Project R-13011

Holistic design of taller timber buildings" (HELEN) CA20139 (Research)

The world construction sector is responsible for one-third of carbon dioxide emissions and forty percent of the energy use and waste production. Therefore, a shift to sustainable and renewable construction techniques is crucial. Engineered timber, a champion of sustainable construction materials, has evolved to a stage that enables the construction of taller buildings commonly built from concrete or steel. Unfortunately, designing taller buildings made from timber is more demanding than their concrete and steel counterparts. Additionally, taller timber buildings design should be performed with intensive collaboration among the design team members. It is, therefore, crucial to address taller multi-story timber buildings from a collaborative and interdisciplinary perspective, considering static, dynamic, fire, acoustic, human health, and other aspects in parallel and not in isolation. Only through interdisciplinary analysis and interaction can a set of holistic design guidelines be developed that will enable the safe construction of taller timber buildings and respect human wellbeing demands. This Action aims to achieve that through intense interdisciplinary work and interaction between professionals with different design backgrounds in academia and industry

12 October 2021 - 11 October 2025