No, this is not the world’s biggest Jenga game. (Image by Michael Green Architects.)
When most folks think “wooden building,” they conjure up images of rustic log cabins or ye olde fashioned outhouses. Architect Michael Green wants to whittle something decidedly more modern out of wood: skyscrapers.
Green is currently building a 30-story skyscraper in Vancouver, but instead of steel and concrete, appropriately named Green is crafting his structure from sustainable wood. He says that other architects would be wise to follow his lead — if they care about the environment, that is.
The modern wood materials that Green mentions are laminated strand lumber (a composite of wood strands glued together) and cross-laminated timber (layers of wood fused together at right angles to each other). Since the newly developed materials use wood fibers, they eliminate the need for cutting down large trees. Sourcing wood from sustainably managed forests also creates a more environmentally sensitive process.
Looks like trees won’t be the only wooden structures reaching for the skies anymore.
