ELIGE MADERA Sensation Wooden Block, an Iconic Project Made with Sustainable Wood Construction on the Old Continent Eco-city? Have you heard this term before? You’re probably already getting an idea of what it could mean, but when we talk about an eco-city (or ecological city,) we refer to projects whose purpose is to preserve the environment, reduce the effects of climate change and approach a sustainable architectural development. Eco-city? Have you heard this term before? You’re probably already getting an idea of what it could mean, but when we talk about an eco-city (or ecological city,) we refer to projects whose purpose is to preserve the environment, reduce the effects of climate change and approach a sustainable architectural development. In France, in the Strasbourg area to be precise, a project was recently developed that fits the term eco-city perfectly, with a wooden residential construction that ended up being the highest in the country - a sustainable building landmark. This project was made as part of a design and construction competition for a new urban development oriented to sustainable construction and wooden architecture. For this competition, Nicolas Ziesel, architect in charge and co-founder of KOZ Architectes, decided to develop the Sensation Wooden Block, a housing proposal that consists of three towers, 146 apartments and more than 9,000 square meters. The fact that the building is so tall is not by chance or just to set records; for the architect, this quality is essential to the project’s contribution to the city, the environment and society. In his words, "changing the construction industry from concrete - which is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions - to wood and other sustainable materials, is a high priority. A cubic meter of concrete releases one ton of CO2 into the atmosphere, while using the same volume of wood in construction stores one ton of CO2." As for the project's materialities, it has a cross-laminated timber façade designed to achieve a better carbon footprint, but also to stabilize and provide less stress to the foundation, taking into consideration that the area is prone to frequent seismic events. In addition, this material allows for greater flexibility during the design stage and throughout the life of the building. Ziesel says "the wood is mainly Austrian white pine for the CLT and various species of French pine for the glulam and other elements. There are also some OSB panels of mixed European origin." Another significant fact: a full-scale model was set on fire in the construction process in order to test its effectiveness against fire, which resulted in 90% of the model being unharmed. For Ziesel, wood is a fundamental resource when talking about sustainability in architecture, with which we can become aware of problems around the world as we take better care of people and all living things.