What the World Needs Now Is Square Trees
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12. 3.08
Belgian design collective Draw Me A Sheep notes:
‘Round’ is perfect in nature, but ‘square’ is perfect for industrial standard. To illustrate, square tree would enable wood industry to lose less material, to cut easier with machines and to store more efficiently.
C'mon, Monsanto, where are you when we need you?
TreeHugger is all about efficiency, and as one sawmiller said:
“I wish trees were growing square. Things people make with woods are square anyway, and we need to lose a lot by cutting out the rounded part.”
The next step would be to breed L-shaped trees so that they could just cut them up into furniture with no waste at all. If they can design square tomatoes, they can surely do this. Draw me a sheep via below the clouds
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you joke, but Readers' Digest actually had an article about a marginally successful attempt to genetically modify trees to grow with a less round, more squarish cross section about 15 years ago - i wonder if anyone is still trying?
That's rediculous. Have you ever tried to hug a square tree? Besides, why should we do you any favors so you can cut us down in our prime? Mr. Roundtree.
Maybe we could hire these guys ....
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/15/square.watermelon/index.html
http://www.financialhack.com/lessons-of-the-square-watermelon
Patrick
Uhh, all you need to do is grow your tree in a frame. They do this with watermelon in japan. The only problem is that trees grow VERY slowly and so you would probably have difficulty re-using the frames, which would cost more than the tree itself. Kind of like growing a cat in a bottle.
Wouldn't it make sense to design more with rounded timbers instead? We have CAD software, and all sorts of fancy saws, where is the innovation for round cutting technology?
arborsculpture - http://www.google.com/search?q=arborsculpture
How about faster growing bamboo in a frame?
Not nearly as useful, but since bamboo is made into flooring and laminate lumber might actually help some.
wooden hip makers used to look for trees that were shaped like the piece they needed, and often carried patterns into the woods.
I'm glad i can catch your wit, Mr. Alter. I'm interested in some tree-shaped furniture. I remember some interesting looking lamps from a while back...
If the Japanese can grow square watermelons....
Is this serious?
Looks like people have just a little bit too much time on their hands. I also expect that a lot of equipment and processes would have to be rebuild and redesigned to take advantage of the square trees. Also, it would take decades for the square trees to mature. We need solutions now, not 50 years from now.
I suspect there is a lot that can be done now to make processes more efficient in working with round trees.
They are making genetically modified everything these day's so why not trees, although I am a believer of letting nature be.
Back to log cabins I say!
May I take the opportunity to advise that some clever Australians already solved this problem with Radially Sawn timber, which has next to no waste, cutting the log much as one might a birthday cake.
Or, use materials other than wood. Leave the trees standing, use man-made materials.
Ultimately, that is less energy-, land-, soil- and water-intensive, and allows us to design materials to our own specifications and requirements. Wood is wasteful regardless, since plants are so inefficient at converting sunlight to useful materials.