CLT could have a huge impact on architecture

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a prefabricated panel that can be used to create walls, roofs, and flooring. The materials are special because they are two-way spanning, meaning they are glued in transverse and latitudinal layers. This provides more strength and reduces behaviour such as expansion. The panels are becoming immensely popular in Europe because they are sustainable and have very low carbon dioxide emissions.One of the most impressive proposals that will use CLT would earn a place amongst the beautiful residential architecture London is home to. The conceptual plan is to use the timber to create an 80 storey building with up to 1,000 residential units. Namesd Oakwood Timber Tower, the building would be created as a series of bundled columns or quadrants. These would provide stability.CLT offers a number of attractive benefits that would make it very good for high rise structures. Particularly it is much lighter than steel and concrete whilst still offering impressive strength. This means that it is will reduce the load on the foundations.The timber panels are prefabricated and can be delivered to site ready to install. This speeds up the process and can reduce the cost and disruption building projects cause. In busy urban areas this would be a big benefit. On top of this fewer deliveries of materials would be required.A final major advantage of CLT is that it requires less energy to produce the panels than it does to create steel or concrete. The majority of the consumption comes from the curing and seasoning process, the techniques used to remove moisture from the timber and make it stronger. As a result the material is even better for the environment.The rising interest in cross-laminated timber is good and you can expect to see it appearing on more and more projects in Europe, the UK, and around the world. It could have a big impact on architecture and the building industries, encouraging people to think about new designs and expanding construction skills.At Coffey Architects, a team with a passion for the residential architecture London is home to, we always love seeing new materials getting used. This is especially true when they offer such fantastic benefits as CLT.