How wood construction can save the planet

The impressive Valckensteyn apartment complex is rising in Rotterdam. A challenging job for construction company Waal from Vlaardingen, which is realizing a large-scale project made of solid wood for the first time. Project leader Hans Houweling talks about all the advantages of building with wood. 

The Valckensteyn complex in Rotterdam's Pendrecht neighborhood will be as much as 40 meters high and have 12 floors. It is one of the largest affordable timber construction residential complexes in the Netherlands, Houweling says. The complex consists of 82 apartments in the middle rental segment. There will be private parking and a large covered bicycle storage area in the plinth, and the entire building is connected to district heating. Solar panels will soon adorn the roofs and the building will have a collective flower garden, educational garden and natural playground. 

Construction of Valckensteyn began in the fall of 2023. Houweling: "In January, we could actually start timber construction." That the entire shell is solid wood is rather special. "That has not been done before in the Netherlands with a building of this size. So a nice challenge." 

Houweling was involved in the construction not only as a project manager from Waal, but also from his own company, Linkwood. "With that, we facilitate the engineering, delivery and assembly of timber building structures. In fact, from my position as project leader, I saw that there was still very little experience with complex timber construction. With Linkwood, I ensure that timber construction projects become feasible and affordable."

The advantages of wood construction

Timber construction has all sorts of advantages, Houweling explains. "It is a fantastic product to work with. For example, every floor can be waterproofed immediately. That means you can quickly start the interior work. And that works very efficiently. You can build faster, with less noise pollution and less waste. Wood also has a natural look, which appeals to many people. When you walk around this wooden building later, it feels much better than all that 'cold' concrete."

The main advantage of wood construction? That is the sustainable and circular aspect. "With timber construction you can really make an impact. In lots of ways. Compared to concrete, the emissions are zero. With wood you can tune very precisely what you need. So you also don't have to dispose of anything anymore."

Climate-positive building

"Wood is naturally circular. We only use wood from certified forests. Those are trees that are about 60 to 80 years old. We use that wood for a complex that also stands for another 150 years. And then you can just take it apart and reuse it. In the meantime, new trees will have grown again." Valckensteyn is climate-positive thanks in part to the use of an all-wood shell. "The wood stores CO2: that's about 1,500 tons net for the entire complex. A gigantic amount of which you can drive your car for 60 years."

For Waal, the timber construction at Valckensteyn tastes like more. "We are already working on more projects. And in the process we continue to innovate. Ultimately, Waal wants to make as much impact on the planet as possible and remain the leader in complex timber construction." Houweling is most proud of the teamwork. "Everything went perfectly. It is wonderful to see that we pulled up such a complete building with one team. Everything came together very nicely."