How is wood used in modern architecture?
The Wood Guide · Reference
ReferenceWood in modern architecture
For a century, wood was the material for small buildings. Since laminated panels arrived, it has been used for residential towers.
- CLT carries whole storeys
- Prefabrication shortens build time
- Chars instead of collapsing
With the panels came the towers
For a century, wood was the material for small buildings. With laminated panels, timber structures now carry more than ten storeys.
Click a chapter or use the arrows · schematic drawings, not to scale.
Why wood is making a comeback
Not out of nostalgia, and not just for the looks. There are three practical reasons.
The first is weight. A timber structure is considerably lighter than concrete, which allows smaller foundations and makes building on top of existing buildings — adding storeys — realistic. In a city where land is scarce, that is a decisive argument.
The second is speed. Timber construction is prefabricated construction: walls, floors and roofs arrive from the factory cut to size, including openings for windows and services. On site, things are assembled rather than made, with less weather risk, less waste and less disruption.
The third is carbon. A tree stores carbon as it grows, and as long as the wood stays in a building, that carbon stays locked up. With concrete and steel the opposite happens: their production is one of the largest sources of industrial emissions in the world.
That sounds contradictory, but it is the argument that convinces fire services and engineers. A heavy timber beam chars on the outside at a known rate, and that char layer protects the core. Steel, by contrast, suddenly loses its strength at high temperatures. Timber construction therefore works with a calculated 'sacrificial layer'.
- CLT
- cross-laminated solid panels
- Glulam
- laminated beams for long spans
- Tallest timber buildings
- more than ten storeys
- Build time
- shorter thanks to prefabrication
- Weight
- lighter than concrete — smaller foundations
- Fire
- chars in a controlled way; the char layer protects the core
- Acoustics
- point to watch: wood is light and transmits impact sound
To be fair: wood is light, and acoustically that is a drawback. Mass dampens sound, and a timber floor lacks that mass. In apartment buildings this calls for extra measures — floating screeds, insulating layers, decoupled structures — and they cost money and height. If you choose timber construction where noise matters, you have to account for it from the design stage.
From structure to finish
Load-bearing structure
CLT walls and floors, laminated columns and beams. Here wood has become a full alternative to concrete, up to considerable heights.
Long spans
Sports halls, swimming pools and exhibition spaces: laminated trusses span dozens of metres, and they also cope better than steel with a chlorine-rich indoor climate.
Cladding
Thermally modified wood, western red cedar or larch. Dimensional stability and greying are the key properties here.
Adding storeys
Extra storeys on existing buildings. Only possible because wood is light enough not to overload the existing foundations.
Interior finish
Exposed ceilings, slatted walls and floors. Here the effect on people also plays a part: timber interiors are consistently experienced as warmer and calmer.
Hybrid structures
Timber floors around a concrete core, or timber with steel connections. Often the practical solution for high-rise buildings.
Wood products in modern construction
| Product | What it is | What for |
|---|---|---|
| CLT | cross-glued solid layers | walls and floors; spans in two directions |
| Glulam | laminations glued into beams | columns, beams, curved trusses |
| LVL | laminated veneer lumber | slender, strong beams |
| Timber-frame construction | studwork with sheathing | the classic lightweight construction method |
| Modified wood | thermally or chemically treated | facades and exterior joinery |
| Solid structural timber | graded by strength class | trusses, purlins, short spans |
The difference between these products matters more than the difference between wood species. A CLT panel and a solid beam made from the same spruce behave completely differently, because the gluing and the layer build-up determine the properties — not the species alone.
What timber construction demands
Moisture during construction
Prefabricated elements must stay dry until the roof is closed. Rain on an open CLT floor is one of the most underestimated risks on a timber building site.
Acoustics
Wood is light and transmits impact sound. Floating screeds and decoupled structures are not a luxury here but a necessity.
Facade detailing
Every junction where water can sit is a weak spot. Overhangs, drip edges and ventilated cavities are not decoration.
Fire safety
Predictable, but it still has to be calculated: designers work with a sacrificial layer and with compartmentation requirements. This is design work, not a choice of material.
Origin of the wood
With large volumes, where it comes from matters. Ask for documents showing its origin, especially since the European rules on deforestation-free products.
Facade maintenance
A timber facade either turns grey or is maintained. Both are valid choices — but it is a choice for the design stage, not an afterthought.
Frequently asked questions about wood in modern architecture
How tall can a timber building be?
There are timber buildings of more than ten storeys, and the limit is still moving. They are often hybrid structures with a concrete core.
Is a timber building fire-safe?
It burns predictably, and that is the point. Heavy timber chars on the outside at a known rate and the char layer protects the core, whereas steel suddenly loses its strength in the heat.
What is CLT?
Cross-laminated timber: solid panels of layers glued crosswise, strong in two directions, used for walls and floors.
Why is building with wood faster?
Because it is prefabricated construction. Elements arrive from the factory cut to size and are assembled on site, with less weather risk and less waste.
Is noise a problem in timber buildings?
It is the main point to watch. Wood is light, and light materials dampen sound poorly; floating screeds and decoupled structures have to compensate.
Is building with wood better for the climate?
As a rule, yes: wood holds the carbon the tree absorbed, while producing concrete and steel causes high emissions. The origin of the wood determines how large that advantage is.
More in The Wood Guide
From timber frame to species: how wood behaves in a structure.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Mjøstårnet, Brumunddal (Noorwegen) — Øyvind Holmstad, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Richmond Olympic Oval, Canada — Duncan Rawlinson, CC BY 2.0 · Katajanokan Laituri, Helsinki — Aarni Salomaa, CC BY 4.0
The Wood Guide
More in Understanding wood
- Technology and the future of wood
- Laminated timber in construction
- Wood as a building material and the environment
- The characteristics of wood
- How wood moves
- Durability classes of wood
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