Mjøstårnet in Norway was completed in 2019. With 18 storeys, it is the tallest timber building in the world.
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Wooden houses are an effective way to combat the climate change, and the popularity of wood construction is expected to increase. New wood construction is based on industrially manufactured materials and large elements, from which houses can be assembled quickly. REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
SILJA EISTO, photos RICARDOFOTO, MARTIN GRINCEVSCHI/UNSPLASH & CLAUDIO SCHWARZ/UNSPLASH
The world’s population is moving to cities at an accel- erating pace. This means that soon, around the world, new homes, business properties, and offices need to be built. This enormous challenge should be resolved with- out increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Construction currently generates around 30 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The solution may lie in wood construction. Wood is a fossil-free alternative. It absorbs carbon throughout its life cycle, and wood structures can store carbon for up to centuries. According to a study published by Yale School of the En- vironment and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in January 2020, an annual amount of about 10 to 68 million tonnes of carbon can can be sequestered global- ly by increasing urban wood construction. This would also reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from construction. Matti Mikkola , Managing Director of the Federation of the Finnish Woodworking Industries, says that the interest in wood construction is supported by several megatrends. Urbanisation and the ageing population create pressure to build new homes, especially in the towns and cities. “Climate change is a major factor. Everyone is seeking ways to combat climate change. The benefits of wood con- struction include the fact that even current solutions can be used to to reduce the construction carbon emissions with immediate effect.”
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