Around 320 wooden housing units were started to be built in Barcelona for social renting. The use of this material allows construction times to be reduced by half compared to concrete structures.
The initiative seeks to launch the construction of six wooden apartment block developments.
The most advanced is the work on Pallars Street, which will have 42 floors built, the construction of which will be done as a puzzle with 1,100 pieces of wood.
The estimated construction time for this block is just over a year, half the time it would take to complete the work with traditional concrete.
The housing units will be used for rental purposes. To gain access, you must be registered in the registry of the municipality.
Wood and concrete
Building with wood is very different from building with concrete, since the pieces arrive cut and prefabricated ready to fit together.
It is a very fast process to advance, since 90% of the structure comes ready from the factory, therefore, the construction takes half the time compared to concrete ones.
Another advantage of building with wood is that it is a sustainable material, as it has negative emissions because with the life cycle of wood consumes CO₂ and during the construction process are very low.
In addition, wood has interior comfort qualities as well as moisture control.
From the inside of the house it will be visible, although from the outside the wood will not be seen, since thanks to the properties of the material it must be encapsulated with thermal and sound insulation systems.
It is estimated that the building, whose construction will be completed in the first quarter of 2024, will also be equipped with solar panels to supply the buildings with sustainable energy.
Wooden housing for the Catalan capital
On the other hand, during a recent visit to the construction site, Lucía Martín, councilor for housing, said that wood construction is not only faster than traditional construction, but also less polluting.
It also represents a new technique that fosters innovation and recursion in the construction sector.
The Barcelona City Council has proposed to encourage the construction sector to adapt to new techniques that reduce environmental impact, shorten construction times and contribute to innovation and urban development.
This type of construction from industrialized production is part of the strategy where “Aprop” developments used recycled shipping containers to manufacture housing.
It is estimated that between 320 and 382 homes and housing units will be built with this industrially produced material.
