The United States Department of Architecture (USDA) has formally launched a “Tall Building Competition,” in support of sustainable forestry, and to demonstrate the viability of building with wood. “Wood may be one of the oldest building materials, but is now also one of the most advanced,” stated Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Despite the positive projects in the pipeline for tall wooden buildings, or “woodscrapers” as they are commonly known, resistance still remains in the industry. Most skyscrapers are made from concrete, steel or glass and “greened” through the application of environmental technology, cooling facades and foliage. Timber is gaining traction as a renewable building material due in large part to its carbon-sequestering abilities.
Read the entire article here: The Good, the Green and the Giant of Timber Buildings