The University of British Columbia's 18-story, $39 million Brock Common residence hall — the world's tallest wood-framed building — has completed its skeleton and topped out the facade. University officials says the building's carbon footprint reduction is equal to removing 500 cars from use in one year.
The material at the center of the wood building design is cross-laminated timber, which the American Wood Council says is a renewable and sustainable material.
However, there are those who don't agree with building with wood. Recently, officials in Sandy Springs, GA, have banned wood-framed buildings taller that three stories and larger than 100,000 square feet.
While the Canadian residence hall is currently the tallest wood building in the world, plans for taller wood buildings in Stockholm and London have been proposed.
