Four new biomaterials to build with, made from sawdust

In Copenhagen, wood flooring expert Denisen showcased four new biomaterials in its showroom in the installation Smuld — meaning “sawdust” in Danish — designed in collaboration with local studio Office Kim Lenschow. These innovative materials were made from sawdust recovered from production waste, from fine dust to coarse wood shavings.

The first material is a flexible fabric made from a mixture of finely sieved wood chalk and planer shavings, which the studio fused with natural latex derived from the rubber tree. To make the second material, the team glued fine sawdust and cellulose onto wood fibre boards to form insulation.

“It makes sense to use the whole tree and value the residue, so that we stop thinking that there is a difference between valuable wood and discarded parts,” said study founder Bonnie Hvillum. “The material offers the possibility to optimise the layering of walls, both functionally and aesthetically,” said Hvillum.

The delicate, semi-transparent Japanese shoji screens inspired the third material, which also combines finely sieved wood chalk and planer shavings. The studio has fused this combination into thin, caramel-coloured sheets. Finally, the fourth material is an attempt to create a structural wood fibre panel for architectural use. It is held together by a lignin-based binder — the organic polymer that gives wood strength and rigidity — developed in collaboration with the Danish Technological Institute.