Timber buildings and composite buildings, which combine wood with other materials, are often considered the future of sustainable construction. Yet they make up only a small share of the current development market. As many as 81 % companies do not have such buildings in their portfolio. In the Czech Republic, brick buildings dominate the construction sector. CEEC Research's survey clearly shows that traditional masonry construction dominates the market: up to 90 % development directors consider this type of construction as the best solution for their projects. Nevertheless, with increasing pressure on sustainability, it is expected that interest in timber buildings may gradually increase.
In countries such as Austria and Germany, wooden buildings are gaining popularity thanks to their ecological and fast construction solutions. In the Nordic countries, they form a significant part of construction. The Czech market is still conservative in this respect. According to the survey, the majority of developers (66 %) are not yet considering a change. 28 % respondents are planning to introduce timber construction or combined construction in their future projects and 6 % are planning to increase the share.
According to the Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic Peter Hladik "The Ministry of the Environment supports wooden buildings as well as other new buildings of family and apartment houses with very low energy consumption demanding. These are mainly family houses, but also public buildings, such as are smaller nurseries or retirement homes. Under the New Green Savings Act, projects that make greater use of sustainable materials or materials with low GWP (global warming potential) warming). We assess the building as a whole, including the thermal insulation used insulation and other elements. In the future, we want to focus more on carbon the footprint of a building throughout its life cycle."
It is expected that wooden buildings will be on the rise in the Czech Republic due to the interest in sustainable building technologies. According to the survey, 52 % directors of development companies expect the number of wooden buildings to increase, while 48 % think the situation will remain unchanged. Interestingly, none of the respondents foresee a decline in interest in these buildings, which is positive for the development of the technology in the Czech market. The estimated growth is around 9 % on average. This trend can be considered as a step towards European standards. Also, pressures from the EU to reduce emissions in the construction sector may encourage further development of this technology in the Czech Republic.
More than half of Czech developers (59 %) perceive ecology and sustainability as the biggest advantage of wooden buildings, which indicates a growing interest in environmentally friendly building technologies. Another key advantage is the speed of construction, mentioned by 53 % developers. Interestingly, 31 % respondents also perceive the lower weight of the structure as a significant benefit, giving the buildings greater flexibility when used on different types of terrain.
Despite the growing global interest in sustainable construction, many Czech developers are still reluctant to include wooden buildings in their projects. The main reason for this is low demand from customers, as reported by 47 % respondents. Another important factor is the lack of experience with this technology, mentioned by 31 % of the companies surveyed. Timber frame construction is still perceived as a relatively new technology, and developers often prefer traditional construction methods as a result. In addition, concerns about shorter lifespan and lower quality, shared by 16 % respondents, contribute to the cautious approach of developers. These factors are slowing down the development of timber buildings on the Czech market.
The durability and stability of masonry buildings, together with their flexibility for different construction requirements, contribute to their prevalence. Alternative construction methods such as timber buildings account for only 3 % of development projects so far. Combined buildings, which use wood in combination with other materials, account for 7 %, indicating a slightly increasing interest in innovative construction approaches. Despite these trends, traditional masonry buildings remain the clear choice for most developers.
But wooden buildings have great potential. Developers see the motivation primarily in increased demand from customers, as reported by 56 % respondents. This figure confirms that without stronger interest from clients, it is less attractive for developers to change their construction practices. Another important factor is more favourable legislative conditions, which would motivate 34 % companies. Given the often complex and lengthy approval processes, simplification of legislation is a key condition to increase investment in timber buildings. Reducing material costs would then convince 25 % respondents. If costs could be reduced, interest in wooden buildings could increase significantly.
Legislation around wooden buildings in the Czech Republic is still quite complex and full of obstacles. Austria, for example, has long supported timber buildings and their legislation offers clear fire and energy standards that allow for their wider application. In contrast, Czech rules are often ambiguous, which was cited as a problem by 41 % respondents. Czech regulations are particularly complicated for larger projects, where requirements are more stringent and often slow down or completely block the approval process. This is cited as a problem by 28 % developers, while ambiguities in zoning and regulations also create barriers for 28 % respondents. In addition to legislation, limited access to professionals and skilled labour is an issue (41 %).
David Shiller, Sales Director of WOOD SYSTEM: "In the segment 'smaller' The projects are mainly obstacles of feeling or inexperience, because in terms of price and utility, brick buildings and wooden buildings are very similar today. In larger cities, we are of course faced with the value of land and the associated need to build to height; timber buildings can currently be effectively permitted up to a height of about 12 metres. In theory, it is possible to build up to 22.5 metres, but the permitting process is still complicated. We look forward to an update of the standard that will make building up to 22.5 metres easier."
A Sylva Krechlerová, Managing Director of KRONOSPAN CR, adds: "We have enough raw material resources for the construction of wooden buildings, we just need to limit the export of raw wood abroad and support the finalization of wood-based products in the Czech Republic. For development projects, most building projects used to be limited to a height of 12 m due to limits set in fire safety regulations and standards. Although this is now changing and we can build above 22.5 m height, however, the normative approaches have to be replaced by a fire engineering approach, which is complex and with which only a few buildings have been or are being built. Faster application of the proposed changes to the regulations to building practice, including examples and guidance for greater dissemination to the professional community, would certainly help."
The data are derived from H2/2024 study of development companies, published by the analyst firm CEEC Research.
CEEC Research Helena Grofová/ gnews.cz - RoZ_07
ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO - pixabay
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