Profile: 
![The history of building with wood [infographic]](/sites/bdc/files/Richmond_Olympic_Oval_intern_View.jpg "The history of building with wood [infographic]")
Even as other building materials emerge, from classics like steel, masonry and concrete to the recycled materials repurposed in large-scale 3D printing, wood is still here.
Advances in engineering, like cross-laminated timber (CLT), is making large wooden skyscrapers possible. A timber office tower is coming to London, a wooden residential complex is being built in Montreal, and Stockholm is planning a 40-story CLT skyscraper. An architect even designed an entire wood multifamily building district in Sweden.
Wood, particularly CLT, remains king for builders. Compared to steel and concrete, it's "cheaper, easier to assemble, and more fire resistant, thanks to the way wood chars," writes Clay Risen of Popular Science. "It’s also more sustainable. Wood is renewable like any crop, and it’s a carbon sink, sequestering the carbon dioxide it absorbed during growth even after it’s been turned into lumber."
The material has been around forever — the first timber home literally dates back to the Stone Age. Log Cabin Hub, a site dedicated to the planning, building, and living in log cabin homes, produced an infographic called Living with Wood: From the Beginning of Time, that chronicles the history of wood building.
(Click to enlarge)
Related Stories
Building Materials | Jun 20, 2022
Early-stage procurement: The next evolution of the construction supply chain
Austin Commercial’s Jason Earnhardt explains why supply chain issues for the construction industry are not going to go away and how developers and owners can get ahead of project roadblocks.
Sponsored | Wood | Apr 21, 2022
PDX Gets Back to its Roots with Engineered Wood
Evoking the serenity of a Pacific Northwest forest, this massive airport redesign features glulam timber and mass plywood panels from local manufacturers.
Wood | Apr 13, 2022
Mass timber: Multifamily’s next big building system
Mass timber construction experts offer advice on how to use prefabricated wood systems to help you reach for the heights with your next apartment or condominium project.
Contractors | Mar 28, 2022
Amid supply chain woes, building teams employ extreme procurement measures
Project teams are looking to eliminate much of the guesswork around product availability and price inflation by employing early bulk-purchasing measures for entire building projects.
Office Buildings | Feb 23, 2022
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building tops out
The Beam on Farmer, Arizona’s first mass timber, multi-story office building, topped out on Feb. 10, 2022.
Wood | Feb 18, 2022
$2 million mass timber design competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon (entries due March 30!)
To promote construction of tall mass timber buildings in the U.S., the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and USDA Forest Service (USDA) have joined forces on a competition to showcase mass timber’s application, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Oct 15, 2021
7 game-changing trends in structural engineering
Here are seven key areas where innovation in structural engineering is driving evolution.
| Oct 14, 2021
The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab
In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.
Wood | Jul 16, 2021
The future of mass timber construction, with Swinerton's Timberlab
In this exclusive for HorizonTV, BD+C's John Caulfield sat down with three Timberlab leaders to discuss the launch of the firm and what factors will lead to greater mass timber demand.
