{"id":80280,"date":"2018-05-24T15:28:59","date_gmt":"2018-05-25T01:28:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=80280"},"modified":"2019-03-25T14:59:42","modified_gmt":"2019-03-26T00:59:42","slug":"uh-albizia-project-forest-service-wood-innovations-grant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2018\/05\/24\/uh-albizia-project-forest-service-wood-innovations-grant\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> Albizia Project partners in U.S. Forest Service wood innovations grant"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"Framework<\/p>\n

Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>\u2019s critical shortage of affordable dwellings will get a boost from a USDA<\/abbr> Forest Service Wood Innovations<\/a> grant. Part one of the $250,000 grant will fund the design and build of a prototype Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU<\/abbr>), through a partnership involving the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Albizia Project<\/a>, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife<\/a> and the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Forest Industry Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is the first time Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> has been awarded one of these grants and it was one of 34 projects funded from 119 proposals.<\/p>\n

The new prototype ADU<\/abbr> will expand the exciting work of the UH<\/abbr> Albizia Project. On the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa campus, a structure built from albizia is in the final stages of completion. It was constructed as a proof-of-concept of a single-family low-income shelter made from albizia, reconceptualizing the invasive species as a useful building material. It utilizes a design-build process that integrates state-of-the-art wood engineering technology and digital fabrication to pilot a Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>-based system of sustainable wood structures.<\/p>\n

The UH<\/abbr> Albizia Project is the fruition of architecture graduate Joey Valenti<\/strong>\u2019s vision. Today, Valenti is the project leader for the newly formed Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Wood Utilization Team, a collaboration of state, university, public and private wood industry experts.<\/p>\n