Timber in the City: Interior Design and City Environment Development with Wood Materials

Dear Colleagues, 

The trend of urbanization has significantly changed the environment in which people live, work, and move. The intense need for new construction and closed spaces has stimulated innovations in the fields of materials, structures, technology, building forms, and interior design.

Traditional materials and resources such as wood became less competitive with the development of new materials whose use ensured faster and more efficient construction and furnishing. New materials, constructions, and technology have achieved certain benefits but also expressed several negative environmental impacts.

In addition to research that measures the environmental effects of the use of building materials, part of the research focuses on measuring the effects on human health and well-being in interiors.

Interior design, whether it is for residential or public buildings (such as schools, offices, hospitals, hotels, and others), and the choice of materials and styles in interiors significantly influence human behavior and a sense of comfort.

The symbiosis between natural, biophilic design and wood is closely related to better mental and physical health and contributes to the well-being of the individual.

Historically, wood has always been used as a traditional material in construction and furniture making, but the impact of wood and how wood is used in indoor design influence physiological, emotional, and cognitive indicators of well-being. Additionally, the human experience of wood in interiors and the development of the city environment are still not sufficiently researched.

This Special Issue welcomes all case studies, empirical and/or interdisciplinary research, and new methods of applying wood in interior design and city environments.

The scope of the paper includes but is not limited to:

• Wood in the interiors of residential and public spaces (education, health, administration, religion, sports, recreation buildings, etc.);
• Wood structures and architecture;
• Wood product design;
• Product and building design solutions (aesthetics, construction, energy efficiency, technical optimization);
• Quality of living in building interiors;
• Benefits of wood on human health;
• Reuse and Recycling of Wood Construction Products
• User’s perception of materials in interior design;
• Environmental impacts of wooden products;
• Traditional wooden products and structures in interiors;
• Elements and principles of design;
• Biophilic design;
• Technology developments in building information modeling of wood structures;
• Interdisciplinary research.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Danijela Domljan
Dr. Dina Stober
Dr. Vjekoslav Živković
Guest Editors

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