New Office Building In London Is Built From Wood That Can Regrow In 2.5 Hours

A new office building has emerged in Shoreditch, London, which is made entirely of wood. The Office Group (TOG), a company specializing in workspace design, and Waugh Thistleton Architects constructed the ‘The Black & White Building’, which blends nature and the corporate world. 

Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and cross-laminated timber (CLT), intended to produce less waste than industry standards like iron and steel, are used to construct the entire 58-foot tower. In addition, The Black & White Building was made out of 1,547 pine, spruce trees, and 227 beech trees that came from Austrian and German-approved forests.

According to TOG, the CLT and LVL are fully replenishable and would only take 137 minutes to be regenerated in nature. This means that a sustainable forest can regrow the timber taken to construct the building.

Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects. “It clearly demonstrates that mass timber is a viable replacement for concrete and steel in the mainstream office market, saving thousands of tonnes of CO2. We’re trying to change the way we build, to transform the industry.”

Different building components have been designed to slide together rather than be fastened or bonded, pushing the eco-friendly design further. This makes it possible for the structure to be dismantled rather than demolished when the time comes. 80 solar panels have been installed on its roof, supplying most of its internal electricity. 

Daytrip Studios created the building’s interior to capture Shoreditch’s artistic spirit. The structure houses 94 bike storage spaces, 94 workplaces, six meeting rooms, break facilities, showers, and even a yoga and barre studio. Natural wood is also used for the walls, floors, and even the furnishings, which all reference the building’s exterior.

Check out more photos of The Black & White Building below.

[via TOG/Zetteler]