Timber Towers

Milwaukee, WI, USA – Ascent is a luxurious apartment high rise at an impressive 25-stories (86.6 m) on the Milwaukee skyline. It took the title for the world’s tallest mass timber structure when it finished construction in August 2022. The project received a US Department of Agriculture grant awarded through the Forest Service’s Wood Innovations Grant program that supported the testing of mass timber to match the performance of concrete and steel to meet US building codes. Photos: (left and above) Nate Vomhof (below) New Land Enterprises.

Brumunddal, Norway – At 18 stories, 85.4 meters high, Mjøstårnet is the world’s tallest all-wood construction completed in 2019. It is now Norway’s third tallest building with that serves as a residence and hotel. The design concept of Mjøstårnet was inspired by the Paris Agreement and aimed to sustainably source construction materials locally.

Vienna, Austria – At 84-meters, 24-story high wood-concrete hybrid structure HoHo Wien houses a hotel, apartments, restaurant and wellness center and offices and relies on renewables high efficiency helps the building to save 2,800 tons of carbon emissions compared to conventional structures of a similar size. Photos: (left) Robert Fritz / DERFRITZ (above and below) Sima Prodinger

Skellefteå, Sweden – At 75-meter high, Sara Kulturhus Centre in Skellefteå created a new space for arts, performance, and literature in the Sweden’s tallest timber building to date. Crafted from timber harvested around Skellefteå, it is equipped with solar panels, batteries, and a heat pump in efforts to maintain a carbon neutral energy system. Photos: (above and below) Johan Wennerstrom

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – At a height of 73 meters, the 21-story HAUT Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ tallest hybrid wooden building, and equally one of the tallest in the world. Through a bio-based structure of 2,000 cubic meters of timber, the building can sequester and store around 1,800 tonnes of CO2. Photos: Jannes Linders

Victoria, Australia – At a height of 69.7 meters, 55 Southbank Boulevard is the first cross-laminated timber (CLT) high-rise hotel in Australia. Leading the way in sustainable design, approximately 5,300 tons of CLT were used to add 10 levels to an existing commercial building, offsetting nearly 4,200 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Photos: Bates Smart / Peter Clarke

Vancouver, BC, Canada – Brock Commons Tallwood House is a 53-meter high residence hall at the University of British Columbia constructed from mass timber elements that were fabricated from the province. Brock Commons is home to over 400 students and provides study and amenity spaces. Photos: (left and above) Steven Errico / Brudder Productions (below) Michael Elkan.

Toronto, ON, Canada – Under construction, at 52.5 meters and with expected completion in 2024, the Limberlost Place at George Brown College is constructed with ‘Made in Canada’ mass timber. This net-zero carbon emissions project will be able to run passively 50% of the year.