This wee cabin in the woods was built from native ash, a timber that is being devastated throughout New York State by an emperor ash borer beetle infestation. ANDY CHEN This tiny cabin in Upstate New York was designed and built as a protoype for larger houses, using borer-infested ash wood and 3D-printed concrete. The pair say that until recently, mature ash trees compromised by the ash borer have not been usable by conventional sawmills as a source of lumber for home construction, in part because of their irregular geometries. “Infested ash trees often either decompose or are burned for energy,” says Zivkovic. “For piles the Building Code Acceptable Solution requires timber treated to at least H5.

Source: Stuff September 02, 2020 19:01 UTC