Even if you’re not a huge architecture junkie, you’ve probably heard of the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP - better known as SOM. They are the great minds behind some of the world’s most famous towers, such as the One World Trade Center and a little tower called the Burj Khalifa.

With the two examples we have presented, you understand that SOM is always trying to challenge the limits of design. SOM’s most recent endeavour, the Timber Tower Research Project, is pushing the possibilities of wood construction to new heights.

Timber Tower Research Project

According to SOM’s website, the goal of the Timber Tower Research Project is to “develop a structural system for tall buildings that uses mass timber as the main structural material and minimizes the embodied carbon footprint of the building.”

SOM based their research on an existing building in Chicago, the Dewitt-Chestnut Apartments, which stands 42 storeys and 395 feet tall. SOM designed the building decades ago, and it was built in 1965.

Stability is one of the main issues attached to timber construction. SOM has designed a system called the “Concrete Jointed Timber Frame.” Basically, the whole frame of the building would be timber, but concrete would reinforce all the connecting joints - the high stress locations.

Based on their research, SOM believes that a building over 40 storeys tall, constructed of mostly timber, would reduce the building’s carbon footprint by 60% to 75%. That’s just one of the benefits of building with mostly timber. Another benefit is that it’s affordable.

BILD and wood construction

Recently, the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) released the “Bedford Report,” which explores and explains the benefits of wood construction. BILD is using this report and research to urge a change to the Ontario Building Code to allow for six-storey wood frame construction - the cap is currently set at four storeys.

One of the highlighted benefits of wood construction is the affordability factor. This stands out because Toronto has been dealing with climbing prices for years. British Columbia has approved six-storey wood construction, and they are starting to see development on smaller sites because it is now financially beneficial. We have a countless amount of high potential infill sites in Toronto - wood construction sounds like the best option to allow the city to continue to grow healthily.

The future of wood construction

According to SOM, timber construction heights around 40 storeys are “technically feasible.” They acknowledge that more research and testing is necessary before making the leap to 40-storey timber frames.

Within the study, SOM states that it is very important for members of the design community to work with municipalities and code officials to make timber construction a realistic option for future developments. We just have to start small, like what BILD is pushing for with the Bedford Report - just an extra two storeys. Now that SOM is in the process of designing a high-rise with an entirely timber frame, it’s only a matter of time before wood starts playing a more significant role in large city development.

How long will it be before timber is the primary building material in Canada? Do you think we will ever build entire cities out of timber?