Seattle-based sustainable development company, Green Canopy NODE, has revealed its latest endeavor — a mass timber model home, located in Seattle’s Central District. Using cross-laminated timber (CLT) as the main component, the three-story home is eco-friendly and durable. It took the team several years to bring their vision to life, working closely with architects, engineers, and contractors to ensure that the home is both structurally sound and sustainable.
The two-story home with a rooftop deck was assembled in Spokane, Washington. This also served as a demonstration of the installation, prefabrication, and logistics of Green Canopy NODE’s Integrated Building Kit. The home is designed to showcase the benefits of mass timber construction and promote sustainable housing.
Sustainable homes for everyone
Green Canopy NODE aims to demonstrate that sustainable housing can be stylish and comfortable by introducing aesthetically pleasing structures to the market. The model home proves that mass timber construction can be an alternative to traditional methods, as it builds faster with less waste and fewer carbon emissions. It is expected to inspire other developers and builders to embrace sustainable building practices with eco-friendly housing as the future of the industry.
The main motivation behind the mass timber homes seems to be the growing gap between people of different economic backgrounds, leading to problems with housing. Green Canopy NODE is aiming to help everybody by innovating new construction technologies to build affordable homes while lowering their carbon footprint. The houses that are built are air-tight so they use energy recovery ventilators for fresh air. They claim that the adhesives and paints used are low to zero-volatile organic compounds. Several waterproofing methods were employed to prevent leaky roofs, mold, and mildew. They also install non-gas appliances in the homes such as water heaters, furnaces, and stoves.
CLT homes and deforestation
There are positives to using CLT for Green Canopy NODE’s houses. Houses made from CLT are composed of stacked and glued layers of softwood boards like pine, spruce, or fir. This construction creates a sturdy, fire-resistant, and sustainable structure that is generally lighter than traditional building methods.
CLT panels are prefabricated and vary in weight due to design requirements, building size, and stories. The boards are glued together with adhesives under high pressure to create strong and solid panels. The panels are typically assembled off-site in specialized factories and include heating and ventilation as well as air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems.
The cost of wood, which can vary depending on market demand and supply availability, is generally considered a cost-effective construction material. Although wood prices are tied to market factors and might change, lumber is still seen as a cheaper building material than alternatives like concrete or steel. However, wood is prone to pests, rot, mold, and fungi. It can also change for the worse with time and climatic conditions. These might be considerations to think about especially if going with Green Canopy NODE’s houses. Apart from that, timber maintenance can be higher than other building materials.
The ability to obtain specific wood species suitable for CLT construction may be impacted by sustainability, local factors, and market demand. It also factors in certain things like transportation issues, labor shortages, and natural disasters. These can influence the supply chain and potentially impact project timelines and costs. To ensure sustainable forest harvesting, it is necessary to support the long-term ecological balance and avoid deforestation.
Green Canopy Node claim can build their sustainable home in as fast as 100 days. This would include the architectural design, engineering, manufacturing validation, and site installation. So far, they’ve announced that they have built 40+ homes in 2022 in the Pacific Northwest.
YouTube: Green Canopy NODE’s Integrated Kit for Workforce Housing
Photo credits: The images used in the body of the article are owned by Green Canopy NODE and have been provided for press usage.
Sources: PR Newswire
