Benefits of Timber
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Building a greener future
As climate change accelerates, the urgency to rethink how we design and build our workplaces has never been greater. With the building sector responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, every decision in design and construction shapes our collective future.
Timber buildings offer a powerful solution. As a carbon negative material, timber absorbs and stores CO₂ throughout its life cycle, making it an essential tool in our fight against climate change. Strong, renewable, and endlessly versatile, timber is starting to replace high-emission materials like concrete and steel.
Benefits of timber buildings extend beyond the environment – they are operationally less expensive and easy to adapt over time, and also improve human wellbeing and productivity by reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and increasing focus, creativity and problem-solving capabilities.
Timber is more than a material. It is a cornerstone for a thriving future in which the built environment can support, not compromise, the health of people and the planet.
Discover more about timber’s benefits below…
Ecological Architecture
Welcome to a new epoch in which buildings are grown, relationships blossom, and businesses thrive. Across the world, mass timber construction is reducing emissions, enhancing wellbeing, and unifying nature and technology. But what’s behind the renaissance of humanity’s oldest building material?
The opportunities afforded by the timber structure are compelling from both the embodied carbon perspective, and in terms of the human benefits of a building that will bring occupiers into daily contact with the warmth, tactility, beauty and even the scent of timber.
Timber has a high strength-to-weight ratio, making it suitable for high-rise buildings. Well-maintained timber structures can last centuries, with examples like Japan’s Horyu-ji Temple dating back to 607 AD.
Contrary to common misconceptions, mass timber often outperforms steel in fire resistance. Although timber is combustible, mass timber structures behave predictably in the event of a fire, forming a protective layer of char which leaves the load-bearing insides intact. A study by Trent University (Canada, 2018) found that timber’s predictable charring rate allows it to maintain structural integrity longer than steel in fire conditions.
Timber buildings are highly adaptable. Assembled as a modular kit of parts, CLT sections can be quickly and easily removed or reconfigured and reinstated over time to create customised spaces such as stairs, double-height spaces and partitions. Unlike steel frame buildings, this can be done without costly structural changes.
Timber benefits from excellent insulating properties. This superior thermal performance reduces heating and cooling needs, resulting in lowers operational costs.
Covering nearly 1/3 of the world’s land area, forests are essential for climate regulation, soil conservation, and supporting diverse ecosystems. Timber from sustainably managed forests is an endlessly renewable resource that plays a crucial role in conserving the world’s biodiversity and maintaining water quality.
The natural aesthetic of wood can help improve mood and increase cognitive function, ultimately resulting in higher productivity levels.
A 2021 Harvard University review of more than 40 experimental studies concluded that exposure to nature, including timber interiors, accelerates stress recovery by lowering cortisol levels and boosting serotonin, the “happy” hormone.
Wood grain as a texture positively influences creativity, problem solving capability, understanding and thinking ability.
Timber’s natural properties enhance indoor air quality. It emits significantly lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than synthetic materials and can adsorb up to 50% of harmful VOCs by trapping gas molecules on its surface. Additionally, timber regulates humidity by absorbing moisture when it’s humid and releasing it when it’s dry, promoting balanced indoor comfort.
Timber environments improve mood and focus. Studies have shown that environments with over 60% exposed wood surfaces resulted in:
30% increase in positive mood
22% boost in concentration
28% increase in confidence
31% higher work-life satisfaction
Constructing with timber emits 5–10 times less carbon than using concrete or steel, significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Timber absorbs carbon dioxide during tree growth, and retains it throughout its use in construction.
Each cubic metre of timber can store up to 800 Kg of CO₂.
Forests are natural carbon sinks, and now buildings can be too. Timber from sustainably managed forests serves as a carbon store, enhancing the planet’s ability to sequester carbon. Each cubic metre of timber used in construction stores approximately 0.9 tonnes of CO2, locking it away for decades, or even centuries.
Timber structures are assembled rather than built, resulting in quieter, less disruptive construction in urban areas. Predominantly pre-assembled off-site, this approach reduces on-site deliveries while minimising dust, fumes, and waste—creating a safer environment for workers and a more pleasant experience for the community.
The McArthur Foundation recognises timber as a vital material in the circular economy, valued for its potential to be reused, recycled, and ultimately biodegraded. Timber buildings are not simply demolished or incinerated; instead, their components are carefully disassembled and reclaimed for use in other buildings, furniture, or panel boards. Only at the end of multiple lifecycles is timber used for biofuel, ensuring minimal waste.
Timber production utilises every part of a tree, generating significantly less waste than other materials. From building materials to paper and biofuel, timber embodies a sustainable life cycle with minimal environmental impact.
“Xylo is the most sustainable new build in London.”
The dawn of a new era in which buildings are grown.
