From pallet to palace: high-rise made with waste wood.
It's happening in The Netherlands: upcycled wood used in the building industry. The Urban Woods, are the first in the world to apply CLT, that is made from pallets and waste wood, in a building.
Piles of waste turn into residential towers
The Urban Woods, known for their subscription-based modular homes, builds a high-tech apartment complex with 10 floors in Delft, the Netherlands. Concrete is used only scarcely. Even the core, the balconies and the elevator shaft are made of wood, partially upcycled wood. The wood is treated in such a way that it will last for centuries. "Bizarre," exclaims Tim Vermeend, co-founder of The Urban Woods, enthusiastically. "Around 1 million pallets are thrown away or left to burn. They can now be used to build great projects".
Around 1 million pallets are thrown away or left to burn. They can now be used to build great projects.
Tim Vermeend, co-founder The Urban Woods
Dutch Design
The Circular Cross-Laminated Timber panels, C-CLT, are made from demolition wood and discarded pallets, all sourced locally in The Netherlands. The outer layer is made of ash wood. The method results in thick, solid wooden panels that meet European regulations, reduce CO₂ emissions, and are naturally circular; it’s up-cycling: low-grade wood becomes a high-grade building product. They are a precursor to the bio-construction transition.
We invite the world to copy us
Sebastian Monteban, co-founder The Urban Woods
The new standard
This “milestone” is the result of a comprehensive Dutch collaboration. The pallets are prepared by the local social enterprise. Then planks are made, connected with finger joints, and cross laminated into solid panels. The Urban Climate Architects delivered the design, and The Urban Woods treats the wood and builds modern modular homes from it. Researchers of the TNO institute conduct thorough research including metal parts detection, adhesive bonding, and strength classification. “Only together can we set the new standard. we invite the world to copy us.
Only together can we set the new standard.
Sebastian Monteban, co-founder The Urban Woods
Scalable, Social, and Local
The creators expect to construct entire buildings from waste wood in the future. Building with it, is scalable, affordable, and requires no import. Everything is local. With the world’s first C-CLT vacuum press for recycled wood, the process is currently being scaled up. “ The first screw for us is a large turning point for the building industry,” shouts co-founder Sebastian Monteban during the screw ceremony at The Urban Woods headquarters. Confetti seals the deal.
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Confetti tijdens de eerste schroef in C-CLT ter wereld. Onder The Urban Woods (Tim Vermeend en Sebastian Monteban) boven vlnr The Urban Climate Architects, Staatsbosbeheer, TNO, Boerboom, TNO, Woodjoint. credits: The urban woods
Up-cycled wood used in the building industry. "Around 1 million pallets are thrown away. They can now be used to build great projects. We invite the world to copy us"
