Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

Architecture studio PPAA has unveiled the first building in the country with a structure constructed predominantly of mass timber, claiming it is a “milestone in Mexican architecture”. Located in an industrial complex in Querétaro, Mexico, the building has a structure made almost completely from engineered wood products, prefabricated and assembled on-site, with only the stairwells made of metal. PPAA founder Pablo Pérez Palacios told Dezeen that he chose mass timber for its sustainability, reduced labour costs and the speed of construction, though he noted that mass timber is currently more expensive in Mexico than other common building materials such as steel or concrete… The facade was made from polycarbonate sheets called Danpal, which were chosen to increase the project’s light diffusion, weather resistance and energy efficiency.

Swedish startup Adsorbi has secured €1mn to ramp up production of a cellulose-based material that sucks up pollutants from the air. Bordes and Grenda, the chief researchers, originally wanted to develop new ways to protect works of art from harmful pollution. But in the process, they discovered a way to turn cellulose from Sweden’s abundant forests into an air purification material with wide-ranging applications… The substance — which looks like little, white pieces of sponge — promises a better, greener alternative to activated carbon, the current market standard. Adsorbi claims its product lasts longer, doesn’t release any hazardous organic compounds back into the air, and is water and fire-resistant. Plus, the material has half the carbon footprint of activated carbon, the startup said.

One of the amazing things about plants is their ability to change shape in response to environmental stimuli such as light and moisture, even without a brain or central nervous system. Now, a new generation of biomaterials is similarly able to respond to environmental cues… The research started off with cellulose – a material found in plants that changes size in line with humidity levels around it… In terms of borrowing from nature, this adaptive material ticks all the boxes. First, it is made from plant raw materials. Cellulose is an abundant natural material found in the cell walls of plants, fruits, leaves, and vegetables. Second, the cellulose is processed in ways that are inspired by the makeup of biological organisms. In short, it is both a biomaterial (made from biological stuff) and a bio-inspired material (designed based on biological mechanisms).

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — A yellow crane hovers above a building site in Sickla, a former industrial neighbourhood that’s home to one of Stockholm’s biggest real estate projects. But instead of delivering concrete, it’s manoeuvring giant chunks of wood to construction staff working in sub-zero winter temperatures. This is the beginning of what Swedish property developer Atrium Ljungberg describes as “the largest mass timber project in the world.” On the outskirts of Sweden’s capital, construction of ‘Stockholm Wood City’ began in October and is set to provide 2,000 new homes by 2027. The company’s core goal is to improve the sustainability of construction projects. Building with wood instead of concrete and steel would… help offset half of Europe’s construction industry emissions. …Atrium Ljungberg also hopes the wooden buildings themselves will boost locals’ wellbeing. There is already a small but growing body of academic research linking wooden materials with lower stress levels.

By now, you may be familiar with biophilic design — it’s the idea of integrating nature into design to enhance our connection to the environment. Sustainability, wellness and harmony are usually part of the deal. Some architects and home designers are using one particular biophilic element to striking effect: trees. We’ve already seen public spaces around the globe incorporate trees in remarkable and beautiful ways. The Ford Foundation in New York boasts a 12-story-high atrium filled with magnolias, eucalyptus, jacaranda, cryptomeria, iron bark and pear trees. The Winter Garden atrium in lower Manhattan’s Brookfield Place is home to 16 40-foot-tall Washingtonia palm trees. Singapore’s Jewel Changi airport features 2,500 trees — natives to Madagascar, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia — in a 6-acre indoor forest with walking trails. If you’re flight’s delayed, lucky you.

At the dawn of the Neolithic Revolution, humanity discovered the power of building with wood, marking the shift from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to permanent settlements. This fundamental advancement, alongside the rise of agriculture, laid the foundation for the civilisation we know today. For over 10,000 years, timber was the primary building material, until the Industrial Revolution introduced concrete and steel, which combined the strength and durability of stone with the workability of wood. …Advances in EWPs are revolutionising modern construction, enabling the creation of timber skyscrapers through industrial prefabrication techniques. …The rise of carbon taxes may further drive EWP adoption by making high-emission materials like concrete and steel more costly. …While EWPs may facilitate the storage of carbon in buildings, it is forests that play a pivotal role in removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. EWP demand must align with a sustainable wood supply that preserves our forests’ ability to sequester carbon.

We continue our 21st-Century Architecture: 25 Years 25 Buildings series with a look at Waugh Thistleton Architects’ Murray Grove, “the original timber tower”. On an unassuming street in the east London borough of Hackney is a relatively small housing block that looks entirely unremarkable. But this building – the world’s first plyscraper – kickstarted a timber revolution. A blockbuster year for architecture, 2009 saw numerous landmark projects opening around the globe. …However, the much more low-key Murray Grove would have the greatest impact on architecture in the following years. Described by east London studio Waugh Thistleton Architects as “the original timber tower”, it was the first high-rise housing project in the world to be constructed almost entirely from engineered timber. “The exemplar project has spearheaded the introduction of CLT [cross-laminated timber] in the UK, and pioneered a wider international movement in its use,” said Waugh Thistleton Architects co-founder Andrew Waugh.

Chunky columns wrap the exterior of Wood Up, an apartment block in Paris by French studio Local Architecture Network (LAN) with a glued-laminated and cross-laminated timber structure. Created for developers Semapa and REI Habitat, the 14-storey building in the city’s 13th arrondissement provides 132 timber-framed apartments raised on a concrete base containing commercial units. Paris-based LAN created the fifty-metre-tall block with timber sourced entirely from France and transported via the river Seine. It is left exposed both externally and internally. “Wood Up is one of the first buildings in France to surpass the typical height limits for timber constructions,” said the studio. “…the wooden structure is deliberately exposed. It is entirely encapsulated in glass to make it visible. Usually matte, the wood becomes reflective thanks to its protective layer.” The glued-laminated timber and cross-laminated timber structure is formed of Douglas fir on the exterior and beech and spruce on the interior…

Smurfit Westrock’s innovative new paper pallet wrap is helping companies to make their supply chains significantly more sustainable. Smurfit Westrock has produced a 100% paper-based alternative to the polyethylene stretch wrap which is commonly used to stabilise pallet loads in transportation. The global stretch wrap market was valued at USD 4.27 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow significantly. The innovative new solution is made from Nertop® Stretch Kraft paper which is fully recyclable. Its capabilities also include high energy absorption and strong performance in humid conditions. …Encirc, a leading glass supplier which manufactures over three billion containers annually, was the first company in the UK to use the new paper wrap. …The Better Planet Packaging paper pallet wrap is manufactured in Smurfit Westrock’s Nervión paper mill in Spain.