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Tall Timber Architecture: An Opportunity for Green Building as Mjøstårnet

Conference Paper · September 2021

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Tall Timber Architecture: An Opportunity for Green Building as Mjøstårnet

Dilan ERDOĞAN*1, Hasan BEGEÇ1

Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey

1

*[email protected]

Abstract
Construction sector greatly affects the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. Therefore, it is necessary to look into
renewable and sustainable construction materials. Construction of tall buildings has increased rapidly in 20th
century, they consume a lot of energy in their construction process and the subsequent building usage might be
related to climate change. This paper focuses on whether timber might be used as a single material for tall
building structure system, or not. In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of using timber as a
construction material are being examined. In addition, the economic, social, and environmental impacts of
timber usage are also being discussed. The methodology of the research is based on the case of “Mjøstårnet”
which is a completed timber tall building in Brumunddal, Norway. According to the CTBUH database of timber
tall buildings’ list, the Mjøstårnet building is the tallest completed timber building with 85m high. The study
discusses the usage possibilities of timber material, its construction structure and its effect on the environment

Keywords: Timber architecture, timber tall buildings, Mjøstårnet

Introduction and Literature Review

Although examples of the tall structures were already seen in structures such as pyramids, temples, mosque
minarets, church bell towers, water towers, lighthouses, castles, and clock towers since the first civilizations,
clearly defined tall building examples in architecture began only after the second half of 19th century during the
industrialization period. The important factor in the development of tall buildings is the industrialization process
and the use of new building materials such as iron, steel, and glass. In architecture, tall buildings could be built
with the production of iron and steel frames and the invention of hydraulic elevators. After these developments
the number of tall buildings increased rapidly in America and in the last quarter of the 20th century they have
been built in a lot of different countries, especially in the far Eastern countries. According to the “Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)” database, while the first tall building is the 55 m high “Home Insurance
Building” constructed in 1885, the recently completed “Burj Khalifa” in Dubai is the tallest with a height of 828
m.

On examining the tallest 100 buildings in terms of building materials, according to the CTBUH database, it is
determined that 59 of the buildings are composite, 29 are concrete, 8 are steel and 4 are mixed structures of
steel and concrete (CTBUH). CTBUH has classified these material qualities into main vertical and lateral structural
elements. Currently, tall building's structures can be classified into three categories - single material system,
composite system and mixed material system (figure 1). A single material system has the main structural
elements of tall buildings constructed principally from a single material like steel, concrete and timber.
Composite tall buildings have combinations of all different materials for main vertical and lateral structures. In
figure 2, the composite building has a concrete core and limited steel, or timber framing system. Finally, a mixed
material building has different levels of buildings having different single material structure systems. For example,
a building structure is formed with a full-height concrete core, a lower section of steel framing and an upper
section of timber framing (Foster, Ramage, and Reynolds, 2017).

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Figure 1. Example of building typology by structural material (Foster, Ramage, and Reynolds, 2017).

Considering all of these, it is being questioned if tall buildings can be built with a different structural material
other than steel and concrete? Besides, it has aroused curiosity that whether timber is the proper single material
for constructed tall buildings. Although timber has been used as a natural building material since ancient times,
there are limited single-material timber buildings. Also, timber is a natural and renewable material and easy to
form. Designers have planned to use engineered timbers to cope with direct permanent vertical loads and lateral
loads for taller buildings structure systems. Thus engineered timber materials such as glued-laminated timber
(glulam), cross-laminated timber (CLT), and laminated veneer lumber were produced for enhanced dimensional
stability. Due to the environmental effects on the timber, engineers try to improve the strength of this material.
Moreover, thanks to cross-laminated timber (CLT), designs were produced easily and the structure was built
quickly and easily with a small team of workers. Thus, timber is a suitable construction material. Architect Joseph
Mayo author of “Solid Wood: Case Studies on Mass Timber Architecture, Technology, and Design,” expressed
that timber is not just a more sustainable choice, but also less carbon-intensive to produce than other materials
like steel, aluminum, and concrete (Mayo, 2015).

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Advantages of Timber as a Green Building Material in Tall Buildings

Timber is a “green” building material that benefits both the environment and the society. Its availability,
workability, environmental sustainability, the flexibility of space arrangement, dry construction, industrial
production and comparative cost‐effectiveness helps the construction industry (Gregory, 1984; Nolan 1994 and
Whitelaw, 1990).

