Il recupero del legno rigenerato: l’esperienza olandese di Superuse Studios. The remanufacturing of reclaimed wood: the Dutch experience of Superuse Studios

Wood can be considered one of the primary materials used in the construction sector globally because of its universal field of application. However, over the centuries, the tradition of wooden constructions has spread to the Nordic countries, while in the Mediterranean area; it has almost totally disappeared due to the decrease in wood areas in relation to the growing number of inhabitants. Endemic forest depredation, which began in the classical era and continued over time, also due to many wars in the old continent, resulted in the enactment of various laws which, from the end of 1200 until the last century, have regulated tree cutting, eventually banning the wood use because of the problems concerning its resistance to fire. After the II World War, the counter trend takes place as wood use has increased considerably despite reducing deforestation. Recent studies estimate that its consumption and the consequent deforestation processes will triple by 2050 due to the growing demand from developing countries, transforming it once again into a precious and endangered material. In the light of these reflections and starting from a synthetic analysis of the current wood reclaimed typologies, the article describes the experience of the Dutch studio Superuse Studios, which, through the development of original design philosophy and various interesting projects (Upstyle Woodguide, Villa Welpeloo in Enschede, etc.), promotes new forms of sustainability inherent in the reuse of building “waste.” Superuse Studios’ design philosophy divulgates the precepts of the blue economy, which encourages further development models based on the idea that someone’s “waste” can be someone else’s resource.