Conscious carpentry: ‘It’s more than just wood’

RESPONSIBLY sourced materials. Minimising waste. Prioritising craftsmanship and quality over mass production. These are some of the beliefs that modern Singapore carpenters hold in the pursuit of sustainable woodwork for the greater good of the environment. 

But the reality is much more challenging than that, with the cost of wood nearly doubling since 2020 due to timber supply chain disruptions following the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war (Ukraine is a major supplier of timber). Besides this, the potential closure of the sawmills in Sungei Kadut following the government’s plans to redevelop the area might also impact the supply of wood.

Facing this uncertain future, some architects, designers and carpenters are still looking at ways to champion wood, which remains a more renewable and biodegradable resource, and registers much lower carbon emissions in production, than other building materials such as concrete and steel.