A proposed 80-story beechwood skyscraper could become a pillar of progress for timber construction.
Chicago's River Beech project is a joint research venture between Cambridge University, architecture firm Perkins + Will, and structural engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti, Curbed reported. If it is built, the structure would be a key player in showcasing high-tech timber as the latest building material.
According to Andy Tsay Jacobs, architect and principal of Perkins + Wills' Chicago location, tall timber will likely become a common construction material after some more testing and updated building codes, Curbed reported.
"Mass timber can have a negative carbon footprint," said Tsay Jacobs. "This is building with a renewable natural resource. You can't replant the ore or rocks you're extractive for steel and concrete."
If built, the structure will be the world's tallest wooden tower, Curbed reported.
