Europe leads the way in rise of mass timber construction

A new report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has revealed that Europe is at the forefront of a timber construction movement.

The report, Tall Timber: A Global Audit, is a global study on built, under construction and proposed towers, including a number of construction types including timber and hybrid designs.

In the report, it has revealed the areas in Europe, particularly France, Austria and Norway, are set to become home to the world’s tallest wooden buildings.

By the close of 2019, a total of 21 timber buildings with a height of over 50 metres are set to be completed.

This will pace Europe as a major player in the future of the timber construction market.

 "The rise of 'mass timber' – engineered wood products that are just as robust as their concrete and steel counterparts – has resulted in a worldwide wave of research, built projects, and daring speculative proposals," said the report.

"Yet the pace at which mass timber technology has advanced and timber towers have proliferated has left a gap in their reporting on a worldwide scale," it continued.

Top 5 timber towers built, under construction, or proposed:

• Baobab – Paris, France – 35 floors, Hybrid Timber & Steel, - proposed
• Adebe Court Tower – Lagos, Nigeria – 26 floors, Hybrid Timber & Steel – proposed
• HoHo – Vienna – Austria – 24 Hybrid Timber & Concrete – under construction, 2017
• HAUT – Amsterdam, Netherlands – 22 floors, All Timber – proposed, 2019
• Barentshus – Kirkenes, Norway – 20 - Hybrid Timber & Steel - proposed