You’ll be able to live there soon Buildings made of wood, cardboard, or bamboo. What sounded like a utopia until recently is now shaping the skylines of some of the world’s most advanced cities. New materials and technologies are challenging the hegemony of brick and concrete, creating a tipping point in the way we think about building and living.
For decades, the construction industry has maintained a nearly constant equation. cement, steel, brick. But while our cities continue to rely on what we know, countries like Sweden, Norway, or Japan are already building a new generation of sustainable buildings built entirely from laminated wood, bamboo, or durable recyclable materials.
he Sala Cultural Center in Sweden The world’s tallest wooden skyscraper, designed by White Architects, is today a symbol of change. In Canada, pressed cardboard is being experimented with in housing modules, and in Japan, bamboo is being strengthened as a renewable resource with the same durability as steel.
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Even large companies are already adopting this logic. Walmart’s new headquarters arkansas and campus of google In California, mass timbera technology that combines efficiency, sustainability and architectural beauty.
All revolutions involve resistance. The prejudices that “wood is not hard” and “it is a fire hazard” will be destroyed with evidence by new technical standards. Engineered laminated wood has higher durability certifications than many traditional materials and is more fire resistant than steel. Char the surface, protect the center and maintain structural ability.
The MassTimber system integrates solutions such as: Glued laminated wood (laminated timber) and cross-laminated timber (CLT), and buildings of 10 floors or more can be built using only this material. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, it shortens construction time, reduces maintenance and improves final quality.
You can also feel the difference in terms of happiness. What a space made of wood creates is Acoustic and thermal comfort It provides healthier air quality and warmth that concrete cannot reproduce.
Why are we still not seeing wooden towers in Buenos Aires or Mendoza? The barrier is more cultural and normative than technological. Brick remains synonymous with solidity and permanence. However, global trends indicate that this paradigm is running out.
“The axis of this change is not if, but when,” says Agustín Lobera. Next, Pablo Valdoma Jones, founder of Coventa and leader of the country’s mass timber movement, provides some background: “In Europe, engineered wood is already used in a quarter of buildings in the Nordic countries and Germany.
This corresponds to 7% in Italy and 3% in Catalonia. The United States, Australia, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay are progressing rapidly. “This global curve presents an opportunity for Argentina. Mass timber can be the spearhead of the industrialization this sector needs.”
Experts agree on a path to start with iconic projects (hotels, offices, multifamily developments) that create trust and visibility, and then scale up to multifamily housing. like all innovationadoption begins with an aspiration before it becomes the norm.
Sustainable construction is no longer a fad, but a new frontier. The challenge is to bring together industry, academia, and public policy to facilitate the transition the world has already begun.
Incorporating wood, bamboo or recycled materials is not only an aesthetic or environmental issue, but also a structural change in the way cities are produced.
Architects who cling to the past lose relevance. The new role requires thinking strategically, integrating data, technology and environmental considerations. What is coming to the world of architecture is not just a trend, but a revolutionary transformation. A different way of thinking about human habitat.
The remaining question is simple. Will we continue to build as we did in the last century, or will we dare to build cities that are infused with the future?
* Architect, Co-Founder and Creative Director of DOGMA Experience
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