RESEARCH TOPIC
Timber housing between experience, concerns and responsible consumption
Liking wood does not automatically lead to choosing a timber home. We investigate price, durability and evidence people can use.
Explore the stories ↓
STORIES IN THIS TOPIC
Timber for modern living
Pale birch wood can turn a rich brown through heat treatment. Researchers at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague measured the change and asked people to assess samples while imagining a furniture purchase. Participants learned which tree species they were looking at only after completing the questionnaire.
Timber for modern living
Austria received nearly 64% of Czech raw timber exports by volume in 2024; China accounted for 2.2%. The Forestry Green Report maps strong links with neighbouring countries and substantial imports into Czechia.
Timber for modern living
Positive attitudes towards timber housing were reported by 57.1% of empty nest respondents and 37.3% of students. The MML 2024 survey also reveals differences in the priority given to construction speed, energy efficiency, appearance and sustainability.
Timber for modern living
Wood was considered suitable for single-storey buildings by 61% of respondents, compared with 13.13% for buildings of five or more storeys. Czech surveys show how attitudes to the material differ from assessments of specific uses.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Cleaner and Responsible Consumption
Riedl, M., Němec, M., Neužilová, L., Jarský, V., & Dudík, R. (2025). Consumer attitudes toward timber housing in the Czech Republic: Drivers and barriers for cleaner and responsible consumption transitions. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 19, 100364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clrc.2025.100364
DOI 10.1016/j.clrc.2025.100364Wood Research
Dudík, R., Borůvka, V., Riedl, M., & Holeček, T. (2021). Data mining and its impact on marketing communication – Case: Heat-treated birch wood. Wood Research, 66(3), 463–476. https://doi.org/10.37763/wr.1336-4561/66.3.463476
DOI 10.37763/wr.1336-4561/66.3.463476Forests
Dudík, R., Borůvka, V., Zeidler, A., Holeček, T., & Riedl, M. (2020). Influence of site conditions and quality of birch wood on its properties and utilization after heat treatment. Part II—Surface properties and marketing evaluation of the effect of the treatment on final usage of such wood. Forests, 11(5), 556. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11050556
DOI 10.3390/f11050556ABOUT THE RESEARCH
This portal explains research on forest ecosystem services and economics at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. It connects everyday experience with original scientific studies.
Co-author of the featured studies
RNDr. Marcel Riedl, CSc.
Scientific guarantor
Ing. et Ing. Martin Němec, Ph.D.
