The construction industry is responsible for around 40 percent of man-made carbon emissions. The manufacture and erection of timber buildings emits much less carbon than conventional methods. With current technology it is possible to construct buildings made of wood that are 20 or 30 stories tall.
The building pictured above right is the planned Barents Secretariat office and cultural tower to be built in Norway. At 16 to 17 storeys it is set to become the tallest wooden building in the world.
It is to be constructed using natural and recycled materials from the surrounding area, and the finished building should reuse biodegradable household and industrial waste to produce bio gas. The designers, Oslo-based Reiulf Ramstad Architects, are focusing on sustainable building and carbon neutrality.
Big Wood is another wooden ‘skyscraper’ project, this time in Chicago’s South Loop. The project includes housing, shops, a library, and a park.
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