WOODEN LIFE. Technical Wood in Collective Housing in Spain

Wooden Life is a research project by Justo Díaz and Guillermo Pozo that analyzes the use of engineered wood—primarily CLT and GLT—in 20 recent collective housing projects built in Spain. The book also includes essays on technical context and interviews with the stakeholders—architects, engineers, developers, and industrialists—who are driving a real transformation in the sector, from the forest to the city.

Far from a nostalgic or merely environmental approach, the study presents wood as a contemporary solution, capable of responding to the main challenges facing the construction sector: reducing carbon emissions, industrializing the construction process, the need for affordable housing, and revitalizing rural areas.

The analysis focuses on the complete material cycle, from forest management to processing, transportation, and assembly on site, and addresses key issues such as fire resistance, acoustic behavior, current regulations, and hybridization strategies with other materials.

Participating studios include some of the leading figures in contemporary wood architecture in Spain: Peris+Toral, Lacol, Harquitectes, bosch.capdeferro, Cierto Estudio, Roldán + Berengué, and SUMA Arquitectura, among others. Each project is presented with plans, construction details, structural analysis, and technical specifications, allowing for a deep understanding of the construction system and its relationship to the social, urban, and climatic context.

Published in a bilingual format (Spanish-English), Wooden Life features 256 pages and carefully curated graphic documentation, making it an essential tool for those designing, researching, or promoting a more sustainable, industrialized, and land-based architecture.

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CONTENTS

Relevance
The Life Cycle of Wood
The Material
Technical Wood in Spain
A Look at Europe

Case Studies

Modulus Matrix, 85 Social Housing Units in Cornellà, Barcelona
Peris + Toral Arquitectes

Illa Glòries Building A, Barcelona
Cierto Estudio

39 Social Rental Housing Units and a Garden in Mutilva, Pamplona
Taller Básico de Arquitectura + MRM Arquitectos

48 Public Housing Units in Magaluf, Mallorca
Lloc Arquitectes

46 Social Housing Units and Headquarters of the Sede Castellera in Barcelona
Roldán + Berengué

6×6 Block, Girona
bosch.capdeferro arquitectura

Terraces for Life in Verneda i la Pau, Barcelona
Urbanitree

30 + 8 Social Housing Units on Josep Togores Street in Palma de Mallorca
Vivas Arquitectos

La Borda Housing Cooperative in Barcelona
Lacol SCCL

24 Industrialized Housing Units with Low CO₂ Emissions in Barcelona
Martí Sanz Ausàs + COMA arquitectura

Pirita Building: Ecological Housing Cooperative in Madrid
sAtt Triple Balance

Our-Shelves-Houses in Madrid
SUMA arquitectura

Block of 12 Homes in Dosrius in Barcelona
BUNYESC Arquitectes and Lluís Comerón

Social Housing 2104, Palma de Mallorca
HARQUITECTES

Renovation and Extension of ‘Les Cases dels Mestres’. La Floresta in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Zaga Arquitectura + Som Habitat

4 Social Housing Units in Garralda, Navarra
Nazareth Gutiérrez Franco + Rodrigo Núñez Carrasco

Hierbabuena Housing in Madrid
b720, Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos

Housing in the Historic Center of Pamplona
OM ARQ

6 Public Rental Housing Units with Low Energy Impact in Palma de Mallorca
EDRA Arquitectura km0 and BUNYESC Arquitectes

Padel House in Madrid
Nuñez Ribot Arquitectos

Interviews

Marta Corella — Copade
Laura Motilla — Egoin
Juan Antonio Gómez-Pintado — Lignum Tech
Pablo Sáiz — Woodea
Visesa
Jorge Blasco Miguel