Wooden buildings, is it a very ecological construction solution?

About 350 meters will be the new skyscraper whose design is being finalized to be installed in the center of Tokyo. Only this gigantic building -and whose initial model can be seen in the picture above- will not be a glass and concrete tower. It will be a completely ecological project. Because it aims to be the world’s leading exponent in wooden buildings. Those that are constructed almost entirely with this material.

The reason for proposing wood construction is none other than sustainability and betting on improving the environment. Sumitomo, the developer that has created this Japanese project dubbed Project W350, also looks at it with a more ambitious perspective: transforming cities into a forest. Its skyscraper is designed to have at least 90% of all its materials sourced from the raw material of trees.

Although the statement is more commercial, wooden buildings are not exclusive to the Asian country but are a reality in Europe and other countries around the world. Spain also has a few exemplars of this trend, which may now be more important than ever. Because construction in this noble material perfectly adapts to the nearly zero energy consumption building regulations, also known as nZEB. This type of construction perfectly adapts to the obligations imposed by the European Union to build homes and offices with very low energy supply needs.

As global advocates of wooden buildings assert, this material can be considered one of the most exceptional that can be used in almost any project. And it is the most recognizable recyclable construction material, so any part of the building erected in wood could be reused.

On the other hand, wood is environmentally friendly and when processed consumes less energy than any other traditional material. Its carbon footprint is also very low.

Wood maintains the quality of an organism that was previously alive even after being transformed from trees. In wooden buildings you can still smell the aroma of the material, but there are also other related benefits:

• Wood, as a construction material in buildings, may absorb bad odors better.
• With its rough surface, vapors and even smoke can be captured by the wood, eliminating them more easily.
• Thanks to these qualities, wood can also serve as a filter and clean the air without energy expenditure.
• Wood breathes and provides continuous air exchange and renewal, besides helping to regulate humidity.

The largest wooden building in the world and others

The Tokyo tower dubbed Project W350 will not only be the tallest wooden building in the world, but also the largest skyscraper in Japan unless it faces competition beforehand. It’s a twist in a sector that, in the Japanese country, enjoys very good health.

What is happening in Japan for them to notably bet on wooden buildings? Mainly, the government is trying to popularize this type of construction. In 2010, a law known as the Promotion of Wood in Public Spaces was approved. It required that all State buildings of up to three stories primarily used wood in their construction.

Currently, the tallest wooden structure building in the world is in Bergen, Norway, and it is a 14-story tower at 49 meters tall. It has a wooden roof and its structure consists of laminated and glued wooden columns one meter thick, with prefabricated modular design. Other cities in the world with large residential buildings made of wood are London and Melbourne.

In Spain, wooden buildings are not very common, but we have a few exemplars. In Lleida, a six-story multi-family residential block was constructed with cross-laminated timber. And in Barcelona, in the Gràcia district, the firm House Habitat has built the largest wooden building in the city, with five stories.

In Barcelona, the residents of the Sants neighborhood will soon see a very innovative project known as La Borda, also by House Habitat, which aims to implement cohousing. Its structure will be of cross-laminated timber and will have six stories.

The hope for wooden buildings lies, in any case, in the popularization of this material for nearly zero energy consumption construction. If we opt for it to control consumption, we might start to see many more buildings made from this noble material.