Just before the pandemic I went the Viking Museum in Roskilde, Denmark, which is a living museum that shows the shipbuilding process from the tree onward. Was really interesting to see it.
And we really don't think about how tree species shape our world, from landscaping to furniture. So thanks for this.
Very interesting. I designed an eco resort on an island in Panama and we used massive pieces of driftwood for over a dozen columns in the beach restaurant. Not for lack of wood but for the vibe. But I’d never thought about older cultures with minimal wood options finding the stuff very useful.
How interesting, Ben! Is it different working with driftwood in architecture compared to normal wood? Does one have to test it to check it’s still robust enough? I read somewhere that Icelanders used to put their driftwood through various trials before using it to make/repair boats, to ensure they would be seaworthy.
We check for insect damage and rotten sections, and you still want specific types of wood; but at least for our use cases it was largely just visual checks.
Thanks, Paul! No book in the making at the moment but perhaps one day… There’s certainly plenty more I’d like to write about and develop further in this space.
And thanks for the tip on W G Sebald - Rings of Saturn is on my (very long!) reading list.
Just before the pandemic I went the Viking Museum in Roskilde, Denmark, which is a living museum that shows the shipbuilding process from the tree onward. Was really interesting to see it.
And we really don't think about how tree species shape our world, from landscaping to furniture. So thanks for this.
Thanks! That museum sounds really interesting. I've never been to Roskilde, but it sounds worth it for the Viking Museum alone.
Very interesting. I had never thought about this before!
Thanks, Lindsay!
Fascinating account of a subject I’d never considered - thanks for posting, Hannah.
Thanks, Paul! And thanks for subscribing.
Very interesting. I designed an eco resort on an island in Panama and we used massive pieces of driftwood for over a dozen columns in the beach restaurant. Not for lack of wood but for the vibe. But I’d never thought about older cultures with minimal wood options finding the stuff very useful.
How interesting, Ben! Is it different working with driftwood in architecture compared to normal wood? Does one have to test it to check it’s still robust enough? I read somewhere that Icelanders used to put their driftwood through various trials before using it to make/repair boats, to ensure they would be seaworthy.
We check for insect damage and rotten sections, and you still want specific types of wood; but at least for our use cases it was largely just visual checks.
Thanks!
How many of our interconnections - ecological, cultural, climatic- we overlook.
I find your perspective quite unusual. Is there a book in the making? Have you read W G Sebald on coastal England, the herring fisheries, etc?
A quick follow-up to this: by chance I just came across this short film which traces the East Anglian journey in Sebald's book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hELnfok0BzI
Thought you might be interested in case you weren't aware of it already!
Thank you so much, Hannah. I hope to visit some of those sites one day. Odd to think how much more thriving these little ports were in earlier days.
Paul Drexler
Thanks, Paul! No book in the making at the moment but perhaps one day… There’s certainly plenty more I’d like to write about and develop further in this space.
And thanks for the tip on W G Sebald - Rings of Saturn is on my (very long!) reading list.