WOODforHEALTH - Events

Wood in healthcare buildings – Wood for Health project results seminar

Tue, 27 May 2025 07:06:00 +0000

Register and join us in Wood for Health project result seminar!

Registration deadline Monday 2.6.2025.
Link for the registration: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/EP/E9BAB30D79A64136

Date: 11th of June 2025, 10:00–15:00
Location: Pajakka Hall, Kuhmo-talo, Kuhmo and Teams
For: Developers and builders, especially those working with healthcare properties, R&D or anyone interested in wood construction
Seminar programme

Wood is widely used in schools, kindergartens, and elderly care homes as building material. It is environmental-friendly material that supports user comfort and well-being. Wood is also used in healthcare buildings, but its use is more constricted due to the spatial requirements to material durability and cleanliness. More information is needed about the properties and suitability of wood in healthcare setting to increase its usage. The Measurement Technology Unit of the University of Oulu led the European Wood for Health project, which promotes the use of wood by preparing guidelines for the use of wood in healthcare buildings, developing new antimicrobial coatings, studying microbes found on the surfaces in hospital, and by comparing Nordic hospital construction regulations regarding the use of wood. The seminar is the national closing seminar of the Wood for Health project.

4th Main Project Meeting in Brunswick, Germany, September 30th – October 1st, 2024

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:27:00 +0000

The 4th main project meeting of the Wood for Health project consortium was held in Brunswick, Germany. Delegations of Finland, Norway and Latvia were present, while Swedish partner White Arkitekter joined via MS Teams. The meeting was split in two days, each at one of the two German partners located in the city: The company AURO Pflanzenchemie AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut (WKI).

The first day of the colourful meeting was on the premises of local natural paint producer AURO, who also won the 17^th German Sustainability Award for 2025 in the category of paints (as of Nov 2024). Besides the review of the last few months and how to proceed with the project, the attendees got a behind-the-scenes look at how natural paint is made and what challenges the production of natural paints entails. Since AURO is also producing their very own binder system Replebin®, a big picture of the overall process from raw material to finished bucket was conveyed.

The meeting attendees in front of AURO factory and head quarter

The second day of the meeting was held at the main faculties of the renowned Fraunhofer WKI in the north of Brunswick. The institute specializes in process engineering, molding and component production with biomaterials, bio-based binders and coatings, functionalization, fire protection, material and product testing, recycling processes and the utilization of renewable raw materials in buildings and vehicles. Virtually all the processes and products resulting from the institute’s research activities are used in industry. In addition to fruitful discussions, the attendees also had a quick tour in the premises of its department Binders and Coatings (BICO). Here they were introduced to the laboratories for binder synthesis and analysis, coating application, artificial weathering and product testing.

The meeting agenda contained updates of each work packages focusing on presenting results that are already finalized and then listing tasks that are still pending and whether contributions from partners are needed for completing them. The updates were given by WP leaders. In addition, Prof. Aki Manninen from the University of Oulu joined the meeting by MsTeams and presented work done with antiviral testing in WP4 and time schedule for the last experiments. The plan for completion of guide booklet in WP2 will be finalized in separate discussions remotely between White Arkitekter and some individual partners. Work in WP5 is already very close to be successfully completed. The morning of the second day generated the most significant outcome of the meeting: The partners decided together which will be the final experiments for testing of coatings in WP2 and the initial plan and “storyline” for the main scientific publication of the project was outlined.

3rd Main Project Meeting (August 23-24, 2023)

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:30:00 +0000

WOOD for HEALTH project consortium gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, for a second face-to-face project meeting in August. The meeting took place in premises of Swedish partner, White Arkitekter, as part of the meeting, a visit to Queen Silvia’s Children Hospital (QSCH) was arranged. QSCH was designed by White Arkitekter and features a lot of wood and wooden surfaces indoors. During the project meeting, the progress of work in each work package was reviewed, and plans for next months were discussed. Furthermore, initial plans on how to present project results to the wood engineering and construction communities in autumn 2024 were made.

Detailed meeting Agenda is found here.

