.
2 LU/HSW:
1. Examine the relationship between forest management and architectural design to support ecological sustainability
Health, Safety and Welfare Learning Objective(s):
- HSW Category: Environmental Sustainability – Focuses on reducing building impacts on the environment.
- HSW Category: Site Design / Environmental Sustainability – Promotes responsible resource and ecosystem management.
- HSW Category: Technical Design – Supports the use of safe, durable, and innovative materials and systems.
- HSW Category: Materials & Assemblies – Addresses material sourcing, construction, and environmental impact.
- HSW Category: Building Systems – Informs system integration that enhances performance, safety, and resilience.