The tallest wooden building the world has ever seen just completed construction in Norway, standing at a total height of 85.4 meters.  Surely some of you are wondering whether or not that’s a fire hazard, but while it would have been worrisome to build towering structures out of wood in the past, manufacturers are now able to make ultra-strong wood that is lightweight, durable, and fire-resistant.

There are many benefits that come using wood to construct buildings. First and foremost, wood can be sourced sustainably—unlike conventional materials such as cement and glass  The Finnish company that produced the material for this particular building uses 100 percent bioenergy with little to no waste, and all the unusable segments simply get used for pulp production or for bioenergy to run the production mill.

Another benefit of wood buildings is that they can be put together much quicker and, in turn, uses less resources.

Along with Norway, both Romania and Austria recently finished similar wooden structures, perhaps signaling the start of a trend where architects turn to more sustainable materials like wood to make buildings.

This story was one of the best from 2019, and we are happy to include it in our “12 Days of Optimism” as we get ready to welcome 2020!