In conclusion: work in the WPs 2, 3, 5 and 6 has progressed roughly as expected. In WP 4, antimicrobial assays have been delayed due to recruitment difficulties in the University of Oulu. The situation will improve during autumn.

Some photos taken during the visit to Queen Silvia’s Children Hospital are presented.

Preparations and planning for QSCH started already in 2010. The hospital was taken in use in 2021. There is no timber in the façade or outdoor walls, but there is a lot of it indoors and in the courtyards. The new building spans over nine floors, is 33 000 square metres large with new premises for rehabilitation, surgery, intensive care and administration. Parts of the old building have been renovated in order to be conjoined with the new building.

The courtyard was initially planned to be open without a roof, but the adjacent roof had a landing platform for helicopters, and the helicopters would have spread dust all over the courtyard. Therefore, a glass roof was installed above the courtyard. When looking from the outside, the wooden pattern appears to continue in the windows, but that is an optical illusion. From the inside, the view is like looking through normal windows.

Surprisingly, also operation theater had some wooden surfaces, although only on windowsills. The wood was coated with a coating tolerating disinfectants. We were allowed to visit two operation theaters since they were waiting for throughout cleaning and disinfection.

A view of the courtyard from sixth floor. The green spiral is a track for balls. Children were able via mechanism to launch balls to run down the spiral to the ground floor.

The lunch and coffee room of personnel. Walls were covered by birch panels, and this was the most common form of wood in the building. The wood was most abundant in rooms of leisure areas and in peaceful corridors. Patient rooms did not have wood panels on walls, they were kept white on purpose. There were more colours in toilets and washing rooms.

Children were provided with several play areas and toys, and the hospital also had personnel for guiding playing. This is a water track in courtyard, on which water could be pumped, and then openings to various departments could be opened or closed. The pumper is a member of the project consortium (scientist always want to conduct experiments).

The participant group of the project meeting and hospital visi

The participant group of the project meeting and hospital visit

2nd Main Project meeting (February 2023)

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 11:38:00 +0000

On the February 27^th, 2023, the partners of the WOOD for HEALTH project met online (MSTeams) in the 2^nd main project meeting to discuss the progress, challenges, achievements and future plans for ensuring efficient project implementation. The meeting was recorded and made available for all partners by publishing the record on the Kajaanin Yliopistokeskus YouTube account.

Meeting agenda:

1. Summary of the work done by each project partner (30 minutes) (All partners);
2. Summary by the Lead Partner about the whole project (10-15 minutes) (Dr. Pekka Kilpeläinen, UOULU);
3. Work package (WP) presentations by WP leaders (45 minutes):

WP2 about the work on collection of national regulations and good practises in relation to wood in healthcare buildings (Presentation by Dr. Anna-Johanna Klasander, WHITE/ presented by Dr. Pekka Kilpeläinen, UOULU);

WP3 about the coating formulations and synthesis of antimicrobial polymers (Dr. Claudia Shirp, WKI);
WP4 about the first antimicrobial tests results and plans for further analysis (Dr. Pekka Kilpeläinen, UOULU);
WP5 about the plans concerning coating characterisations and the necessary inputs from other partners (Dr. Ulrich Hundhausen, NTI);
WP6 about the dissemination activities including statistics as well as planned activities in the future (Dr. Bruno Andersons, LSIWC).

The main outcomes from the meeting:

The activities of each WP are mostly on-time and work is being done to keep it that way. In WP2, intensive work on the use of wood in healthcare buildings from national regulation and good practice perspective has been done and additional examples will be added for obtaining more comprehensive outcomes. In WP3, coating formulations have been developed and antimicrobial agents chosen. In addition, work is being done on the synthesis of antimicrobial polymers. In WP4, base coatings and antimicrobial agents have been investigated by two methods and valuable conclusions are made. In WP5, a detailed experimental setup has been presented and inputs from partners regarding coating amounts and formulations are known and these specimens will be sent for testing. In WP6, the statistics were presented showing that the dissemination activities (articles in public media, conferences, interviews, press releases etc.) have ensured good results in terms of visits and followers for both webpage and social media accounts of the project. All project partners agreed that the next main project meeting should be organized face-to-face for ensuring more efficient exchange of information and discussion. This could be beneficial at this specific period of the project, because of significantly increased interaction between all WPs.

