Modern timber structures are not only visually stunning, they’re also highly efficient to construct. Timber construction excels when used to address complex structural features like access cores, steel-reinforced concrete base stories or fire barriers.
Mass timber’s main advantage lies in allowing architects to design buildings using one material for all building elements: structure, facades, insulation and interiors – this process is known as vertical integration.
1. The Tamedia Office Building
Wood frames often create striking modern structures that are both elegant and sustainable, often drawing parallels with residential architecture. No longer limited to homes and small projects, timber frames are increasingly being seen in mid-sized office buildings ranging from single stories up to high rises. Wood is an easily renewable resource which requires far less energy to harvest compared to concrete and steel; additionally it absorbs carbon from its surroundings through photosynthesis, locking away emissions within its fibers for its lifetime.
Shigeru Ban’s seven-story Tamedia Office Building in Zurich showcases the potential of mass timber construction. Housing 480 employees from media corporation Tamedia, this structure sits atop an existing printworks building. Instead of concealing his structure with fireproof cladding, Ban exposed structural glulam columns and beams as part of his design approach.
The roof and upper floor plates were supported by a skeletal framework crafted on site from prefabricated components that were meticulously milled down to every millimeter. Workers assembled laminated Austrian spruce components without metal connectors using large soft-headed mallets; to avoid warping during assembly, construction began only after all glued joints had dried completely and been thoroughly tested by hand hammering.
To speed up their construction time, workers pre-cut notches in beams for precise fitting, speeding up assembly time. Due to moisture damage in wood structures, workers had to keep the shell covered in plastic during its build, and stop work during stormy periods. Once it was in place, concrete was poured on its foundation before interior work could start.
The roof of this building features an arched shape supported by oval spacer beams connected to glulam columns via wood-fleetches that run parallel with joists. Notches and connections were all designed using computer-aided design software and cut on-site to ensure accurate fits. To strengthen connection points further, thick plates of beech plywood were inserted at key joints. Furthermore, each component’s strand and grain directions were strategically chosen so as to enhance overall system performance further.
2. World of Volvo
Timber framing stands out in an age of cookie-cutter construction by its rustic elegance and timeless beauty. When architects opt for timber framing as part of their projects, the resultant buildings evoke craftsmanship, heritage and the past that speaks volumes across generations. Not only does incorporating timber framing add charm but it can help reduce energy costs as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
The World of Volvo experience center, an experience center that showcases Volvo’s history and values, serves as an outstanding example of timber’s sustainability-minded use in design. Covered entirely in wood cladding with windows letting in plenty of natural light to illuminate interior spaces; mass timber ribs form its ceiling that are meant to mimic tree trunks reminiscent of Sweden’s landscape and architectural tradition; all make this structure truly exceptional.
The World of Volvo boasts more than just an appealing exterior; inside there are multiple event spaces, a museum and restaurant that bring this experience center alive. Honoring its founders – economist Assar Gabrielsson and engineer Gustaf Larson – as well as exploring its past, present, and future plans is at the center. Open to visitors year-round, visitors can check out vintage vehicles while learning about Volvo’s commitment to safety while trying out driving simulators!
CLT panels were widely featured throughout Volvo World of Volvo as an indicator of their growing popularity across North America. CLT is a renewable resource made with minimal materials while still being strong enough to out-perform concrete in strength. CLT panels consist of several layers of lumber laminated together by heat and pressure, creating strong yet lightweight panels perfect for large-scale buildings. When building with cross-laminated timber (CLT), careful coordination among architects, engineers, manufacturers and suppliers must take place in order to ensure seamless assembly – this helps avoid mistakes which lead to costly installation issues! Precise designs help prevent errors that lead to costly installation issues!
3. Haptic & Ramboll’s High-Rise
Regenerative High-Rise is a new concept by architects Haptic and Ramboll that makes use of wood in building high-rises, designed to be flexible and reconfigurable at any time, to bring more compact vertical communities into inner city locations where there can be limited residential space.
Timber buildings provide many advantages over more conventional materials like concrete and steel in terms of sustainability, especially when it comes to materials like wood which require less energy to extract and process into material ready for construction than other options such as concrete and steel do. Furthermore, wood serves as a carbon sink; any emissions produced during building will be captured within its fibers over time and eventually sequestered away as carbon storage in its structure.
These benefits are helping drive change within the architectural industry, with architects and engineers realizing the possibilities of including large-scale timber structures in their designs. One recent example is KCAP’s water house for Hamburg’s HafenCity which will become Germany’s tallest timber building when completed; another being Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s 100-meter apartment block which will become the world’s tallest timber building when complete.
Mass timber refers to engineered wood products manufactured using large pre-manufactured components for faster on-site assembly with less risk and errors compared to traditional methods. Examples include cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail-laminated timber, glued-laminated timber and structural composite lumber – these wood products provide greater compression strength and flexibility than raw lumber, making them suitable for load bearing features like beams and columns.
Designing mass timber structures requires close cooperation between design and fabrication to ensure all components fit seamlessly together during assembly. As these pieces are custom-made according to intricate designs, any discrepancies between their intended forms and those actually produced can cause costly errors during installation, which necessitates close partnerships among architects, engineers, and manufacturers. Additionally, transporting these large components requires special care so as not to warp or damage them during transit.
4. Bestseller’s Logistics Center
Modern mass timber buildings may seem foreign, yet their existence can be found throughout the U.S. thanks to changes in building codes that allow mass timber structures up to 18 stories tall. Their construction system uses multiple solid wood panels nailed or glued together for exceptional strength and stability; its carbon emissions footprint is significantly less than concrete or steel structures making it perfect for taller structures which need to be strong yet lightweight and resilient.
Bestseller, parent to brands such as Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, has demonstrated that distribution centers don’t need to be ugly brick boxes with its timber Logistics Center West facility in Lelystad, Netherlands. Scheduled for completion in 2026, this 155,000 sqft facility designed by Henning Larsen and engineered by Ramboll is committed to reduced emissions, fair working conditions, circular design principles that minimize waste, as well as using circular design principles that promote energy conservation.
To maximize timber usage, the floor and roof structures have been left exposed as an aesthetic choice. The building’s structural systems include CLT floors/ceilings and glulam beams/columns made from sustainably harvested blond hem-fir and spruce trees in Austria’s Alps; prefabricated in Austria for quick on-site installation time and seamless material deliveries; prefabrication also takes advantage of BIM technology that allows designers and engineers to coordinate different components before their delivery – helping reduce errors while staying on schedule with projects.
The company’s commitment to sustainability extends even further, as evident from their approach to landscaping, which includes transitional spaces and meadows on top of their building. The entire project serves as an illustration that even large commercial structures can make an impactful statement about global responsibility.
Are you curious to explore more of the potential of mass timber? Check out WIN’s interactive map of projects nationwide using this material, and connect with manufacturers who can assist with building your next project.