Building wooden skyscrapers seems to be gaining in popularity, and now one is going up in Amsterdam. The so-called Haut tower was designed by the Dutch firm Team V Architecture and they plan to begin construction in the later part of 2017.
The skyscraper will measure 240 ft (73 m) in height and have 21 floors. It will be a luxury apartment complex, and Haut actually stands for Haute Couture. Occupants will have lots of options to choose from for their apartments, including the layout, number of balconies (if any) placement of double-height spaces and more. The tower will have 55 units, as well as an underground garage, a bicycle storage area, and a garden, which will also be open to the public. The tower is actually part of a larger housing development project in Amstelkwartier, which will feature around 4,000 new residential units, as well as commercial and retail areas.
Judging from the renders, the apartments will be open plan, with lots of windows to let in plenty of light and offer great views. It will be built out of prefabricated cross-laminated timber panels, which were chosen for their strength, durability, and ease of assembly. They’re also very fire resistant.
The tower will also boast of a number of sustainable features, such as a wastewater purification system and something the designers call “energy-generating facades”. These will either feature solar panels or wind turbines. They are aiming for a BREEAM Outstanding rating, which is the top rating when it comes to green building.
The Haut tower will certainly be the tallest timber skyscraper in the Netherlands and quite possibly the world, for the time being. Though others could steal that title, since it won’t be completed until 2019.
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