Michael Green: Why we should build wooden skyscrapers

The Case for Wood Skyscrapers

Enter Mr. Green

Michael Green gives the case for tall wood skyscrapers and for providing a home for the 40% of the world's population in the next 40 year will need a new home. Michael Green Architecture (MGA) was recently acquired by Silicon Valley startup Katerra. (Update: Katerra is bankrupt, while MGA is still building.)

Why Use Wood in the Steel and Concrete Domain?

The secret to building so high is the new idea of mass timber panels being put forth. These panels are made up of glued-up young-growth forest. Our sustainable forest industry is the only material that is literally grown on trees. Private sustainable forests could push back the push of deforestation. The forest is a solar-charged factory.

How Do You Build a Wood High-Rise?

Proposed as high as 30 floors. The key engineering of these supertall wood buildings is published FFTT Creative Commons solution to build tilt-up panels 6 stories at a time. Modules are stacked one on top of the other and can predictably resist fire and seismic hazards. The standard 2x4 may be superseded by the mass timber panel. We will need to wait and see how the mass timber panels perform and see how building and safety codes evolve to embrace the new idea of wood skyscrapers, or at least allow increases to the current height limits on wood construction.

Original Post 2018, Updated 2025