The Littoral Urbanism Lab (LU_lab) at the University of Miami’s School of Architecture (U-SoA) has been selected to receive $250,000 in grant funding to support a two-year long project titled, “All That is Solid: Platforms for Wood Innovation.”This U.S. Forest Service Awards Grant made to the University of Miami’s School of Architecture Littoral Urbanism Labwill Expand Design Education on Mass Timber and Solid Wood Construction in Florida. The initial “All That is Solid” project team consists of public and private partners, which include the Florida Forest Service, WoodWorks, Atelier Mey, and FASCO America. Together, under the leadership of Assistant Professor Christopher Meyer, LU_lab Director and Principal Investigator, the team will develop and deliver an educational platform on mass timber and solid wood products to support and expand the U.S. Forestry management initiatives for healthier forests throughout the state. “Our team is excited to be the first Wood Innovation Grant recipient in the state of Florida,” said Meyer. “The focus will be on identifying and developing novel ways to integrate mass timber materials and methods into South Florida’s building industry. The goal is to make sure students and practitioners have the knowledge they need to pursue solid wood construction given the unique climatic and construction requirements in Florida. We hope to continue to build on solid wood construction successes in other regions. ”To achieve its goals, the All That is Solid project team will work closely with existing industry and educational partners to develop aregional solid wood industry network. The project begins in the Fall of 2019.
To see the other recipients and learn more about the Wood Innovation Grant Awards, see the full link, here.
About the Wood Innovation Grant Program
The Wood Innovation Grant funding supports traditional wood utilization projects, expands wood energy markets, and promotes using wood as a construction material in commercial buildings. The U.S. Forest Service supports proposals that significantly stimulate or expand wood product markets and wood energy markets that support the long-term management of the National Forest System andother forest lands. Funding for this program comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 10.674 Wood Utilization Assistance.
About the Littoral Urbanism Lab (LU_lab)
The LU_lab operates as a knowledge gathering center and project-based design group focused on the evolving dialogue binding urbanism and environment. The work of the LU_lab acknowledges the responsibility of architecture as the curator of the constructed world to create a reciprocal relationship between the built and natural environments. LU_lab projects are set up to engage collaborativeand diverse teams that explore future design scenarios embedded in cultural, economic, social, and ecological urbanisms. Through these partnerships, an expanded architectural agency fosters new techniques of built solutions for dynamic wet | dry environments. The Lab is under the direction of Assistant Professor Christopher Meyer, in collaboration with Shawna Meyer, AIA.
2019 Wood Innovation Grant | All That is Solid, Platforms for Wood Innovation | University of Miami School of Architecture | Littoral Urbanism Lab
