19 Oct 2022

Wood makes solid construction comeback

From Nine To Noon, 9:30 am on 19 October 2022

Wood is making a comeback as the construction industry looks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from high carbon materials like concrete and steel.

The government's Building for Climate Change programme has set a target of near-zero building related emissions by 2050. In Switzerland construction is underway on the world's tallest residential building with a load-bearing structure in wood.

The 100-metre tall wooden apartment tower Rocket&Tigerli is being built by Scandinavian architect firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen.

Its head of global innovation Enlai Hooi says the use of timber in high rise construction reduces carbon emissions, provides quality housing and reconnects people with nature.

He's in New Zealand to speak to at an event organised by MidRise Wood Construction  and joins Kathryn to talk about how climate change is fuelling a wooden construction renaissance.