Housing made of wood: A trend that is growing at rocket speed. What is behind it?

Wood is experiencing a real boom. Its processing and utilization are becoming increasingly modern, and thus it is more and more frequently used not only in family housing but also in urban development. What are its most significant benefits?

"The trend of wooden buildings in single-family houses started about 20 years ago, but we have only observed it in larger projects in the last two or three years. However, at such a level that could be described as a small tsunami wave. The interest from investors is skyrocketing, and wooden structures are being built for administrative buildings, schools, and multi-story apartment blocks," describes the current phenomenon architect, co-founder of the Prodesi/Domesi studio, and organizer of the Salon of Wooden Buildings, Pavel Horák.

Reason? Quality and sustainability

According to him, the reason is simple. People are increasingly concerned about what they eat, what clothes they wear, and how they live. "In all these respects, not only quality but also sustainability is becoming more important, in which wood excels as one of the few construction materials. Additionally, people are bringing experiences with wooden buildings from abroad, so inspiration from travels is also a reason," says Jiří Oslizlo, producer of cross-laminated timber (CLT).

Increasingly high quality

The quality of wooden buildings is also given by the fact that it is a highly cultivated field where work is done honestly and often by hand. "Our goal is to offer even better processing than required by standards, and we have been successfully achieving this in the long term," he adds. The industry is generally being pushed forward by increasingly modern technologies, which are also constantly evolving. New gluing and wood-crossing technologies allow wooden buildings to go multi-story. Prefabrication is improving, making it simpler and faster, and will, thanks to modern machines and technologies, require fewer workers. "In the next three to five years, production will be automated, which will solve the shortage of labor," predicts Pavel Horák.

Greatest advantages

Indeed, the speed of construction is one of the biggest advantages of wooden buildings. "They also mean a lower burden on the city during construction, as their parts are largely prefabricated, that is, manufactured elsewhere. The actual construction is significantly faster and imposes less restriction on its surroundings," explains the architect.


Another one of the most sought-after benefits of wood is its sustainability. In construction, wood, along with several recycled materials, is essentially the only sustainable material. "When you compare a logged quarry and a forest, it is clear that renewing a forest is much easier, and people can walk in it again. Throughout the entire life cycle of wood, there are many benefits," recalls Horák.

But that's not all. Modern wooden buildings made from glued panels also offer additional advantages, as they are better resistant to fire than, for example, steel structures or reinforced concrete. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) itself can withstand fire and does not need to be enclosed with other materials. Lastly, it should be added that constructing wooden buildings is also less dusty and less noisy.

Pleasant living surrounded by wood

Cities with wooden buildings do not overheat as much in the summer because wooden structures have lower thermal mass. Living in wood also has a therapeutic function—bringing a calming and healthy aroma into every home, as well as a very pleasant soft acoustics that additionally dampens surrounding noise.

A significant advantage is also the flexibility of wood, which allows for relatively easy changes in housing, whether it involves new partitions or new doors, or perhaps the addition of a garage or another part of the house. Everything can happen very quickly and easily.


"You can also use wood for accessories, various details that provide a pleasant wellness feeling. However, it is better to avoid damp environments, such as shower stalls, around bathtubs, sinks, or toilets," advises Pavel Horák, who founded the Salon of Wooden Buildings 18 years ago, whose next annual edition will begin in Prague on April 19 and present the best in this field. If you want to learn more about wooden buildings, stop by on April 20 during the free-access event "Day of Wooden Architecture" at the piazzetta of the National Theatre, where an outdoor exhibition in a wooden installation will also take place.

No shortage in sight

As will be confirmed during this event by world architects and other professionals, we will hear a lot more about the use of wood in construction. Its undeniable advantage is that there is no threat of shortage. "In the overwhelming majority, we use spruce wood, whose supplies have been ensured by the bark beetle calamity. In Central Europe, there is enough for decades to come. Because forests grow for 80 years, forest managers are already considering what will happen after the bark beetle and how to ensure an adequate supply of wood in the future," assures architect Horák.