Sustainability of a minimum 80-foot structure
The Tall Wood Building Prize Competition, supported by the Softwood Lumber Board and Binational Softwood Lumber Council, invites US developers, institutions, organisations and design teams to submit entries that undertake alternative solutions like Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) to construct taller timber buildings.
Submissions must showcase the safe application, practicality and sustainability of a minimum 80-foot structure that uses mass timber, composite wood technologies and innovative building techniques.
“The objective of the Competition is to identify proponents with building project(s) in the concept, schematic or design development stage in the US that can safely and successfully demonstrate the use of wood as a viable structural material in tall buildings,” the organisers say.
“Above and beyond the safety, environmental and economic benefits of wood, the initiative will challenge developers, designers, building officials, builders and manufacturers to further develop and refine specification and use of structural wood products – ultimately expanding the opportunity for new product and market development.”
The large prize money is being offered to overcome one of the main barriers to the use of new building materials and systems – the lack of risk capital to support the additional costs of analysing novel design and engineering alternatives.
