High-Rise Residential Timber Buildings: Emerging Architectural and Structural Design Trends

Abstract

High-rise residential timber buildings (≥8 stories) are an emerging and promising domain, primarily owing to their capacity to deliver notable environmental and economic benefits over the entire span of their existence. However, it is worth noting that the current body of scholarly work falls short in providing a thorough examination of the key aspects related to architectural and structural design for these environmentally sustainable towers. In an effort to bridge this knowledge gap and deepen our comprehension of the evolving worldwide trends, this research delved into data collected from 55 case studies conducted across the globe. The primary findings unveiled the following: (1) Europe, particularly Nordic countries, stood out as the region boasting the highest number of high-rise residential timber buildings, with North America and the United Kingdom following suit; (2) central cores were the prevailing choice for the core configuration, with the peripheral type following as the second most common option; (3) prismatic forms were the most commonly favored design choices; (4) widespread prevalence of employing pure timber was observed, followed by timber and concrete composite combinations; and (5) structural systems were predominantly characterized by the utilization of shear walled frame and shear wall systems. This research aims to reveal the current attributes of high-rise residential timber buildings, with the expectation that it will offer architects valuable knowledge to assist and steer them in planning and implementing forthcoming sustainable projects within this domain.