THE WORD PLYSCRAPER is so catchy that it ’ s irresistible to journalists : nevertheless , it ’ s a fact that wood , whose mechanical properties are celebrated in so many ancient buildings , is no longer the material of the past .

Technology has overcome such limitations as it had , and engineered wood is economical , adaptable , durable , has excellent thermal properties and ticks a lot of other LEED boxes . From the HoHo in Vienna to london ’ s Stadthaus , timber construction offers the combination of minimal cost and no carbon footprint – our lead article this month explores recent progress in returning timber to the mainstream .

We can ’ t expect the arboreally challenged Middle East to join this trend , and featured company Hadeed Emirates Contracting Company underlines that steel remains indispensable – particularly for fast track industrial projects . It also has a great story to tell in carbon reduction .

Associate Editor abigail . phillips @ wdmgroup . com

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