Intelligent Investor

Would you live in a 30-story wood building?

It's sounds archaic, crazy even: wood skyscrapers. But that's exactly what architect Michael Green is championing.
By · 4 Aug 2013
By ·
4 Aug 2013
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Earlier this week Matty Wu wrote about uber-creative salad towers sprouting up across the Pizza Huts of China. Today I've found a fascinating argument for wood-based skyscrapers. Architect Michael Green (yes, that's his real name) suggests wood is the world's only renewable construction material, and with some creative engineering we could soon be building 30-story wood towers. Maximum heights are swiftly rising, for example there's already a 10-story building planned for Melbourne.

Yep, I have my doubts too. Solutions need to be found for fire and earthquake risk. Let alone longevity concerns and costs. Still, using the sun to grow building materials for 'free' creates natural advantages over energy-intensive concrete and steel. But I'll let Michael explain.

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