On cross laminated timber (CLT) as a building material, architect and green building expert Lloyd Alter writes: What’s not to love?
“It's made from a renewable resource, it sequesters carbon dioxide, it's lighter than concrete and it's lovely to look at,” he writes in TreeHugger.
An apartment complex in Montreal, aptly named Arbora, has been recognized as the world’s largest residential project using wood construction. Its 434 condo, townhouse, and rental units in three eight-story buildings are made from sustainably harvested wood turned into panels by Canadian company Nordic Wood Structures together with the Cree Nation in Chibougamau, Canada, according to Arbora’s website. The building was designed by Montreal-based practice Lemay+CHA.
When it came to the selection of CLT as the main material, the developer says that wood is “seven times more resistant to heat loss than concrete and 500 times more than steel,” meaning less energy is needed to heat and cool buildings, and a smaller environmental footprint overall.
The project boasts what the developers call “à-la-carte services and amenities” such as rentable wine cellars, electric vehicle charging stations, and onsite car wash. Additionally, residents can enjoy multipurpose facilities, yoga classes, and a fully equipped gym complete with some spa services.
According to real estate firm Blouin Vincenti, the expected project completion date is September 2006.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Gensler, HOK, HDR among the nation's leading reconstruction design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 100 Reconstruction Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Dewberry among nation's largest multifamily design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Multifamily Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit /giants
| Aug 11, 2010
ASHRAE introduces building energy label prototype
Most of us know the fuel efficiency of our cars, but what about our buildings? ASHRAE is working to change that, moving one step closer today to introducing its building energy labeling program with release of a prototype label at its 2009 Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky.
| Aug 11, 2010
RMJM unveils design details for $1B green development in Turkey
International architecture company RMJM today announced details of the $1 billion Varyap Meridian development it is designing in Istanbul’s new residential and business district, which will be one of the "greenest" projects in Turkey. The luxury 372,000-square-meter development on a site totalling 107,000 square meters will be located in the Atasehir district of Istanbul, which the Turkish government intends to transform into the country’s new financial district and business center.
| Aug 11, 2010
Urban Land Institute honors five 'outstanding' developments in Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Five outstanding developments have been selected as winners of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2009 Awards for Excellence: Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) competition. This year, the competition also included the announcement of two special award winners. The Awards for Excellence competition is widely regarded as the land use industry’s most prestigious recognition program.
| Aug 11, 2010
10 tips for mitigating influenza in buildings
Adopting simple, common-sense measures and proper maintenance protocols can help mitigate the spread of influenza in buildings. In addition, there are system upgrades that can be performed to further mitigate risks. Trane Commercial Systems offers 10 tips to consider during the cold and flu season.
| Aug 11, 2010
Brad Pitt’s foundation unveils 14 duplex designs for New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward
Gehry Partners, William McDonough + Partners, and BNIM are among 14 architecture firms commissioned by Brad Pitt's Make It Right foundation to develop duplex housing concepts specifically for rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. All 14 concepts were released yesterday.
| Aug 11, 2010
NAVFAC releases guidelines for sustainable reconstruction of Navy facilities
The guidelines provide specific guidance for installation commanders, assessment teams, estimators, programmers and building designers for identifying the sustainable opportunities, synergies, strategies, features and benefits for improving installations following a disaster instead of simply repairing or replacing them as they were prior to the disaster.
| Aug 11, 2010
MulvannyG2 Architecture wins “Best Mixed-use Development—Future” award
MulvannyG2 Architecture’s project, Aquapearl in Taipei, Taiwan, was honored by Cityscape Asia 2009 as the “Best Mixed-use Development -Future” on May 20, 2009 at the annual conference in Singapore.
| Aug 11, 2010
REDD and Corcoran Group Real Estate developing eco-friendly boutique condos in Brooklyn's Vinegar Hill
REDD and Corcoran Group Real Estate are developing 100 Gold, a 10-unit boutique condominium complex in Brooklyn's Vinegar Hill that consists of (6) one bedrooms, (2) duplex studios—one with a private yard, and (2) penthouses—duplex apartments with one bedroom and loft, and private terraces.
