One of the myths about wood in construction is: “wood isn’t very safe and can easily be destroyed by fire”. An assumption that isn’t true, as research proves:

“Under fire conditions, with high temperatures (850°C), wood has a safer behavior than other structures, such as steel, which after 500°C quickly loses its mechanical strength, leading to the collapse of the structure in an unpredictable manner. Well-dimensioned pieces of wood offer greater safety to the structure, because they gradually lose their mechanical strength, delaying their collapse.” (Nunes, 2015)

It’s important to understand that the self-protective nature of the charred wood layer increases the likelihood of a wood structure surviving fire, as the uncharred inner core remains unchanged, maintaining its strength and thus the stability of the structure.

It’s worth pointing out: mass timber is the result of an industrial process. That’s, it’s a material that undergoes a production process. And this process aims to turn the wood becomes a material with high structural capacity.

Being a structural material, the pieces ensure high mechanical resistance, as well as resistance to fire and moisture.

– Speed, because the parts arrive ready to be assembled on site 
– Clean, waste free job site
– Silent execution 
– Increased safety for the teams working in the manufacturing and assembly process
– Biophilic design
– Sustainability, due to wood’s renewability, capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it for as long as it’s in use
– Environments that provide more well-being, concentration and productivity through the connection with nature

In fact, planting forests (and consuming them) is one of the solutions to mitigate global warming. How?
– The process of forestry – regular planting of forests for commercial purposes – protects the original biomes.
– The practice of forestry ensures the storage of carbon dioxide, because the wood stores this gas in its interior, while carrying out the natural process of photosynthesis.  Therefore, forestry can be seen as a major sectoral strategy for mitigating carbon emissions from civil construction. 
– The production of cement or steel presupposes burning fossil fuels, which release high amounts of carbon into the atmosphere during the process.
– All the wood used in the construction of Noah’s buildings comes from certified forests planted for this purpose.

Link to this content: Why planting forests can help save the planet – Urbem (urbembr.com)

Yes, mass timber is an established material. In Brazil it’s not yet just for historical and cultural reasons. And that’s why we are here, reinventing the Brazilian civil construction and working with a lot of dedication to bring the culture of wood to our country!

In countries like Finland, Austria, Canada, Australia, and the United States, there are already countless works in mass timber. And, some examples of projects that inspire us can be found in our blog.

In the United States there are more than 500 buildings currently under construction, and it’s a fast growing market.