From seeds to skyscrapers, these wooden towers are eating CO2

By Alexandra Simon-Lewis
WIRED
October 22, 2017
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Timber towers are branching out around the world. Designed to trap thousands of tonnes of carbon within their walls, wooden skyscrapers are more than just architectural statements – they’re monoliths of modern environmentalism. “I can hold the number of tree seeds it took to build Murray Grove in my palm,” says Andrew Waugh, of Waugh Thistleton Architects. …The timber boom started from tiny seeds, but it’s now starting to take root. A report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat found that 21 such structures with a height of more than 50 metres will be completed by 2019. “People want to be connected to nature, even when they’re indoors,” says Philip Vivian, director of design firm Bates Smart. … “Research predicts that if we used mass timber in place of concrete and steel, we could cut global emissions by up to 31 per cent.”

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