Forestry project helps RICS separate the wood from the trees

Birmingham Institute of Forest Research

A pioneering 10-year project in the West Midlands connecting the UK’s carbon research with that in Australia, the United States and South America has won one of the region’s leading infrastructure awards.

Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, which operates out of Stafford, is looking to position the University of Birmingham as a global leader in carbon research.

The CO2 research facility located in remote historic woodland is the only one of its kind in the UK and will stimulate the atmospheric conditions expected in 2070. Investigating the effects of climate change on existing woodlands the facility comprises a series of cylindrical ring structures, reaching just above the tree canopy, with supporting pipes delivering CO2 in such a way that the woodland inside the ring is immersed in CO2.

As the first and only deciduous research facility in the world the concept was based around an existing facility in Australia. Also as the third Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) research on trees ever attempted, this unique project will test the resilience of mature forest in a high carbon future.

Its pioneering work has seen it win Project of the Year at the RICS Awards 2017, West Midlands.

The annual event has been running for over ten years and recognises the best built environment projects from the land, property and construction sectors.

This year’s event, was held at Edgbaston Cricket Ground and played host to more than 250 people representing some of the region’s best initiatives.

Gurdip Chamba, director at Crossland Property Consultants, was the chairman of this year’s judging panel.

Refering to the BIFR project, he said: “This project only has a small physical footprint but has national and global significance. When 60% of the world’s carbon comes from construction we need to not only look to reduce our footprint but understand the effects increased carbon will have on the planet.

“This intricately planned, sensitively executed research scheme will assess the impact of CO2 on our forests for years to come. Projects that can nudge political thought on such important subjects are few and far between and the empirical evidence this could provide could be as significant as the CFC research that looked to repair the ozone in Antarctic.”

Other winners were:

Building Conservation – Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon
Commercial – The Grand Hotel, Shops & Offices – Phase 1
Community Benefit – Remembrance Centre at the National Memorial Arboretum
Design through Innovation – Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry
Infrastructure – Birmingham Institute of Forest Research
Regeneration – iCentrum
Residential– Chamberlain Residential Scheme, Birmingham  
Tourism & Leisure – Remembrance Centre at the National Memorial Arboretum

The Lye & Wollescote Cemetary Chapels project in Stourbridge was shortlisted in the Community Benefit category and while it failed to win, the judges were sufficiently impressed to award it Highly Commended.

The regional winners now go forward to represent the West Midlands in the national RICS Awards Grand Final 2017, which takes place in London in November.

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