The successes and public appreciation that Fairventures Worldwide (based in Stuttgart) through its reforestation programmes in Borneo have encouraged the organisation to also start reforesting destroyed former primeval forests in Uganda. The intention of Fairventures Worldwide (FVW) is to combine reforestation with technological approaches in order to revitalise degraded areas in Uganda in an ecologically and socially sustainable way. Fast-growing, native tree species are cultivated in cooperation with local farmers. These improve biodiversity, contribute to CO2 sequestration and create long-term income prospects for the local population. The process covers the entire timber value chain - from planting to structural utilisation. The focus is on processing it into modern timber products such as glulam and cross-laminated timber. The use of these materials promotes sustainable timber construction and reduces dependence on more climate-damaging building materials such as concrete and steel. With its fertile soil and favourable climate, Uganda offers ideal conditions for reforestation. At the same time, political uncertainties and illegal logging are jeopardising forest ecosystems. The government is therefore planning to reforest two million hectares by 2030. The project supports this endeavour by promoting timber construction with locally sourced, resource-efficient timber. A central project is the Wood Innovation Centre in Kampala. As a showcase and administrative centre for this initiative, an attic structure was built in timber construction in order to visibly demonstrate the potential of this wood in the construction sector. In cooperation with German architects, the Bern University of Applied Sciences and local partners, a centre for the exchange of knowledge was created with the aim of strengthening local expertise in timber construction. The centre offers training courses, seminars and serves as a demonstration object for sustainable architecture. It is located on the roof of an existing three-storey building in the city centre of Kampala and was built entirely from locally produced timber. As a visible sign of future-orientated construction, it contributes to the social acceptance of modern timber construction in East Africa.

This project is being developed in collaboration with master's students from the Holzfachschule Biel (Switzerland), Prof. Rohner and Löffler-Schmeling Architekten.