The Research Problem
Construction and demolition waste accounts for more than one-third of global solid waste, a figure that continues to rise with rapid urbanisation. While timber is a renewable material that stores carbon and lends itself to reuse, most timber buildings are still demolished at the end of their service life, leading to immediate material loss and carbon emissions. Even where reuse is theoretically possible, existing disassemblable systems are often proprietary, expensive, or poorly suited to low-income and rural contexts.
In many parts of the Global South, however, timber and other waste materials are already reused informally in housing and small structures. These practices are widespread but largely undocumented, unregulated, and rarely considered within formal engineering or architectural design frameworks. As a result, valuable local knowledge is overlooked, and opportunities to reduce waste while improving housing affordability are missed.
This project addresses this gap by investigating how informal timber reuse practices can inform safe, efficient, and scalable approaches to circular timber construction. Focusing initially on South Africa, but drawing on expertise from multiple continents, the project situates technical research within real social, material, and economic contexts.
Research Design
The project brings together researchers from six WUN member universities across Africa, Europe, Australia, and North America, combining expertise in structural engineering, architecture, construction management, and circular economy research. The core research questions are:
(1) how informal timber reuse practices can be translated into technically sound construction solutions, and
(2) how buildings can be designed for disassembly and reuse using low-cost, non-proprietary systems.
The research methodology integrates community engagement, design, and experimental testing. Activities begin with surveys and workshops in informal settlements around Pretoria, South Africa, to document existing timber reuse practices and jointly identify opportunities and constraints. These insights inform multidisciplinary training camps in South Africa, where students and researchers collaboratively develop prototypes of disassemblable timber connections and engineered products made from waste timber.
Following the design phase, partner institutions conduct comparative laboratory testing at their home universities, generating shared datasets across different materials, contexts, and testing traditions. The project is expected to culminate in the construction of a small full-scale timber structure within a local community, allowing the team to evaluate buildability, performance, and social relevance.
Coordination is supported through regular virtual meetings, shared research platforms, and short-term researcher mobility funded through WUN.
Project Objectives
The project aims to advance circular timber construction in a global context by developing and validating practical solutions for timber reuse in affordable housing. Specific objectives include documenting informal reuse practices, designing low-cost disassemblable timber systems, testing engineered products derived from waste timber, and generating comparative experimental evidence across institutions.
Supported by the WUN Research Development Fund, the project strengthens international collaboration, supports early-career researcher development, and establishes a foundation for future large-scale funding proposals. Outputs include tested prototypes, open-access journal publications, and a technical summary shared through professional and academic networks, ensuring both academic and real-world impact.