Wood makes a comeback in construction

 Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Wood makes a solid construction comeback in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions from high carbon building materials like steel and concrete. The world’s highest residential building with a wood load-bearing framework is currently being built in Switzerland. Glulam is a material gaining much recognition, preferred for being a high end building product that ensures low carbon design.

“Timber is carbon negative from the cradle to the grave”

The new Tauranga City Council facility on Devonport Road, a six-star Green Star project, was recently announced by Warren & Mahoney and LT McGuinness. This will be the largest recorded mass timber office structure in New Zealand. This building is all set to establish a new benchmark for low-carbon buildings in New Zealand because it not only has it achieved a Green Star rating, but also includes other eco-friendly elements like EV charging stations, rainwater harvesting technology, and extensive end-of-trip facilities.

The actuality of low or carbon-neutral building like this depends strongly on the upstream processes and goods – which is where mass New Zealand timber plantations play a significant role. These plantations sequester a lot more carbon during their growth than is released during production, transportation, and building.

The 100-metre-tall wooden residential building Rocket&Tigerli is being constructed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, a Scandinavian architectural studio. According to Enlai Hooi, the company’s head of global innovation, the use of timber in high rise buildings lowers carbon emissions, creates comfortable homes, and re-connects people with nature. He joined Kathryn to discuss how climate change is causing a revival in timber construction while he was in New Zealand last week to speak at an event sponsored by Mid-Rise Wood Construction.

Low-carbon design adds value to a project by giving it an innovative, state of the art edge that makes it stand out from the competition. By using Glulam, the barriers are removed. Any design can come to life in fact, developed with less environmental impact by utilising a flexible, contemporary, and high-performing material.

Tags: carbon negative, circular economy, construction industry, timber, wood, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking event, woodworking industry, woodworking UK