Sustainability, Availability and Acceptability

With the climate crisis, the importance of natural and renewable building materials has increased. At this point,
most countries that signed the Paris Climate Agreement have increased their bio‐economic development, timber
use and forestry activities. Forests can play an important role in the transition to low‐carbon economies and in
creating a sustainable environment because they are carbon accumulators and wood products have a lower
embodied energy than other products, particularly in the building sector, which accounts for 36% of global
energy consumption and 39% of CO2 emissions (UN Environment, 2018). Forestry activities are sustainable
because new trees can be added to replace the trees cut for timber use. By using timber as construction material,
we conserve forest ecosystems and consequently sustain forest ecosystem services such as water purification,
water flow regulation, erosion control, streambank stabilization, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, recreation
and cultural heritage values (Ritter, Skog, & Bergman, December 2011). Thus, the use of timber is a sustainable
material for the bio‐economy, the environment and humanity.

Since timber is a local material in many countries, it is acceptable and accessible. It has been used in architecture
since the past and is easy to transport and use. Thus, the use of timber in tall buildings can make them
sustainable. In addition, the use of timber in construction reduces the CO2 emission of tall buildings and supports
forestry improving the environment where the building is located.

Workability and Versatility

Timber is one of the most adaptable materials used in the construction industry due to its strong load‐bearing
capacity. Furthermore, it may be bent easily into any shape, joined to other materials. It is resistant to the
elements and can sustain harsh weather conditions. In addition, by selecting timber with the appropriate
density, compressive and tensile strength, colour, texture and fire resistance, applications can be more flexibly
matched (Anderson, 1970). Furthermore, timber is a durable and workable material for constructing tall timber
buildings that are nearly 85m tall. In addition, engineers and architects have worked with timber material for
tall buildings structures 300 m high.

Physical and aesthetic qualities

Timber is a popular framing material because of its excellent strength‐to‐weight ratio. Some timbers are
extremely resistant to decay, corrosion and harmful effects of the sea. Also timber, unlike other building
materials, can endure corrosive salt and humidity with a little structural alteration. It is extremely durable, and
there are varieties of finishes available to maintain and enhance the material's natural beauty. (Sturges, 1991).
Moreover, it is a warm and aesthetic material for both, outdoors and indoors. Thanks to lots of texture, colours
and patterns, timber has aesthetic qualities tall buildings differ from concrete and steel.

Cost‐Effectiveness
In terms of construction cost, as tall buildings are built in large numbers and at high costs, the use of timber
supports the bio economy and circular economy through sustainable forestry. Bio economy, circular economy,
land use reduction, sustainable use of natural resources, reduction of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and
recycling are the buzzwords that the construction industry must confront soon, as the climate emergency cannot
be postponed any longer. In this regard, the use of wood as a building material can provide an immediate solution
to the problem (Sposito and Scalisi, 2019).

Timber is a renewable, sustainable material and ıt is a very useful for bio economy, circular economy and
environmental recovery. The usage of timber in construction supports healthy and sustainable forestry.
Therefore, forests recover the environment because they decrease CO2 and increase O2 in the atmosphere.
Furthermore, it is the natural habitat for lots of living things so that biodiversity is increased.

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Disadvantages of the Usage of Timber In Tall Buildings

Although timber is advantageous for sustainability, there are many problems due to its organic structure. They
are: shrinkage and swelling, lack of quality control, insects, fungi and vermin attack, fire resistance, depletion of
natural resources and insufficient research. However, most engineers and architects have worked on the
development of timber materials and tried to solve many problems.

Shrinkage and Swelling

Timber is a material that can shrink and swell due to its ability to absorb water. For this purpose, methods should
be used that are not affected by the temperature in the stages of the timber.

Fire Resistance
Although timber is an environmentally friendly material, people are aware that timber burns and steel does not.
This situation is the opposite since when a thick timber panel meets fire, the outer layer becomes charred and
preventing the timber inside from being damaged. Unlike timber, which gets charred initially, metals melt at
high temperatures. Furthermore, large cross-section timber (CLT), will retain its strength, and be more fire-
resistant than other materials (Dagenais, White, & Sumathipala, 2012). For most timbers it ignites at 250°C to
300°C and chars at about 1mm at 900°C to 1200°C (Oyetola 2001). Large solid sections can survive longer in a
fire than steel parts of comparable strength due to the charcoal that accumulates on the outside (Adedeji &
Ogunsote, 2005).

