In London, they want to build an 80-story wooden skyscraper

London - In London, a new skyscraper is set to be built, which will be only slightly shorter than the Shard, which stands at a height of 310 meters. Unlike this building built using traditional technology, the new landmark is to be constructed on a wooden framework. It would become the tallest wooden structure in the world.
The Oakwood Tower project has been developed by PLP Architecture and the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Cambridge. It will be an experiment in wooden construction, reflecting the current trend towards timber structures. Experts see a future in this technology as it reportedly leads not only to lighter and more affordable buildings but also to spaces where people feel more content. According to them, wood is the answer to the question of how to create environmentally friendly cities, claims CNN. Oakwood Tower is expected to have 80 floors and rise to a height of 304 meters.
The architectural world has been increasingly focused on tall wooden buildings for the past five years. Some of them have already been built, while others are still in the planning phase. In 2012, a ten-story wooden residential block called Forte was completed above the harbor in Melbourne, measuring 32 meters. By 2014, it was the tallest wooden building in the world, but then it was surpassed by a four-story building constructed in the center of Bergen, Norway.
Since last year, a 33-meter residential building has stood in the Shoreditch district of London, constructed using multi-layer laminated timber. In Canada, they have started using this technology to build a student accommodation facility that will have 18 floors and reach a height of 53 meters.
The reason architects are beginning to turn away from concrete and steel towards wood lies, according to CNN, in a new technology that gives wooden constructions exceptional strength. "There are many new wood materials that can be used for building structures," said Michael Ramage, who works in the research department at the University of Cambridge. An example is laminated timber, made of several wooden layers stacked crosswise on top of each other and glued with fire-resistant adhesive.
Even more than laminate, however, Ramage is interested in bamboo, which has been used in construction in Asia for centuries. "We are trying to technically process bamboo. We cut blocks from walls made of bamboo poles and glue them into large panels. This gives us something similar to wooden building blocks, but it's stronger than wood," Ramage stated.
Kevin Flanagan, who works at PLP, mentioned that he can imagine genetically modified wood being used in construction in the future, allowing for the construction of high-rise buildings.
Wooden architecture understandably raises concerns about flammability. Ramage claims that Oakwood Tower, which is to be located near the Barbican cultural center in central London, will surpass concrete buildings in fire resistance. "Construction timber does not burn in the way people imagine. The great fires of London and Chicago were caused by the ignition of very small pieces of wood. Large wooden blocks are difficult to ignite," he explained.
Flanagan pointed to the positive impact of wood on people. "People feel relaxed in wooden buildings, they associate wood with greenery and like it," he said. An Austrian study from 2009 compared the behavior of students in four different classrooms - two had wooden floors and ceilings, while the other two had linoleum-covered floors and plastic-walled. The children learning in "wooden" classrooms were more relaxed, and doctors measured lower heart rates in them.