Research - Circular C-CLT Innovation: How Urban Climate Architects and TNO Transform Waste Wood into High-Quality Building Material

The future of timber construction is becoming radically circular

Construction is on the verge of a remarkable shift. What has been considered a waste stream for years appears to be a valuable source for the next generation of biobased building materials. Urban Climate Architects is working intensively with TNO to accelerate this development.‍

C-CLT: circular wood with the power of new material

One of the most promising innovations is C-CLT (Circular Cross Laminated Timber). This circular wood panel consists of carefully selected and tested residual wood layers. After bonding, a strong, stiff and reliable building element has been created that provides the same performance as traditional CLT — but fully circular.

Thanks to TNO's advanced sorting and testing process, residual wood gets a high-quality, structural application. No low-grade recycling, but a return to the highest level of use: construction. The result? Huge CO₂ savings and a new standard for circular construction.

From residual flow to high-quality construction

C-CLT appears to be surprisingly versatile. The material is suitable for partitions, floorboards and even load-bearing panels. Its strength, stability and fire safety make it a full-fledged alternative to newly produced CLT. This creates a circular wood chain that is scalable and future-proof.

Urban Climate Architects brings innovation directly to practice

At Urban Climate Architects, we translate these research results directly into our design projects. Solid wood and biobased materials have been our basis for years. Thanks to the collaboration with TNO, we can incorporate C-CLT into the design earlier and earlier, making our buildings even lighter, healthier and more circular.

C-CLT visibly used in structural engineering

The picture above clearly shows how C-CLT panels are used in the intermediate wall. The warm texture, massive columns and open construction show how powerful and architecturally appealing circular timber construction can be. This is exactly the vision of the future that Urban Climate Architects and TNO are working towards together.

Circular wood is not a trend, but the new reality

With innovations such as C-CLT, we are taking big steps towards a construction sector where raw materials continue to circulate and buildings have a positive impact on their environment. Urban Climate Architects continues to strengthen this movement — in design, in the use of materials and in collaboration with knowledge partners such as TNO.

Read the full TNO publication here.