Workshop: Digital Production with Raw Natural Timber

BranchOut is a research and design project that explores the use of raw, irregular timber such as branches and forked wood elements as a viable material for construction.

Naturally variable wood forms such as branches and forked wood elements are currently excluded from industrial building processes due to their unpredictable geometry, even though they hold significant structural potential. This project aims to change that by combining material research, digital fabrication technologies, and creative design thinking.

Digital Tools

Central to the project is the use of digital tools including 3D scanning, computational design, and robotic fabrication. Rather than forcing irregular timber to conform to standardised systems, these technologies allow designers and builders to work with natural variation as a feature, not a flaw. The same digital workflow is transferable to other irregular materials and contexts, broadening the project’s potential reach.

Environmental and societal relevance

The project addresses a pressing environmental concern. The construction sector is under increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and material waste. Forest management generates large volumes of residual wood that are currently downcycled or burned. BranchOut repositions this underused material stream as a resource for innovation, making its properties, constraints, and design possibilities explicit and accessible to a wider audience.

Intended impact

The intended impact spans multiple sectors. The project seeks to raise awareness among designers, engineers, educators, and industry partners, and to strengthen connections between research, education, forestry, and construction practice. Rather than delivering a single technical solution, it aims to lay a foundation for broader adoption of irregular timber by clarifying its potential and limitations within contemporary construction.

Knowledge transfer and education

A key element of the project is knowledge transfer. Research outcomes, including digital workflows, material reasoning, and fabrication constraints, will be translated into educational content under the name BranchOut. This lowers the threshold for others to engage with bio-based materials and digital fabrication, ensuring that insights developed in a research setting find their way into both education and professional practice.