The city of Chicago, which had the most timber buildings, was almost destroyed in a fire in 1871. After that
concrete and steel were used building materials especially tall buildings in Chicago. Despite the bad situation in
the past, timber developed and resists fire comparably to steel. Also, engineered timber structure does not burn
completely, but steel structure melts.

Depletion of Natural Resources

Timber production necessitates the logging of forests. Trees are a finite natural resource and without a
replanting program they will be depleted, causing environmental problems such as deforestation, desert
encroachment, drought and erosion (Adedeji & Ogunsote, 2005).

Insufficient Research
Academic and scientific institutes place minimal focus on the use of wood in their research. Better funding of
directed research and adequate distribution of research findings can solve the challenges linked with the use of
timber (Adedeji & Ogunsote, 2005). Even though the government has invested so much in new technologies and
product development for other materials, wood has received relatively little funding. Inadequate education,
technology transfer and promotional projects prevent timber from being accepted as a “green” building
material. The health and vitality of our forests and the important role of timber in mitigating and protecting
climate change are not accepted by most authorities and the public (Ritter, Skog, & Bergman, December 2011)
However some universities support the research to use timber in tall buildings. To illustrate, the University of
Cambridge at the “Centre for Natural Material Innovation” to carry out tall timber building.

Despite many problems of timber usage, it is a beneficial material for “green”, sustainable construction methods.
In addition, engineered timber and manufactured timber has been developed and in the near future timber will
be the most preferred material for sustainable construction especially for the tall buildings.

As a case: Mjøstårnet
Currently, there are 3 completed buildings, 12 proposed buildings, and 18 vision buildings in CTBUH timber tall
buildings list. Vision buildings are purposed 300 m tall timber building, which is “Oakwood Tower” in London.
According to the council of tall buildings and urban habitat, the Mjøstårnet with 85 m tall is the world’s tallest
timber building. Thanks to the work of building designers and engineers from around the world, in 2019
Mjøstårnet building, which is an 18-storey with 85 m tall, was built in Brumunddal, Norway and near the lake of
Mjøsa. In addition, “Mjøstårnet” in Norwegian language means “The tower of Lake Mjøsa”. The mixed-use

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

building contains offices, a hotel, apartments, a restaurant, a swimming pool and a roof deck on a net area of
11300 m2.

Figure 2. Mjøstårnet, in Brumunddal, Norway (Arcdaily, 2021).

This building designed by Voll Arkitekter Arthur Buchardt was the driving force behind Mjøstårnet 's creation.
His ambition for the project is for it to be a symbol of the “green” shift, demonstrating that big structures can
be constructed utilizing local resources, local suppliers and sustainable wood materials. (Abrahamsen, 2017).
This building is made from about 3500m3 of timber or about 14 000 trees. Thus Healthy and sustainable forestry
are very important. In addition, Brumunddal is famous for its forestry and wood processing industry.

Considering obtained as a result of the examination of the Mjøstårnet building for the use of timber material;
The main load-bearing consists of large-scale glulam trusses and also CLT walls are used for secondary load

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

bearing of three elevators and two staircases. Besides high capacity connection, all glulam structures are
connected by slotted-in steel plates and dowels installed. Then all glulam surfaces have been painted with
varnish to protect the timber from rain and sun (Abrahamsen, 2017).

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Figure 3. Example of a building typology by structural material (Abrahamsen, 2017).

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Table 1 Pros and cons of timber usage for Mjøstårnet

Timber Structure

Glulam Beams And Columns

Glulam Trusses
Typical glulam beams supporting timber floors are
395x585 mm2 and 395x675 mm2.
Typical glulam beams supporting concrete floors
are 625x585 mm2 and 625x720 mm2.
The largest diagonal cross-section is 625x990
mm2.

Timber Waals And Floor

CLT Walls
Timber Floors
Installing Prefabricated Elements On-Site
All Glulam Surfaces Have Been Painted

Roof Pergola System

On The Roof
Apartment
The Pergola
It Is A Large Wooden Structure
That Is Fixed To The Concrete Deck On Level 18.

