The Netherlands is famously flat—but a massive green mountain is rising up in the Dutch city of Veldhoven. The Dutch Mountains project will be the world’s largest wooden building, combining natural materials with high-tech design to create a state-of-the-art, self-sustaining development. The ambitious project will include several offices and work spaces, as well as various conference centers. It will also feature a hotel located on site and short-stay facilities for out-of-town visitors. The main building will be constructed of solid wood and, once completed, will be the largest wooden building in the world. The Dutch Mountains master plan envisions an entirely self-sufficient complex, with closed cycles for energy, water, waste and materials. The architects chose timber as the principal building material in order to create system that reduces CO2 emissions. Additionally, they plan to integrate the building’s facade with a smart technology that reduces energy usage. The project envisions a future where the building can be updated with greener materials that help improve the building’s sustainability. For example, the building’s temperature-regulating facade will be one of the most innovative on the market, but if a smarter facade is created in the future that produces more energy, it can easily replace the old version, which will be recycled or repurposed. The complex will not only use sustainable building materials, but also provide an abundance of green space to create a vibrant, healthy atmosphere. From green roofs and a large park to an artificial marshland, the complex will be virtually covered in vegetation.

Japanese builder and developer Sumitomo Forestry has unveiled designs for the world’s tallest timber skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo. Designed by Nikken Sekkei, the 350 meter tall wooden tower will form part of the W350 Project, a mixed-use environmentally friendly development that the firms aim to complete in 2041 to mark Sumitomo’s 350th anniversary. The company says these steel-and-timber structures will help “transform the city into a forest.” Early renderings of the W350 project show the timber buildings covered in greenery and filled with natural light as part of Sumitomo’s message of promoting a healthier living environment. The buildings will be built to withstand earthquakes and be constructed with a 9:1 ratio of wood to steel. The development’s skyscraper centerpiece with 450 thousand square meters total area will house a hotel, offices, retail and residences. When complete, it will not only be the tallest timber tower in the world but also the tallest building in Japan. W350 is estimated to need over 185 thousand cubic meters of wood and cost approximately US$ 5.6 billion. This would be enough for 8000 of the company’s built-to-order homes. While the building framework will be made of a hybrid timber-steel structure, the interior will feature exposed wood in an attempt to bring people closer to nature. Sumitomo Forestry will research wood-based materials that can withstand flames for three hours. The plans also include waterfalls and such fire-resistant plants on the exterior of the building. The company hopes that the project will popularize timber architecture and help jumpstart a revitalization of the forestry industry in rural areas and interest in reforestation.

A 47000 square meters office building is set to rise in Newark, NJ — and once complete, it will be the largest mass timber office structure in the U.S. Designed by Vancouver firm Michael Green Architecture (MGA). The proposed Newark office will consist of three interconnected volumes and it will be more than double the size of the nation’s current largest mass-timber building, the T3 North Loop M building in Minneapolis. Mass-timber construction is growing in popularity across the U.S. and is lauded for fast construction, strength, and eco-friendly benefits. Though the building will be built on a concrete foundation, the structural components will be mass timber and will be treated to be fire resistant. The building comprises three stepped volumes ascending from six to eight and then 11 stories. The exterior will be clad in either brick or metal panels, while the interiors will feature exposed wood and be bathed in natural light thanks to ample glazing and a central atrium. Workers will also enjoy access to rooftop gardens. Described by the developers as the city's "most ambitious mixed-use project", the Riverfront Square proposal will include a total of 186000 square meters of office spaces, 2,000 residential units, a hotel, public space and cultural facilities.