Even as other building materials emerge, from classics like steel, masonry and concrete to the recycled materials repurposed in large-scale 3D printing, wood is still here.
Advances in engineering, like cross-laminated timber (CLT), is making large wooden skyscrapers possible. A timber office tower is coming to London, a wooden residential complex is being built in Montreal, and Stockholm is planning a 40-story CLT skyscraper. An architect even designed an entire wood multifamily building district in Sweden.
Wood, particularly CLT, remains king for builders. Compared to steel and concrete, it's "cheaper, easier to assemble, and more fire resistant, thanks to the way wood chars," writes Clay Risen of Popular Science. "It’s also more sustainable. Wood is renewable like any crop, and it’s a carbon sink, sequestering the carbon dioxide it absorbed during growth even after it’s been turned into lumber."
The material has been around forever — the first timber home literally dates back to the Stone Age. Log Cabin Hub, a site dedicated to the planning, building, and living in log cabin homes, produced an infographic called Living with Wood: From the Beginning of Time, that chronicles the history of wood building.
(Click to enlarge)
Related Stories
Wood | Mar 2, 2017
These are the 2017 WoodWorks Wood Design Award winners
Winners were selected in categories such as wood school design, commercial wood design, wood in government buildings, and green building with wood.
Wood | Jan 13, 2017
Steel and concrete's take on tall wood
The American Institute of Steel Construction contends that the steel industry is a “world leader” in using recycled material and end-of-life recycling, and has made strides to lower greenhouse gas emissions below regulatory requirements.
Game Changers | Jan 12, 2017
Mass timber: From 'What the heck is that?' to 'Wow!'
The idea of using mass timber for tall buildings keeps gaining converts.
Wood | Nov 1, 2016
Oregon lumber provider unveils mass plywood panel for tall wood structures
Designed as an alternative for cross laminated timber (CLT), MPP is a large-scale plywood panel with maximum finished panel dimensions up to 12 feet wide by 48 feet long and up to 24 inches thick.
Wood | Nov 1, 2016
Norway Spruce approved for wall studs, floor and ceiling joists, industrial applications
The species is first new U.S.-grown softwood to be tested for strength values since 1920s.
Sponsored | Wood | Oct 26, 2016
Compelling conversations about wood: East and West Coast regional challenges
Fast-rising designers Ben Kasdan and Blake Jackson offer candid perspectives from both coasts on the merits—and challenges—of designing with wood and compare notes on how architects can change perceptions by dreaming big and pushing boundaries.
Sponsored | Wood | Oct 13, 2016
Engineered wood provides sustainable options, cost savings, and design flexibility
Designers choose engineered wood to deliver strength, stability, and a sustainable solution for complex structural designs
Wood | Oct 13, 2016
Concept from Perkins+Will could become the world’s tallest timber tower
River Beech Tower is said to be a part of a masterplan along the Chicago River.
Wood | Sep 21, 2016
‘The Smile’ showcases the structural potential of CLT
Weight for weight, CLT is stronger than concrete and can be machined to incredibly high tolerances.
Wood | Sep 6, 2016
Atlanta suburb prohibits wood-framed construction for high rises
The new building code prevents any structure with more than three stories from being built from a CLT frame.