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In some small way, each of us knows the value of wood as a resource. In fact, we use it every day—it heats our homes, makes our stationery, lines our floors. But in spite of all of its uses, wood is still a taboo material where building is concerned. Instead, we use concrete and steel in the hopes that our buildings (which are often our biggest investments) will remain strong and stable. We tell ourselves that wood is too weak to sustain anything more than a few stories; that it’ll succumb to any number of elements–fire, water, you name it. But is any of this really true? While we prompt each other to ‘save the trees’ and find ways to eliminate wood from our construction processes, others are using this resource to develop and maintain sustainable building practices that will help us all in the long run.

Where did these woods come from? Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a global not-for-profit organization that sets the standards for what is a responsibly managed forest, both environmentally and socially.