How user perception can improve the acceptance of wood in buildings

The WoodStock project conducted a multilingual European survey in which participants visually evaluated photographs of underutilized wood-based interior surfaces—reused, recycled, or lower-grade wood. Using simple perceptual scales, respondents rated surfaces for interest, naturalness, beauty, and comfort, and judged their suitability for indoor spaces such as homes, hotels, schools, restaurants, and garages. Results show that crafted or natural-looking surfaces receive more positive perceptions, while industrial-looking panels like OSB garner neutral ratings and are suited mainly for utility areas. Conversely, cross-laminated timber (CLT) was viewed as fit for various settings. Stronger nature connections correlated with higher ratings. Integrating perception data with technical criteria can help align wood resources with market needs and reduce rejection risk.