by Arthur Casas

I welcome the role that wood is gaining in the architecture and construction sector. Tall wooden buildings are the new bet of developed countries, which use engineered wood (or mass timber) produced on an industrial scale for assembly directly on the lot. It is a type of construction around 60% faster than masonry and whose weight can be up to 5 times less than that of a concrete work, which greatly facilitates the logistics of the work.

Wood as a structural element represents the end of debris generation, high waste on construction sites and high costs of traditional processes. Its performance is excellent and there are benefits for people’s well-being. Research shows that living with this element helps to relax, improve concentration, combat stress and even improve memory. It is a fundamental material to establish a good dialogue between furniture, interiors and landscape, which always enriches the project.

There is also the additional benefit of being the only element capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and storing carbon dioxide throughout its lifetime, being the best solution in terms of sustainability. Any work that uses at least 50% wooden structure can neutralize its carbon footprint.

If the result is good for the environment, it’s great for the city. Entire wooden buildings are the way to create more sustainable urban spaces. And they already exist to prove this, as shown, for example, by the Mjøstårnet building, in Norway, with 19 floors and 81 meters, entirely made of engineered wood. Canada, the United States and Europe have already counted dozens of buildings like this in recent years and now this possibility is gaining strength in Brazil.

The market has been responding well to the provocation that it is necessary to expand the use of wood in civil construction. Investments in the engineered wood industry and in developers focused on the production of buildings based on this raw material indicate a turning point in the national market. For architecture, there is the good challenge of dealing with something new and promising, capable of transforming the way we produce our cities and providing more effective responses to preserving the planet.