In an age where climate change and environmental credentials are important community values, Hyne Timber is proud to manufacture products from certified, sustainable, locally grown plantation softwood.

It’s renewable, recyclable, waste efficient, biodegradable, non-toxic and it locks away carbon. Up to 50 per cent of the dry weight of timber is carbon that the growing tree has removed from the atmosphere. Like any good farming practice, once harvested, all trees are replanted so the cycle can commence once again, generating more oxygen while removing more carbon and securing local timber supply into the future.

Embodied carbon emissions in the construction sector account for over 23 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. The production and processing of timber uses much less energy than most other, more carbon intensive building materials such as steel and concrete. As a general rule, if we can replace a cubic metre of concrete with a cubic metre of timber, about a tonne (1000 kilograms) of CO₂ emissions will be avoided.

There are many other benefits from using responsibly sourced wood, such as environmental, aesthetic, prefabrication and installation efficiency and durability credentials.

However, one benefit that isn’t spoken of so often, is the health benefits.

Back in 1882, the Japanese Forestry Ministry coined the phrase ‘shinrin-yoku’ which means forest bathing. This was part of a national public health program to promote outdoor, nature-connected activities amongst the trees to lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormone production, boost the immune system and overall feelings of wellbeing.

Last year, Planet Ark Environmental Foundation released a report called ‘Wood: Nature Inspired Design’.

The report highlights local and international research which confirm the health and happiness benefits associated with spending time outside, connected with nature, and explores whether it is possible to gain these same benefits from a ‘biophilic’, nature-connected built environment using natural materials such as timber.

The report details multiple physiological and psychological benefits that have been identified through a range of studies all over the world in regard to timber interiors, including:

• Improvements to a person’s mental engagement and concentration;
• Reduced blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels; and
• Positive emotional state such as happiness, tranquillity, comfort and dopamine levels.

For example, a study of 119 students in timber and non-timber spaces before, during and after they were assigned to a stressful task, exhibited skin measurements which indicated lower stress responses from students in the timber environment. The author of this study concluded that timber produces stress reducing effects and it therefore has a role in nature-connected designs for hospitals, schools, offices and other built environments.

Ask yourself, does the idea of a wooden chalet getaway in the mountains relax you? What about a steel and concrete chalet in the same location?

Indeed, it will come as no surprise that the results of surveyed Australians found that timber elicits feelings of warmth, comfort and relaxation, creating a link to nature.

A 2015 study explored the relationship between office workers’ psychological wellbeing, work environments and employee expectations. For many workers, the design of an office was important in their decision to work at a company. The presence of natural elements including timber fixtures and fittings, plants and views of nature were all identified as important and were found to contribute to greater productivity.