First wooden high-rise to be built in Switzerland
A ten-story office block made out of wood is planned for Risch-Rotkreuz, canton Zug, for 2018. It will be the first such high-rise building to be built in Switzerland.
The use of wood as a construction material has been limited in Switzerland for fire prevention reasons. Until the end of 2004, wooden buildings couldn’t be more than two storeys with a roof extension, as Lignum, the Swiss wood industry’s umbrella organisationExternal link, explained on Tuesday.
The regulations were relaxed as a result of research findings and positive experiences. Since 2015, many types of buildings – flats, offices, schools, industrial and commercial buildings – have been given the green light as long as they are no higher than 30 metres.
With the ten-storey office, which will be a mix of wood and concrete, Lignum said wood was entering the high-rise sector for the first time.
The current world record for a liveable construction made using wood is an 18-storey student digs in Vancouver, Canada – although a 24-storey building is planned for Vienna.
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