FT Rethink

Mass timber: the future of construction?

Developers are starting to build bigger and higher using mass timber: thick, compressed layers of wood. Mass timber can be less damaging to the environment than traditional construction materials, although some still have concerns over its safety and sustainability. Helen Barrett visits several mass timber projects pushing the boundaries on scale and explores what a greener building future could look like.

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FT Rethink

FT Channels, a partnership destination that combines impactful and enriching multimedia content to spark curiosity and encourage discovery. Each vertical brings expert insights from the Financial Times and our Partners into the most pressing issues of our time.


FT Rethink series focuses on the people, technology, strategies and systems moving us from an economy that is wasteful, idle, lopsided and dirty towards one that is circular, lean, inclusive and clean. The channel alternates between independent reporting from FT journalists and business perspectives from Lombard Odier