Research in sustainable design and construction systems: multi-storey residential timber buildings in Europe

Advancing construction systems is a way to enhance the environmental sustainability performance of buildings. The growing need to increase density in cities and to rethink construction methods for residential buildings has recently led to a series of innovative approaches for multi-storey timber construction systems in Europe. Hereby, applied research in new materials and interdisciplinary collaboration between architects and manufacturers of building components drive innovation and the development of new structural systems. The paper presents ongoing research, focusing in the first part on technical aspects of such multi-storey timber constructions. In the second part, the paper presents a series of recent case studies of urban timber buildings. The close collaboration between architect and system manufacturer has enabled the development of prefabricated panel construction systems; even in what appears to be a simple project, there is a high complexity in the developed system, systemisation, detailing of components and realisation. The author sees this as a relevant topic within the context of the environmental debate and the need to use sustainable materials and prefabricated systems to ensure affordability in environmentally driven projects. The paper discusses the lessons that can be learnt from the case studies and their use of timber as multi-frame, for multi-level residential buildings. The main objectives of the presented projects are: Prototype design of large-scale prefabricated timber elements to improve the construction ; process and the energy-efficiency of building envelopes ; Modular design for transformation and disassembly: Systems not designed for transformation lead frequently to user dissatisfaction, adaptability at high cost, and more demolition waste ; Closing cycles through integrated life cycle design methodologies: Optimization of a frictionless ‘digital chain’ for the entire process, from design, to production, to assembly. The conclusion suggests that these prefabricated timber systems allow for high-performance construction methods adequate for multi-storey residential buildings, even in an urban context.