Screenshot of the project group at the end of the discussion about the progress in all work packages during the 2nd main project meeting.

1st Main Project Meeting (September 2022)

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 09:56:00 +0000

WOOD for HEATLH project had its first face-to-face Main project meeting in Göttingen after the 18th Annual Meeting of Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering. The meeting was very productive providing clear details of the current state of progress and plans with precise targets for the ongoing and upcoming tasks.

Partners from Finland, Norway, Germany and Latvian were at present. Swedish partner joined the meeting vie remote connections (MSTeams). The consortium presented also a project poster in the Annual Meeting of WSE network.

Meeting agenda:

Reading and accepting the agenda (Pekka Kilpeläinen, UOULU);
Update of the WP2 (Wood surfaces in healthcare buildings – practical experience) regarding national practices, examples and regulations concerning wood in healthcare buildings (Anna-Johanna Klasander, WHITE);
Update of the WP3 (Synthesis and formulation of wood coating materials) regarding coating formulations and further testing (Claudia Shirp, WKI/ Bruno Andersons, LSIWC);
Update of the WP4 (Antimicrobial, antiviral and hygienic properties of coatings and surfaces) regarding antimicrobial and antiviral testing arrangements (Pekka Kilpeläinen, UOULU);
Work with WP5 (Technical, environmental and economic product performance) will commence in the next year (Ulrich Hundhausen, NTI);
Update of the WP6 (Transnational dissemination) regarding dissemination activities (Bruno Andersons, LSIWC) and the progress for the GUIDE (Ulrich Hundhausen, NTI).

The main outcomes from the meeting:

In WP2 the collection of national good practices in use of wood in healthcare buildings and national regulations affecting it were discussed. The national practices have been already collected in those partner countries where there are healthcare buildings with exposed wood surfaces, and now the collection of national regulations will commence.
In WP3 work with development of new coatings has started both in Germany and Latvia. Collaboration of WP3 with WP4 and WP5 was discussed. WP4 will start to analyze at first pure effective compounds and solvents planned for coatings. German and Latvian partners will decide together which 15-25 samples they will sent for testing during this year.
The basic structure of forthcoming guide book on use of wood in healthcare buildings was presented in the meeting (WP6), and it will contain also the collected good practices and regulations comparing their differences between countries.

The WOOD for HEALTH project meeting discussing topics in agenda. From left (Roja Modaresi (NTI), Pekka Kilpeläinen (UOULU), Katharina Mack (Auro), Henrik Alexander Christ (WKI), Claudia Schirp (WKI) and Ulrich Hundhausen (NTI)). Photo: Bruno Andersons, LSIWS.

Kick-off meeting (February 2022)

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 09:00:00 +0000

In the Kick-off meeting exact targets and outlines for the project activities for the next 12 months were set. Scientific presentations about the project results and plans were delivered via MS Teams to all the project personnel and interested stakeholders.

Meeting agenda:

11:00-11:15 Introduction of team members;
11:15-11:25 Overall concept of the project (Pekka Kilpeläinen/Vesa Virtanen, UOULU);
11:25-11:35 Introduction of the activities of WP1 (Project management) in the next 12 months (Pekka Kilpeläinen, UOULU);
11:35-11:45 Introduction of the activities of WP2 (Wood surfaces in healthcare buildings – practical experience) in the next 12 months (Anna-Johanna Klasander, WHITE);
11:45-11:55 Introduction of the activities of WP3 (Synthesis and formulation of wood coating materials) in the next 12 months (Claudia Shirp, WKI);
11:55-12:05 Introduction of the activities of WP4 (Antimicrobial, antiviral and hygienic properties of coatings and surfaces) in the next 12 months (Pekka Kilpeläinen, UOULU);
11:55-12:05 Introduction of the activities of WP5 (Technical, environmental and economic product performance) in the next 12 months (Ulrich Hundhausen, NTI)
11:05-12:15 Introduction of the activities of WP6 (Transnational dissemination) in the next 12 months (Bruno Andersons, LSIWC);
12:15-13:00 Discussion.

Agenda_of_Kick_off_meeting.pdf