GIA visits Glasgow Wood

A 20 strong group attended our visit to Glasgow Wood in July 2023.

Glasgow Wood is a social enterprise charity that recycles timber and also sells ungraded timber from sawmills that would otherwise be chipped or sent to landfill. It is linked to a number of similar organisations around the UK, and is one of the biggest.

Their workshop produces various simple timber products made from scaffold boards or whisky barrels, and can fabricate bespoke wooden designs to order.

Its staff include folk who may be have been previously sidelined or unemployed and they are complemented by a large number of volunteers.

The organisation is a valuable resource that should be used more by the construction industry, and Glasgow architects should be more aware that it is a source of cheap timber and a joinery facility that ticks all the boxes regarding social sustainability, environmental sustainability, and adoption of circular economy principles.