As urban populations continue to rise, cities face the pressing challenge of sustainable and environmentally friendly development. One innovative solution emerging in this context is the wooden skyscraper. Traditional construction materials like steel and concrete are notorious for their high carbon footprint, contributing significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. Wooden skyscrapers, however, offer a promising alternative by utilising cross-laminated timber (CLT), which not only reduces carbon emissions but also sequesters carbon dioxide, aiding in the fight against climate change.
A wooden skyscraper, also known as a timber high-rise, is a tall building constructed primarily using engineered wood products such as CLT. These buildings leverage the strength and flexibility of timber, which has been refined and enhanced through modern engineering techniques. Cross-laminated timber involves glueing layers of wood at perpendicular angles, resulting in a material that is incredibly strong and stable. This construction method allows wooden skyscrapers to meet the rigorous safety standards required for high-rise buildings, including fire resistance and earthquake resilience.
Compared with the construction of a concrete building, the process requires a longer planning time and uses Building Information Modeling. This helps builders decide the exact size of the building elements. These elements are then prefabricated in specialised mass timber factories, reducing waste, the number of workers, and construction time. The construction process can be modular and adaptable to variable weather conditions. Furthermore, wooden skyscrapers have the potential to integrate advanced building technologies such as smart systems and energy-efficient designs, making them highly adaptable to future urban needs. In some instances, wooden skyscrapers use a small amount of concrete in the building process: in the foundations, stairways, elevator shafts, or/and supporting beams.
As urban areas strive to reduce their carbon footprints and embrace sustainable development, timber high-rises present a viable path forward. These structures not only address the environmental concerns associated with traditional construction but also offer economic and aesthetic benefits. The use of timber, a renewable resource, promotes sustainable forestry practices and creates new opportunities within the construction industry. Additionally, the natural warmth and beauty of wood enhance the living and working environments, contributing to the well-being of city dwellers.
An architecture firm internationally recognized for advocating and designing tall wood buildings.
A leading European manufacturer of solid wood products and building solutions, including CLT and glulam.
Finland · Company
A Finnish forest industry group that produces Kerto LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) and other engineered wood products.
An architecture practice dedicated to sustainable construction, known for designing the world's first tall CLT residential building.
A technology platform for hybrid timber construction, licensing their building system to partners worldwide.
An international property and infrastructure group that has pioneered the construction of commercial timber office buildings.
A subsidiary of Mercer International, manufacturing CLT and providing mass timber integration services.
A Japanese forestry and construction company planning the W350 Project, a 350-meter tall wooden skyscraper in Tokyo.
United States · Nonprofit
The world's leading body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design.
Article
Wooden skyscrapers point the way to more sustainable citiesNature · Dec 3, 2025
Discusses the rise of wooden skyscrapers as a solution for sustainable cities, highlighting their ability to store carbon rather than emitting it, while addressing safety concerns like fire risk.
Paper
Functional distribution in tall timber buildings: Global case insightsArchitecture, Structures and Construction · Feb 21, 2026
This study examines the functional characteristics of 79 tall timber towers worldwide, analyzing their distribution across residential, office, and mixed-use applications to understand market acceptance and regulatory feasibility.
Report
Mass Timber Construction Industry Report 2025Research and Markets · Sep 11, 2025
Projects the global mass timber construction market to reach $1.3 billion by 2030, driven by carbon reduction needs, green building certifications, and innovations in material science.
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Mjøstårnet: The World’s Tallest Timber Building Revolutionizing ConstructionBinus University · Mar 24, 2025
Detailed overview of the 85.4-meter wooden high-rise Mjøstårnet, explaining the use of glulam trusses for the main structure and CLT for secondary walls to resist wind forces.
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Climate change means "whole paradigm has to change" for skyscrapersdezeen.com
The attack on the World Trade Center 20 years ago had a significant impact on skyscraper design. Continuing our 9/11 anniversary series, we look at how skyscrapers will change over the next two decades.
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Sustainable Wooden Skyscrapers for the Future Citiesintechopen.com
At the time of writing, energy-saving and eco-friendly building materials have gained acceptance, recognition, and a strong foothold in the construction sector. There is an appreciable degree of congruence in the development of green buildings and bio-based building materials, making it imperative to promote and sustain the application of such materials. Wood is endowed with a host of favorable properties sought after in a building material—its organic warmth, softness, ability to control indoor moisture levels and act as a good insulator, malleability, and workability, to name a few. Wooden buildings blend perfectly into the surrounding landscapes much better than their counterparts. It facilitates design for lightweight and strength, is a renewable resource, and accords stability and seismic resistance to structures. The focus of this chapter is on wooden skyscrapers which promise to be a greener and eco-friendlier option vis-à-vis the conventional concrete high-rises.
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Transforming Trees Into Skyscrapersnewyorker.com
In Scandinavia, ecologically minded architects are building towers with pillars of pine and spruce.
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Will the skyscrapers of the future be made out of wood?nationalgeographic.com
Wood products that are nearly as strong as steel are going into more high-rises, locking up carbon. But can we grow enough trees to keep pace?
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Sweden’s innovative wooden skyscraper can capture 9 million kilograms of CO2euronews.com
The Sara Cultural Centre is designed to ‘communicate’ with the buildings around it.
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"Promote demand for wood in low-rise buildings" says architect of timber supertall conceptdezeen.com
Ambitious concepts like Nikken Sekkei's proposal for the world's tallest timber skyscraper can accelerate the use of engineered wood but should not be the focus, argues Hajime Aoyagi in this Timber Revolution interview
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Wood skyscrapers: 5 projects from the futuredomusweb.it
The development of timber structures for tall buildings is a strategic measure to reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry, in view of a demand for housing that is expected to surge by 2030.
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Canadian cities take wooden skyscrapers to new heightstheguardian.com
British Columbia has doubled height limits allowed for timber towers – and countries around the world are following suit
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The skyscrapers of the future will be made of woodtheconversation.com
Vancouver-based architect Michael Green was unequivocal at a conference at which I heard him speak a while ago: “We grow trees in British Columbia that are 35 storeys tall, so why do our building codes restrict timber buildings to only five storeys?”
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The Sustainable Future of Wooden Skyscrapersarchitectmagazine.com
Michael Green says his wooden towers can help offset climate change. Can he find a client willing to go out on a limb and build one?
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How to build a wood skyscrapervox.com
Mass timber has gone from novelty to trend. But how does it change the construction process?
