General Architecture & Design Discussion

buildings · Jan 15, 2024

some inspiration. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/10/style/new-buildings-architecture-2024/index.html https://www.cnn.com/style/huizhen-high-school-world-building-of-the-year/index.html

erudyk_29 · Jan 15, 2024

I've always wanted Edmonton to get something made of CLT or mass timber. I think these buildings are excellent to look at and are also far better for the environment as they both don't require the pouring of large amounts of concrete and sequester carbon themselves. If the wood is cut from a sustainably managed forest it is essentially as good as it can get from an environmental perspective. Also, when talking about CLT, many often comment that it will burn easily, however if treated properly and built correctly, CLT is actually very flame resistant. It seems the Nordic countries are the best at this. For those concerned about cost, it is estimated that mass timber structures cost up to 6.43% more than regular concrete however some sources I've found say that they are actually less expensive than regular reinforced concrete, sources differ. I'm going to even it out and say that it costs about the same. So considering all the benefits of mass timber, why hasn't it been adopted widely across countries like Canada where wood is so plentiful? Maybe someone who's a bit more knowledgeable could enlighten me? Maybe it has something to do with the workforce being trained primarily in traditional concrete construction?