Wooden Skyscrapers Could Transform Construction

All over the world, architects and engineers are crafting cutting-edge skyscrapers from one of the most renewable and sustainable materials available to humanity — wood. For some, wood may seem an archaic and even dangerous choice for tall building construction compared to modern alternatives like concrete, steel and glass. But as emissions associated with tall buildings continue to rise, governments at all levels are looking for low-carbon, low-energy alternatives. Structural wood products like CLT have a number of advantages in tall wooden building consruction: they are lighter than conventional materials, require less energy to make than either steel or concrete (and thus produce lower emissions), and can sequester carbon. Their relative lightness makes it possible to assemble floor and wall sections off-site and ship them to the building site, significantly reducing the amount of building time required. Canada has several tall wooden towers, including Brock Commons at the University of British Columbia (18 stories; 58 meters) and the Origine eco-condo development in Québec City (13 stories). A number of other projects, such as the 10-story Arbour at George Brown College’s Waterfront Campus, are under development. For the time being, the tallest wooden building in the world is the Mjøstårnet, an 18-story building north of Oslo that houses offices, hotel rooms and apartments, and stands just over 85 meters in height.