Joe Giddings
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joegiddings.bsky.social
Joe Giddings
@joegiddings.bsky.social
Built Environment | Climate Change | Architecture. I'm working towards the biobased buildings revolution at Built by Nature. Also co-founding member of Architects Climate Action Network. Views my own etc.
Cross Laminated Timber production capacity in Spain has quadrupled in the last 5 years, with new plants operational across the north from Galicia in the west to Catalonia in the East

Read about one of Europes emerging success stories in Mass Madera's annual report: massmadera.org/informe-mass...
Informes Mass Madera – MassMadera
massmadera.org
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Some good news. China's emissions appear to have peaked:
NEW – Analysis: China’s CO2 emissions have now been flat or falling for 18 months | @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social

Read here: buff.ly/ONGzk3a
November 11, 2025 at 7:40 AM
as requested by absolutely nobody, I am going to live blog the launch of the Principles for Responsible Timber Construction at the Buildings and Cooling Pavilion inside the Blue Zone at COP30, Belem, Brazil.
November 10, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Walworth Town Hall in Elephant & Castle, south London.

The Victorian building was gutted by a fire, now beautifully refurbished and extended up with gorgeous timber structural design.

General Projects development, design by Feix & Merlin
November 10, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
Dominic Cummings, in an earlier incarnation, ran a secretly-funded 'think tank' dedicated to attacking the Beeb while Robbie Gibb glided effortlessly from GBNews to the BBC & started lecturing staff on impartiality. Imagine (cos you'll have to) how the 'left-wing' equivalent would be reported.
November 10, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
In 'How They Broke Britain', I do a pretty good job of detailing the depth & breadth of Tufton Street/Tory/Murdoch/Mail attempts to scupper the BBC, even as I castigate some presenters for going too easy on precisely the people who seek the Corporation's abolition. But I should have done more. 1/2
November 10, 2025 at 9:23 AM
It's wild to me that Tim Davie was pushed out because of supposed bias *against* the right! Most people, myself included, have for years seen the BBC drifting further and further right:
Farewell then Tim Davie. Under his watch the BBC whitewashed genocide, had the BBC News website resembling a “migrant crime” X account, boosted trans hate and the right wing STILL hate him. Quite an achievement
BREAKING: Tim Davie resigns as BBC's director-general - with CEO of BBC News also stepping down

news.sky.com/story/tim-da...
November 9, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
Which one is more English?
November 6, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Things are moving really fast in the world of built environment carbon removals

Grown in Britain is now developing a certification called Biogenic Stored Carbon Quotient (BSCQ) - which would certify the carbon locked up in construction, in biogenic materials

www.growninbritain.org/grown-in-bri...
Grown in Britain Leads Response to Timber in Construction Roadmap, Delivering for the Sector Through Strategic Partnership - Grown In Britain
Grown in Britain lead a major industry coalition developing Biogenic Stored Carbon Quotient (BSCQ) certification to address need for verified biogenic carbon claims
www.growninbritain.org
November 6, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Fantasic illustration of how complex & global the supply chain is for concrete (here with steel rebar)

Obviously this snapshot says little about the specific ecological impact of those sites, but if this has less negative impact than timber I'll eat my hat - and yours

Credit: Steve Brown Ramboll
November 6, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Recently visited workstack in Charlton - a project by the Greenwich Enterprise Board and dRMM Studios.

Light industrial spaces stacked on top of each other - CLT boxes, super minimal internal finish / super low embodied carbon
November 5, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Completely agree. we need to begin to account for "lifestyle" emissions in development planning
# of people housed per m2 or per unit of land use could provide a more equitable, performance-oriented allocation of carbon budgets. 🏠 = fewer people per unit area + more upfront carbon emissions could justifiably face stricter carbon limits, prioritizing denser, more space-efficient housing 💥
November 3, 2025 at 4:38 PM
As part of our plans for COP30 at Built by Nature, we've produced a film showcasing 6 exemplar timber buildings from around the world.

