Building out of wood is being seen more and more as an innovative and sustainable approach to construction and one of its early adopters is now in Jersey.
Lotus Equity Group announced plans to construct a series of three wooden towers — the tallest of which will be 11 stories high — as part of Newark’s new mixed-use waterfront development, Riverfront Square, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The buildings, designed by Michael Green Architecture, will have a concrete foundation, but the rest of the building will be constructed entirely out of manufactured wood, treated to be fire resistant. Facade materials may be made out of brick or metal panels.
Timber construction has begun to gain popularity as buildings across Europe, Canada and North America have begun experimenting with wood. Most notably last year, LEVER Architecture announced their plans to build America’s tallest wood skyscraper — a structure which will soar to 12 stories, or 145 feet — in Portland.
One of the biggest factors timber construction has going for it is time; doing without pouring and setting concrete can save significant time in construction.
“Time equals savings in cost,” architect Michael Green told the Journal. “Savings for financing the project over time, savings for managing the construction over time, and faster ability to occupy the building.” [WSJ] — Erin Hudson