Despite its historical reputation for great city fires — London in 1666, the Great Chicago fire of 1871 and San Francisco in 1906 — wood is making a comeback as a construction material.
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Next year in Vienna, construction will begin on a 275-foot building made almost entirely of wood, while Stockholm may build a 34-story wooden apartment by 2023. Others are in the pipeline from Canada to Australia to Europe.
With faster construction times and a softer environmental impact, could the building material of the past be the future of construction?
Vancouver-based architect Michael Green says the momentum is gaining as new engineered woods allow for greater strength and heights in buildings.
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