It's sustainable, it's beautiful and it just might be the solution to the nitrogen problem as well as the tight housing market: timber construction! A timber house may sound like something out of a Scandinavian fairy tale, but modern timber construction is a more realistic choice for the planet than many traditional building methods.
Timber construction: good for the climate and good against nitrogen problems
In cooperation with Geldersche Houtbouw
Timber construction is not only beautiful to look at and quick to build with - we'll get to that in a moment - it tackles also some big headache issues such as CO2 emissions, nitrogen and that gigantic housing shortage. Building with concrete and steel takes a lot of energy and causes a lot of greenhouse gas emissions as well as nitrogen. Wood does exactly the opposite: trees take CO2 from the air and it simply remains trapped in the wood, even after it has become a house. And because building with wood causes much less nitrogen, projects are also less likely to come to a standstill. In times of housing shortage, that's pretty good news.
Why house building is struggling
Building houses in the Netherlands is quite a puzzle these days. That is because several things are at play at once. The nitrogen regulations are throwing a spanner in the works: many building projects are not allowed to go ahead because they emit too much nitrogen, especially near protected nature areas. On top of this, there is not enough staff to solve the housing shortage, raw materials like concrete and steel have become significantly more expensive, and regulations and permit procedures are often cumbersome. Not to mention the lack of space, especially in the Randstad. All this adds up to a housing shortage, while demand is higher than ever.
Building without hassle
Another great advantage of timber construction: timber construction is often prefabricated. This means that the components of your home are made in a workshop and only assembled on site. Like giant Lego, but with a real roof on top. No months of building in your street, just a few weeks' work and your house is ready. And because wood is lighter than concrete, you can also build in places where traditional construction is difficult, such as in a backyard or yard.
Dreaming of your own log home? That dream is coming within reach sooner than you think, because nowadays you have log homes that you buy prefabricated.
Your wooden dream?
Whether you are looking for a home to care for your parents, a place for your student child in the garden, a recreational home for the weekends or - if you are one of those lucky ones who managed to get a plot of land - a complete wooden dream house for yourself: at Geldersche Houtbouw can do it all. They have been building customised wooden buildings since 2008, and now there are over three thousand of them. Everything is prefabricated in their modern workshop, which makes it ready for use on location. From small sheltered accommodation to complete family homes. And with PEFC or FSC certified wood, you can be sure you are contributing to responsible forest management. And so do customers: with more than 900 experiences and an average rating of 9+, you are in good hands here.
Photo credits: Geldersche Houtbouw.
