Salvage Wood Program (phase 2)

The Salvage Wood Program is a collaborative partnership between University of Washington Grounds Management, Maintenance and Construction, and the College of Built Environments, and was initially sponsored by the Campus Sustainability Fund and implemented into campus procedures in 2015 (https://facilities.uw.edu/catalog/salvage-wood; https://facilities.uw.edu/catalog/salvage-wood/about-salvage-wood-progr…). As a gold rated university recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, UW is committed to responsibly using resources, reducing waste and carbon emissions, prioritizing sustainable practices, and galvanizing community involvement. The Salvage Wood Program is a proud showcase of this commitment.

Grounds Management oversees approximately 10,000 trees on campus and ensures that all trees are planted methodically and with purposeful intention. Campus trees are a significant asset in both actual value and investment over time. Eventually, these trees will be removed because of natural decline or death, as a preventative measure to avoid potential hazards, or as part of a construction project. By keeping the tree material on campus, money is saved in disposal cost, less energy is used in waste transportation, some of the asset value of the tree is retained by being incorporated into campus projects, and the investment made into that tree over time is preserved. The program repurposes these trees to survive long past their removal and to preserve UW history and culture in timeless products. The processed wood is available for student, faculty, and administration projects; capital projects relating to Maintenance and Construction needs; and custom products such as nameplates, signs, and furniture pieces.

Before the wood can be renewed it is imperative that it goes through a series of drying stages both in open-air conditions and in a kiln, which could take up to three years total. These stages are executed and monitored by UW Carpenters. The program is facing a dilemma due to a lack of indoor drying storage space, which causes some wood to be stored outdoors without temperature or humidity regulations. Being exposed to environmental elements adversely affects the wood and after one year the wood deteriorates, can no longer be repurposed, and is discarded. These conditions also reduce the amount, type, and quality of products created, and consequently reduce the success and sustainability of the program. In addition to storage issues, the program needs a fresh revenue stream and an improvement in efficiency.

To combat these problems and through interdisciplinary collaborations between UW Carpenters, Grounds Management, and students and staff of the College of Built Environments, an idea was generated to build a new storage facility to dry the wood. This solution will protect the wood from harsh environmental conditions and preserve wood integrity for the maximum amount of time to maintain the zero-waste nature of the program. The facility will be an insulated, climate-controlled, external addition to Gould Hall. Design and construction of the infrastructure will be spearheaded by staff members of the College of Built Environments, and students will have an opportunity to participate and further develop their technical skills in architectural design, engineering, and project management. Several classes, such as the Furniture Studio course that operates every quarter, will utilize the wood for assigned projects. The goal is to have the CSF grant fund the construction of the storage facility and provide financial support as the program is reenergized. For two years after implementation, grant funds will be utilized to purchase the wood for students to use in classes. Once the program is fully operational and efficient, the College will purchase the wood for student use. With the CSF grant and then the College purchasing the wood, this supports UW’s Diversity Blueprint by releasing the financial burden from students and ensuring equal opportunity for all students who want to be involved. Also, this new revenue stream from the College will be vital in recouping costs to maintain the sustainability of the program.

This storage facility will not only alleviate revenue and storage issues, but it will also improve logistics and prosperity of the program. As opposed to the current horizontal storage, which makes choosing wood difficult, the wood in the facility will be stored vertically and in turn will allow students to easily choose wood based on species, appearance, and size. The wood will also be more readily available compared to the current procedure that involves students setting a specific date and time once per quarter to visit the carpenter storage area. The facility will improve student accessibility to the wood, encourage the use of ethically sourced materials, educate the students about eco-friendly habits, and reduce costs compared to traditional lumber yards. Also noteworthy is that the facility will provide ample educational opportunities for students to learn about the extensive process of drying and managing wood, which is such an important economical practice that entire careers are dedicated to it.  

UW carpenters will employ funding to plane the wood to make it more appealing and marketable to students. Planing involves smoothing and shaping the wood into a uniform strip for the purpose of refining quality and visibility of the color and grain. This will increase the likelihood of students selecting the program’s wood rather than off campus sources because they are inclined to invest in wood that is planed prior to purchase. Smaller wood pieces and chips produced while milling will be turned into compost at UW farm or utilized for cooking in the farm’s wood burning stove. Funding will also support the carpenters to provide guided tours of the carpentry shop to students once per quarter to facilitate engagement with the kiln, sawmill, and wood production.

The carpenters and staff of the College of Built Environments will also claim responsibility and funding to track the wood and conduct consistent, accurate inventories. As the wood is processed and dried, each stage requires the input of information into a spreadsheet. Inventorying and identifying where the wood originated, when it was salvaged, and the age is a special and unique aspect of this program. Expertly tracking the wood ensures that the intrinsic value of the wood is maintained, and UW’s legacy of sustainable initiatives is preserved in the products. Executing quarterly inventories into normal procedures will streamline efficiency of the program and will ensure accurate stock and quantities to aid in future project planning.

The Salvage Wood Program has a legacy of contributing to UW’s Sustainability Action Plan, and the collaborators involved have proven their technical knowledge and project management skills to successfully support the program. The graduate appointee for Grounds Management will continue to monitor program success, track expenses, support educational and advertisement opportunities on campus, and coordinate with collaborators to meet deadlines. With additional funding to construct a storage facility and to support collaborators as they process and manage the wood, the program will continue to prioritize environmentally sound practices and to proudly exemplify UW’s sustainability commitment while engaging students, staff, and facility units.