Wood, the Next Wave

[ron ll]

Just got my new issue of Architectural Record. This is the cover. I haven’t read much more than the editor’s blurb yet, but the thrust of the issue seems to be that, for a number of reasons, wood buildings are in favor again.

Here’s a link to the From the Editor page

https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/16297-june-2023-editors-letter

496F2567-8775-45EC-A549-F82AD578F573.jpg

[Gerarddm]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Still not as cheap as concrete.

[Hugh MacD]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Still not as cheap as concrete.

But a lot more environmentally friendly.

[Jim Bow]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

They just finished a “skyscraper” in Seattle

https://timberlab.com/projects/heartwood

[ron ll]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

It’s always fun to tell people that wood can be more fireproof than steel.

[David G]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

For background. From 2017 --

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?227463-Wooden-skyscrapers&highlight=wood+skyscrapers

[Mrleft88]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Still not as cheap as concrete.

A more renewable source. (Concrete doesn't grow on trees)
And a lot easier on both your edge tools, and your body when you walk into a wall in the middle of the night, for instance....
There are eco-friendly cement alternatives, like Verite, but they aren't commercially viable yet.

https://www.stonelacedesigns.com/our-materials/verite/

[Nicholas Carey]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Still not as cheap as concrete.

But a lot more environmentally friendly.

All depends on how you measure it. Concrete and brick have huge up-front environmental costs in the amount of energy required to create it. But their usable lifespan is measured in centuries. Not a lot of 500-year old wooden buildings out there, but there are rather a lot of 500-year old masonry buildings.

Amortize those up-front environmental costs over the lifespan of the building and it looks a lot better.

And if you build in masonry, high-fire brick is pretty infinitely reusable.

[Ron Williamson]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Sure except for the 30-100 year old concrete buildings that get demoed because they have outlived their usefulness.
R

[Breakaway]

Sure except for the 30-100 year old concrete buildings that get demoed because they have outlived their usefulness.
R

Yeah. Longevity is one thing. Usefulness is another.
Will our downtowns need office towers in 50 or 100 years?

Kevin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[ahp]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

It’s always fun to tell people that wood can be more fireproof than steel.

Agreed, sort of. There is a concept that was employed in the big 19th century textile mills, slow burning construction, using massive wood structural members. It is not "Fire Proof" but a wood beam may be burning on the our side but still retain some strength for a while. A steel member is more conductive of heat, and sooner goes soft and fails.

[David G]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Agreed, sort of. There is a concept that was employed in the big 19th century textile mills, slow burning construction, using massive wood structural members. It is not "Fire Proof" but a wood beam may be burning on the our side but still retain some strength for a while. A steel member is more conductive of heat, and sooner goes soft and fails.

Don't know why you say 'sort of'. Seems clear no matter how you look at it, no? "... wood can be more fireproof than steel." is precisely what you have described.

[Nicholas Carey]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Sure except for the 30-100 year old concrete buildings that get demoed because they have outlived their usefulness.

That's a design problem. Architects, designers and builders need to think in terms of The Long Now and not in terms of disposabuildings.

[Nicholas Carey]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

Sure except for the 30-100 year old concrete buildings that get demoed because they have outlived their usefulness.

That's a design problem. Architects, designers and builders need to think in terms of The Long Now and design for flexibility and longevity, not in terms of dispos-a-buildings. There's nothing "green" about building any building, in wood or any another material, and figuring it'll just be torn down in 25-50 years.



[Excellent book, by the way]

[Garret]

Re: Wood, the Next Wave

A more renewable source. (Concrete doesn't grow on trees)
And a lot easier on both your edge tools, and your body when you walk into a wall in the middle of the night, for instance....
There are eco-friendly cement alternatives, like Verite, but they aren't commercially viable yet.
https://www.stonelacedesigns.com/our-materials/verite/

Wood doesn't either - in case you weren't aware - the wood is in the tree.