Narrated by Kevin McCloud - the film asks; can the way we build our homes help solve the climate crisis? www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WxQ...
Our Future: Built by Nature (2025) | Official Trailer
YouTube video by Built by Nature
www.youtube.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Highlights the benefit of other parties stepping aside, and the anti-reform vote coming together around a single candidate
Bromsgrove South (Worcestershire) Council By-Election Result:

🔶 LDM: 51.9% (+20.3)
➡️ RFM: 33.4% (-1.5)
🌳 CON: 11.3% (-5.8)
🌹 LAB: 3.4% (-4.1)

No GRN (-5.5) or Ind (-3.4) as previous.

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Reform.
Changes w/ 2025.
October 31, 2025 at 12:00 PM
This fact - 2024 saw the largest one year increase in CO2 levels since records began - should be leading the news agenda round the clock. There should be 24/7 crisis reporting, breaking news style, forcing politicians everywhere to respond. Every other news story should be connected to this.
October 27, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
Clay boards with or without natural fibers as fire protection layer (bye gypsum) 'beclaydung' project #eurocode #earthbuilding #regenerativematerials #bauwende
youtu.be/MrObT7j4wHA?...
TimCoM 2025 | Dominik Merk | Clay Boards as a fire protection layer – State of the art
YouTube video by Holzbau und Baukonstruktion
youtu.be
October 13, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
The asymmetry of don’t knows are a huge part of this. 2024 Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative voters are disproportionately likely to say they ‘don’t know’ who’d they vote for in future, which takes them out of the voter pool. Reform thus win a higher % of the remaining voters, pushing up their poll %
October 12, 2025 at 9:32 AM
This new residential tower in Lyon is made from wood.

In many ways, this is quite an incredible building. Here's why:
October 9, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
FYI
Hemp is the future of housing

Whole-of-plant use
Carbon neutral
Fireproof
Environmentally friendly
3D printed houses/materials
Hemp is ideally suited to Australian conditions

CC: @JEChalmers @ClareONeilMP @CatherineKingMP @JulieCollinsMP
🐝
#auspol
hemptoday.net/popular-uk-d...
Popular UK design show gives hempcrete a major global platform in season debut
Grand Designs has served as a cultural barometer for architectural experimentation for decades.
hemptoday.net
October 7, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
The Venn diagram of urban density and average household GHG emissions is pretty much a circle. Interesting study on “Mapping household GHG emissions in the Greater Golden Horseshoe” from the University of Toronto School of Cities schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/mapping-hous...
October 6, 2025 at 11:09 AM
New housing built by the City of York, designed by Mikhail Riches. Passivhaus terraced homes, built with a timber frame, cellulose insulation. One of 5 schemes around York by the practice - who previously won the Stirling Prize for similar housing in Norwich.
October 6, 2025 at 8:34 PM
My tree of the week. Elephant and Castle, London.

Who can name the tree?
October 2, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Joe Giddings
Tory party’s long journey away from science, reason, responsibility, common sense and truth is complete
Kemi Badenoch vows to repeal Climate Change Act
Tory leader says she would replace it with ‘cheap energy’ strategy, ending decades-long consensus on climate
www.theguardian.com
October 2, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Look at the green bars:

This is the proportion of renewable energy in EU27 countries generated by biomass.

I.e. burning wood and other plant matter. Without BECCS the carbon in biomass is released into the atmosphere on combustion. Carbon we could be storing. This is not sustainable
October 2, 2025 at 7:53 AM
An astounding number of activists have been abducted by the IDF in international waters tonight and taken to Israel against their will, including Greta Thunberg and Kieran Andrieu from @novaramedia.com. everybody here: globalsumudflotilla.org/sos/?key=X8J...
SOS - Global Movement to Gaza
globalsumudflotilla.org
October 1, 2025 at 10:02 PM