# Wooden Skyscraper Concepts This High-Rise Project Explores the Use of Wood in Modern Architecture By Mary Van Puymbroeck | Published 2017-05-30 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wooden-skyscraper-concept References: [wired](https://www.wired.com/2017/05/wood-skyscrapers/) The 'River Beech Tower' is a wooden skyscraper concept being explored by researchers at Cambridge University. With a structure made of beech-wood and a research site in Chicago, this spindly building is set to be 80 stories high and is intended to solve unanswered questions related to wood as a suitable building material for skyscrapers. Currently, the worlds tallest wooden building is an 18-story dormitory in Vancouver called 'Brock Commons.' Timber fell out of favor as a building material after a series of devastating fires in major American cities. But with [massive timber structures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/katajanokan-laituri) in the works in Stockholm and England, architects and engineers are revisiting the material as a [sustainable urban building option](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-cleveland-foundation). While this structure might never be built, this wooden skyscraper concept hints at a larger movement in urban development. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 55% | Activity: 21% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) > [Eco Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/ecoarchitecture) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Wooden Skyscrapers:** Exploring the use of wood as a suitable building material for high-rise structures. - **Sustainable Urban Buildings:** Revisiting timber as a sustainable option for urban development. - **Massive Timber Structures:** Embracing timber as a construction material for large-scale building projects. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Architecture and Design:** Opportunity for architects and designers to innovate with wooden skyscrapers. - **Construction and Engineering:** Disruptive potential for engineers to develop sustainable urban buildings using timber. - **Real Estate and Urban Development:** Exploring new building options for sustainable urban development through timber structures. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Reimagined Structural Timber](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superwood.md) - [Mass-Timber Apartment Blocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wood-up.md) - [Wood-Framed Housing Blocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/common-woods.md) - [Forest Tower Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wonderwoods-vertical-forest.md) - [Timber Research Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anthony-timberlands.md) - [Asia-Based Wooden Buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gaia-building-1.md) - [Self-Shaping Timber Structures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hybrid-flax-pavilion.md) - [Wooden Traditional Finnish Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/espoo-house.md) - [Sustainable Cubic Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/appels-architekten.md)