A new study from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has revealed important statistics that provide a clearer picture of the present state of tall mass timber construction across the globe.

There are now a total of 66 completed mass timber projects worldwide totaling of least 8 stories or higher. Nearly two-thirds (64% or 54 buildings) of all projects are residential, while office buildings account for 19% (16 buildings), and the mixed-use typology currently makes up 14% (12 buildings). Including projects that are currently under construction or proposed, there were 139 total projects matching the audit’s criteria. 

In terms of height, 12 of the 20 tallest structures are located in Europe. Scandinavia had 4 of those, while the UK and Australia had 3 and 5 apiece, respectively. Additionally, the height of the world’s tallest timber building, now officially the soon-to-be-completed 25-story Ascent tower in Milwaukee, has tripled in just under a decade to 86.6 meters or 284 feet.

The advent of the use of the material has had direct consequences on the industry’s sometimes tenuous attempts at carbon offsetting as evidenced by the 900,000 total kilograms (1.9 million pounds) of CO2 that were saved on Québec’s new Origine development alone.

CTBUH’s survey was put together in part by the USDA and U.S. Forest Service, so it is important to note the latter’s projected $150 billion worth of timber stock set to become available as a result of its ten-year wildfire prevention program. In terms of reforestation, the survey noted that it took just 77 minutes for Austrian forests to regrow the timber used in White Arkitekter’s HoHo Tower in Vienna. 

The entire study, The State of Tall Timber: A Global Audit, can be read here.