Designed by architectural firm Mei architects and planners, SAWA is a wooden residential building that is regarded as being the “healthiest building in the Netherlands.”
Set to be constructed in Rotterdam, the building commissioned by Nice Developers & Era Contour will stand 50 metres tall and include around 100 apartments.
Specifically, SAWA will be constructed using Cross-laminated Timber (CLT) sourced from sustainable production forests. According to Mei architects and planners, a new tree is planted for each one cut down.
Mei architects and planners says that by using CLT, CO2 is stored and emissions are reduced. In addition, construction time is reported to be shorter when compared to concrete construction.
Noting how natural habitats of species such as birds, bees and butterflies are being reduced due to urbanization and environmental destruction, SAWA is designed to be nature-inclusive by planting greenery and placing nesting boxes.
Currently, the construction of SAWA has been halted, citing the inflation of wood and construction costs.
“The project has been delayed somewhat but this is not directly related to the timber shortage in terms of delivery time,” explains Mieke Winkel of Mei architects and planners. “The sharp increase in construction costs in the broad sense has delayed the process somewhat.”
All images in this article are courtesy of Mei architects and planners.