Offices, Hotel, And Apartments

Multi-Purpose
Mix Usage
Large, Complex Timber Building
18-storey
The net area is 11300 m2

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Sustainability, Availability, And Acceptability

Forestry
Wood Processing Industry
Norway’s Leading Glulam Manufacturer

Physical And Aesthetic Qualities

Wood Is A Warm Material

Decorative
Staircase, Door Windows
Natural, Organic Material
A Lot Of Colour And Texture

Indoor Aesthetic and Furniture Quality

Decorative Colours And Texture

Workability For Design Furniture
Harmony Of Wood Structure, Plaster And Paints

Shrinkage And Swelling

Water Proof
Use Swimming Pool Area
Warm Material Effect
Natural Aesthetics

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Fire Resistance

Large Glulam Columns Are Durable

Prevent A Building From Collapse

Depletion Of Natural Resources

Healthy And Sustainable Forestry

Not A Blueprint For A Tall Timber Structure
Long-Term Sustainability

Conclusion
To deal with the climate crisis, the ultimate design should be based on bio economy, circular economy, increasing
biodiversity, creating the ecosystem, usage sustainable raw materials. Thus, producing timber from sustainable
forests and using timber for construction is an urgent issue for the environment. Timber buildings especially tall
timber buildings require a sustainable forestry industry and support new forest lands. The importance of using
timber in construction is explained below.

• Using timber as a structural material is a very effective way to decrease emission CO2.
• “Wood Processing Industry” produces glulam, CLT and if timber is sourced from sustainable
forests, it is eco-friendly.
• Timber is a strong load-bearing system and organic, warm aesthetic material in both indoor
and outdoor areas.
• Glulam manufacturing supports “green”, forestry areas resulting in an increase in biodiversity
and a recovery of the ecosystem.
• Timber is a fire-resistant material and does not melt in a fire, preventing a building from
collapse.
• Timber is a cost-effective construction material and hence benefits the national economy.
• Using timber develops bio-economy and circular economy.
• Timber is durable and workability of material making it suitable to build multi-purposed, mix
used tall buildings.
• Tall timber buildings require healthy forestry and wood processing industry. Norway, United
Kingdom USA, Brazil, China, Canada should build tall timber buildings taking advantage of their well-
developed forestry industries.

In conclusion, innovative studies are ongoing for timber taller buildings, which are vision buildings at heights up
to 80 stories “River Beach Tower”, Chicago and “Oakwood tower”, London. All these considering, while the
material of the 20th century is steel and concrete, timber enhance its attractiveness as a 21st-century building
material because of low carbon emission material.

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 International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation ATI2021
DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

References
Abrahamsen, R. (2017). Mjøstårnet, Construction of an 81 m tall timber building. 23. Internationales Holzbau-
Forum IHF 2017

Adedeji, Y., & Ogunsote, O. (2005). Modern Techniques of Using Timber in Building Structures and Components
in Nigeria. Department of Architecture, Federal University of Technology,
Akure
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Anderson, L.O. (1970). Wood-frame House Construction. US Department of Agriculture.

Arcdaily (2021). Mjøstårnet The Tower of Lake Mjøsa / Voll Arkitekter.

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Dagenais, C., White, R. and Sumathipala, K. (2012). Fire Performance of Cross-Laminated Timber Assemblies.In:
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Foster, R., Ramage, M., and Reynolds, T. (2017) Rethinking CTBUH height criteria in the context of tall timber.
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Gregory, N. (1994). The Culture of Using Timber as a Building Material in Australia. The Pacific Timber
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Mayo, J. (2015). Solid Wood: Case Studies in Mass Timber, Architecture, Technology and Design. New York:
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josephmayo-book-review.html)

Nolan, G. (1994). The Culture of Using Timber as a Building Material in Australia. Proceedings of the Pacific
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Ritter, M. A., Skog, K. & Bergman, R (December 2011). Science supporting the economic and environmental
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Sposito, C. and Scalisi, F. (August 2019) Pro-Innovation: Process, Production, Product. Giovanni, G. & Scalisi, F
(EDs), in pp. 93-122, High-rise timber architecture. An opportunity for the sustainability of the built environment.
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DESIGNING FOR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES

September 22 – 24, 2021 | Yaşar University, Izmir, Turkey

Un Environment (2018), Global Status Report 2018: Towards a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient building and
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Whiltelaw, S. (1990). Architects love Timber. Australian Forest Industries Journal. March.

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