9 Stunning Buildings That Will Change the Way You Think of Wood

When you think of wooden buildings, you likely think of log cabins or New England clapboard cottages. But thanks to new technologies like treatments for bamboo or cross-laminated “engineered” timber, wood is stronger, lighter, fireproof, and more practical than ever before—an alternative to environmentally problematic materials like steel and concrete. In London, for example, Murray Grove is a nine-story residential building built entirely of wood. Welcome to the era of woodenskyscrapers.

William Hall, the editor and graphic designer behind Concrete and Brick, felt the need for this book as our relationships with organic materials become more scarce and valuable in an increasingly urbanized world. “There’s something primordial, satisfying, comforting, and delightful in the fabric of wood that isn’t found in concrete, steel, or glass,” says Hall of Wood, out this month.

For the structure above, located in the Swiss Alps at an elevation of 8,320 feet, a helicopter had to deliver the component parts. “The difficulty of the project appeals to me,” says Hall. “And the form: It’s a continuous spiral. It’s a student project and an exercise piece, but one that has incredible ambition.”

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