ELIGE MADERA Mass Timber: 4 Projects in the U.S. that Showcase the Future of Wood Construction Ethical and sustainable designs in the era of climate change - a real architectural challenge Ethical and sustainable designs in the era of climate change - a real architectural challenge It’s no longer a surprise that wooden architecture is a trend and a great way to lower the environmental impact from the construction sector. However, this doesn’t mean that buildings built with this material don’t stand out for their beauty and technology. Wooden architecture, especially Mass Timber, is becoming more and more important and common for the cities of the future as demonstrated by countries like Japan, Norway and the Netherlands with projects that aim to be the largest wooden buildings, skyscrapers and towers in the world. But if we go back to North America, we can also see that since 2018, this trend has gained strength in the United States and the potential of Mass Timber has positioned it as a dominant material in future construction, inspiring companies, universities and more, to invest in projects across the entire country. Here are 4 projects that are being conceptualized in the U.S. and that could redefine wooden construction in the future: Mass Timber Multifamily in San Francisco, California This project by José Brunner, designer at the DLR Group office, taps into the potential of Mass Timber as a strong, yet lightweight material for alternative construction with aims of providing housing in the heart of the city without having to demolish existing structures. 80-story River Beech Tower in Chicago, Illinois Perkins+Will architects, in collaboration with engineers from Thornton Tomassetti, conceptualized this 80-story, 300-duplex solid wood building in Chicago. Timber Bridge on the LongPoint Corridor in Brooklyn, New York CRÈME architect Jun Aizaki has been working on this bridge linking Brooklyn and Queens, which will take advantage of the opportunity to improve pedestrian traffic, create green spaces and connect communities. Timber Towers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania This project was selected for the Skyhive Skyscraper challenge, which seeks to demonstrate the viability of solid wood skyscrapers as an alternative to steel and concrete. Finally, it should be noted that in our country, we have also been advancing along the same lines, on a smaller scale, but with the same importance. We are sure that wood construction will be an important milestone for architecture, so it’s no coincidence that NIUFORM is already positioning this new form of sustainable construction in the local market. Interesting, isn't it? Learn more about NIUFORM HERE.