Build in Wood
Making wood the natural building material choice
Partners
Danish Technological Institute
The Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology
CF Møller
National Technical University of Athens
URBASOFIA SRL
Brasov Metropolitan Agency
The Alexandra Institute
University of Siena
proHolz Tirol
Bimetica Parametric Design Services S.L.
Rotho Blaas SRL
rtd services OG
Adserballe & Knudsen
Ergodomus Timber Engineering
Habitech – Distretto Tecnologico Trentino S.c.a r.l.
Splitkon
KNAUF GIPS KG
Scandi Byg A/S
HSB CAD
EllisDon
Led by the Danish Technological Institute and sponsored by the European Horizon Fund, this four-year project brings together experts from across the wood value chain in Europe and internationally to develop and test new, mass timber building systems for multi-storey structures. The ambition of this project is to enable optimised and cost-effective wood construction methods to become common practice.
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Exterior of the Build in Wood Copenhagen demonstrator
A consortium of experts has come together to advise on the design, technical, economic, legislative, and psychological barriers facing the widespread use of mass timber. Build-in-Wood engages principles of circularity to reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources, such as steel and concrete, in the construction of our built environment, and to decrease construction-related waste and minimise carbon emissions.
Central to the Build-in-Wood project is the design, development, and prototyping of new building systems, to demonstrate their viability and identify any areas for improvement. To deliver a proof of concept, we are designing a structural system in mass timber that works in accordance with different European legislation for residential, commercial, and retrofit buildings, that is currently being built as a demonstrator near Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Interior of Build in Wood Copenhagen demonstrator
Our Build-in-Wood prototype is based on three pillars: designing for disassembly; the development of open-source design guides; and the dissemination and communication of these materials to industry stakeholders. Our applied research will contribute to a dynamic Design Guide, giving stakeholders an invaluable risk-reduction tool with complete information and certainty of technical, environmental, and economic aspects of these new mass timber building systems. This will act as a resource to encourage and ease the transition to a timber-first construction economy.
Build-in-Wood’s holistic approach to transitioning to a timber-first construction economy considers its social, as well as environmental, impacts. It demonstrates how building in mass timber works to improve the connection between rural and urban areas by using sustainable and renewable wood resources from the forest to construct the homes of the urban population and demonstrate the value of rural resources, creating jobs in the process. Build-in-Wood optimises flexibility, with the structure and façade systems designed to work in harmony and independently, fit for both new construction and retrofitting, which will in turn increase productivity in the building sector by increasing the use of wood as a building material for prefabricated building elements.
Build-in-Wood is a publicly funded initiative that brings together distinguished representatives from all parts of the construction and timber industries to establish an innovative and sustainable European value chain for multi-storey wood buildings.
