Measures are being taken across the entire EU as well as in Norway and Switzerland to make more use of wood, with the latter two countries leading the way. This is a rather new development, as the conversation has only recently turned to the extensive use of non-renewable materials in construction and the considerable greenhouse gas emissions that result. The pioneer in wooden – and other – construction is Switzerland, leading to the question: what does Switzerland think about wood construction? Proponents envision product-based limits for emissions, with the construction sector avoiding demolition to meet circular economy requirements. The author has followed developments in wood construction across Europe from his role as a program manager (2016 to 2023) with the wood construction promotion program at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment.

Author: Petri Heino, an expert in the bioeconomy and wood construction.

Wooden construction is living in a golden age in Central Europe

Europe awoke to the need to promote the use of wood in the early 1990s, and regional business organisations and companies became more active across the entire value chain. Experts formed their own networks, with the one in Vorarlberg, Austria being the most famous, spreading its expertise and company products around the world.

More wood construction development “hotspots” emerged at the turn of the century, including the Växjö area in Sweden, the Stavanger-Trondheim-Bergen axis on the Norwegian coast, the Austrian state of Styria, and Woodpolis in Kuhmo. A (wood) revolution in construction has not broken out in any one country, not yet anyway, but we can see an interest in the forest bioeconomy and wood construction sweeping across the public sector almost everywhere in Europe and globally. In Switzerland, the Ministry of the Environment is spearheading a program to increase the use of wood in construction.

Switzerland is already a model in wood construction and home to many forward-thinking wood construction companies. At the same time, the country’s universities conduct research that take the use of wood to new levels by deploying robots and automation. AI-assisted planning and operations will usher in a time when the construction of living and working spaces will automatically consider indoor air quality and similar aspects.

“Seminars hosted discussions on industrial prefabrication 30 years ago (in the 1990s), moved to the role of architecture 20 years ago, then multi-storey construction 10 years ago, and now large projects. The future will see discussions on industrial implementation and the repair of buildings in a sustainable, compact, and carbon-neutral manner.” -entrepreneur Max Renggli, Renggli AG

Engineers will play a larger role as the opportunities inherent in standardised industrial wood construction are combined with the rational use of resources and the requirements of the circular economy. Even large buildings, such as schools, have remarkably similar requirements for open spaces, loads, and sound insulation. This means standardised structures can contribute to cost-effective construction while enabling individualised architectural solutions. At the same time, wood as a building material allows for unique designs and adaptation to local products, even down to the tree species growing in the area. “Both options have huge untapped potential,” claims architect Frederic Bauer. The use of local materials is gaining ground, although this is not limited to wood, as clay construction is also on the rise.

Only multidisciplinary dialogue and collaboration can meet the challenges faced by construction

Finding a balance between external (customer) requirements and optimised internal production processes is the most prominent issue in industrial wood construction. Companies offering wood construction products in particular have done the research and development work on this issue. Blumer Lehman AG follows a tripartite model where architecture, structural analysis, and production possibilities come together to enable the basic framework for cost-effectiveness. Modern projects also call for new types of consultants who focus on managing the design-to-production processes. Builders much prefer pragmatic solutions over theoretical approaches, but their general attitude towards wooden construction is positive.

Architect Mathias Heinz and civil engineer Hermann Blumer have also pondered the unique features of large wooden buildings. Building technology can be difficult to adapt to the wooden structural systems and architecture, whereas the wide range of façades is seen as an opportunity. Hermann Blumer emphasises that wood’s strengths lie in its versatility and positive social effects, not necessarily its applicability to high-tech solutions. As examples of wood’s versatility, Roche Diagnostics’ upcoming production facility meets strict structural requirements and will be 150 metres long but only 4 storeys tall, while a wood-concrete hybrid building is reaching for the sky at a height of 75 meters in Zhwatt near Zurich.

Applying the circular economy to construction necessitates compromises

Swiss building codes require construction methods that allow materials to be recycled or reused. Currently, only 14% of building materials are recycled, and getting consumers to accept recycled products is a particular challenge. When it comes to structures, popular solutions include conservation, non-destructive renovation, and easily recyclable volumetric elements.

Developers are increasingly avoiding demolition, as the general perception is that renovations and the minimal use of materials are the way to go. Research and development are still needed to design joints and connections for disassembly and to plan potential reuses for disassembled parts. Structural bonding techniques are also popular in R&D as gluing can be superior to mechanical fasteners from a circular economy perspective. Another key area of development is the recycling of hybrid structures.

“We in Switzerland have everything we need to make the future worth living, if we don’t do it, then who will?” – Member of the Swiss National Council Gerhard Andrey (Green)

The most significant international collaboration undertaken as part of Finland’s wood construction program between 2016 and 2023 was the European Wood Policy Platform (woodPoP). This is a collaboration network of European ministries established in 2022, which regularly gathers European officials and decision-makers to discuss the promotion of wood construction and the forest bioeconomy. The network currently includes 29 European countries. Several wood construction programs are under way, including in Switzerland. For more information, see www.woodpop.eu.

This article is based on a seminar held at the beginning of May in Biel, a city whose university of applied sciences is one of Switzerland’s most significant educational and research institutions for wood construction. The University of Applied Sciences Biel organised the event to encourage a dialogue between wood structure designers, architects, and entrepreneurs about the future of construction and what role wood could play in overcoming challenges. The lumber construction seminar brought together a large number of construction industry professionals, researchers, students, and representatives of the public sector to reflect on the current state and future of the industry.

Attending wood construction seminars abroad offers a unique opportunity to expand expertise, network internationally, and find new business opportunities. Attendance is an investment that can bring long-term benefits on both a personal and an organisational level. Seminars are typically organised by national “Puuinfo” type organisations, educational institutions, and public bodies, such as provinces. Major events in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) are organised by the region’s higher education institutions through a separate organization, such as Forum-Holzbau. The University of Applied Sciences Bern is one of its supporting organisations.

For more information on the seminar: https://www.bfh.ch/ahb/de/aktuell/news/2024/nachbericht-holzbautag-2024/
For more information on Forum-Holzbau seminars: https://forum-holzbau.com/de/home