Doing Good With Wood

One of the most striking features of the games was the reuse of existing buildings. Rather than the creation of a new Olympic Park, 95% of venues were either existing buildings that had been reused, or temporary structures in established locations. Historic buildings were repurposed to dazzling effect, with showstoppers like the Grand Palais and the Trocadero providing stunning backdrops for broadcasters. More modern facilities were also reused, such as the South Paris arena which is a well-established exhibition centre, La Défense Arena in Nanterre, built in 2017 as a multipurpose venue that hosts anything from Rugby Union to Taylor Swift but converted to host the swimming competitions, and of course the Stade de France which was home to the athletics.

For the global TV audience venues old and new were given a strong visual image on the Olympic theme. This is where wood came into its own – timber can be cut to size on site and is easy to fix things to so is still the best material for creating what was effectively the stage set of the games. Fabric signage was simply stapled to wooden frames to provide impressive backdrops for pictures that were broadcast around the world.

Pictured: The renovated Grand Palais was a stunning venue for fencing and taekwondo, but at the bottom of the photo you can see how a simple wooden frame, printed fabric and a staple gun have created the purple backdrop seen on TV.

Wood was also used to great effect in one of the few new builds at the games. The Aquatics Centre was the only major permanent sports facility to be built for the Paris 2024 Games, welcoming athletes for the artistic swimming, water polo and diving events, with a legacy of providing facilities for the community in one of France’s poorest areas, where currently half of children are unable to swim by the age of 12. The use of timber in this building is stunning, the structural elements of the main hall being made entirely of wood. On the outside, the pre-grained Douglas fir lamellas wrap the building, providing acoustic, ventilation and solar protection, while offering a sheltered space for visitors.

The games brought 11 million extra tourists to Paris, so ensuring good transportation links was essential. The use of venues in the heart of the city or already set up to receive large crowds meant that public transport was the natural way for spectators to travel. The games were held when many Parisians leave the city for a summer break, freeing capacity for visitors.

Once inside the venues, sustainability was also promoted, and again wood played its part. Pallets were made into information stands, bars and merchandise stalls.

Despite heavy security, visitors were encouraged to take refillable bottles into venues, and reusable cups were provided for a deposit (although many were taken home as souvenirs).

Recycling points were available – and recycling was one of the areas in which social enterprises made an important contribution.

French social enterprises recycled food waste, provided refurbished catering equipment for the athletes’ village and even created souvenirs such as keyrings made from the safety slings worn by construction workers in the building of some Olympic sites.

LWR works with the Prince’s Trust, the leading UK charity dedicated to helping young people from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn, by offering work placements. Young people on the scheme recently created planters to be donated to community group Holbeck Together. Several participants, including David and Luke (pictured), have moved into permanent roles at LWR.

Young people can also be referred to LWR by the local council. As well as work experience and woodworking skills, LWR supports trainees to obtain their CSCS cards, allowing them to obtain work in the construction industry.

The team at LWR are driven by their belief in the power of working with wood to build confidence and create an atmosphere of teamwork and positivity which is the key to combatting isolation. At no time was this more evident than during the COVID crisis. When lockdown hit in 2020, LWR started to run woodworking courses via Zoom and delivered tool boxes and timber directly to participants doors. They learned that there was a need for accessible woodworking classes to improve skills and provide a social space to tackle loneliness. From there, Leeds’ woodworking courses were born, and they have been teaching woodworking skills ever since!