Center Showcases Use of Wood in New Housing

The Center team shares why and how we integrate wood products into our housing developments.

In our webinar on A Wood-First Approach to Building Rehabilitation & Construction – part of our Building the New Forest Future series – Center staff uncovered the practical implications of implementing this strategy in our projects across the region. We discussed how we use new or reclaimed wood products for structures, heating, insulation, flooring, and siding, and what challenges we’ve encountered. And dove into how we’ve estimated the carbon benefits of this approach for the historic rehabilitation of the Gehring House in Bethel, ME.

Isabella Ronson-Amrein, program manager at the Center, facilitated a discussion among the panelists who gave insight into how they advocate for advancing wood products in housing construction. We recorded the discussion for you to listen to – click the link below.

Meet the Panelists

Our panelists were Maura Adams, Director of Community of Investment, Kendall Gray, Program Manager, Leslie Karasin, Adirondack Program Director, and Amy Scott, Maine Program Manager.

This work aligns across the Center’s program areas which include providing quality housing for full-time residents and supporting the region’s forest-based economy. The use of wood in housing has numerous benefits, from supporting regional businesses, storing carbon, safety and aesthetics, and more.

In the webinar, the panel details the opportunity, benefits, and occasional challenges and pushback to using and re-using wood in our housing projects. We highlight projects including a mixed-use building on Penobscot Avenue in Millinocket, a proposed development in Greenville, the historic redevelopment of the Gehring House in Bethel, the historic redevelopment of the Parker J Noyes building in Lancaster, the redevelopment of the former armory on Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury, and the building of a new apartment building in Tupper Lake.

Measuring Carbon Benefits

Kendall shares how we are measuring the carbon benefits of this initiative using the BEAM Tool from Builders for Climate Action. See more of our work documenting the use of wood in our projects:

A grant from the US Forest Service Wood Innovations program supports some of the work referenced in the webinar.

Please share the recording with your network.

Building the New Forest Future: Center Webinar Series

Building the New Forest Future is a webinar series that amplifies stories, practices, and lessons from community development, sustainable tourism, and rural economy in the Northern Forest. Read more

Staff Contacts

Isabella Ronson-Amrein

Program Manager

Cell: 804-912-7145

Kendall Gray

Program Manager

Cell: 443-841-5201