UBM Development AG will develop the Timber Marina Tower, a 113-metre high office building with a wood-hybrid structure in Vienna’s Handelskai district. At the same time, the company is progressing with the Timber View residential project and the Timber Peak office building in Mainz, and with the preparation of the LeopoldQuartier district in Vienna. UBM plans to become Europe’s largest developer of eco-friendly timber-framed buildings. In the Czech Republic, UBM Development Czechia is building on the parent company’s vision with the Timber Prague residential project, the first wooden multi-storey apartment buildings in the capital. Unlike ambitious high-rise projects abroad, however, Timber Praha’s energy-sustainable buildings have a maximum height of 12 metres due to restrictions imposed by domestic legislation.
In the construction industry, wooden buildings are becoming an increasingly significant trend with regard to environmental friendliness. In Western and Northern European countries, it is common to build residential and commercial projects made of wood, exceeding the height limit of several tens of metres. A major problem in the domestic construction of timber buildings is the rigid legislation which, with regard to fire regulations, allows construction up to a maximum of four storeys or 12 metres fire height. In neighbouring Austria, buildings with a timber structure are permitted up to six storeys, i.e. 18 metres, as standard. In addition, individual approval is applied in practice, making it possible to build buildings many metres higher. “In the Czech Republic, the regulations are the strictest. So far, they have not responded at all to the development of materials and technologies in timber construction,” says Tomáš Krejčí, director of the design department at UBM Development Czechia. “In Austria, on the other hand, there are already regulations directly for wooden buildings. The usual maximum height is the ground floor and six storeys, where, depending on the type of building, timber is combined with reinforced concrete. This is always used for the basement and then usually for the core of the building, or for the ground floor or first floor. For taller buildings made of wood, an engineering approach of fire protection design is needed to allow for taller buildings. This is possible in Austria and Germany, but our standard in the Czech Republic does not allow it yet,” adds Tomáš Krejčí.
The Czech branch of UBM has extensive experience with wooden buildings. The central design department for the entire group is based in Prague and has been implementing a number of large projects, including wooden buildings. Currently, for example, the 12-storey Timber Peak building in Mainz and design work has also begun on the large LeopoldQuartier residential timber building project in Vienna. In both cases, the permitting process is considerably simpler than in the Czech Republic and takes the form of a one-stage construction procedure. “The differences in approval processes in the Czech Republic compared to Western countries are abysmal. As UBM Design, which designs throughout Europe, we have a direct comparison. Abroad, they generally do not produce multi-page technical reports, but fill in the most important project data in forms. In addition, Prague is probably the worst place in our country for building permits,” explains Tomáš Krejčí, and adds, “In my opinion, a fundamental revision of the building code along the lines of the German or Austrian model would help to modernise the permitting process. For ordinary buildings, this would involve a one-stage procedure, the elimination of the need for comments from the state administration authorities concerned, the unification of all technical conditions into uniform building regulations, and the limitation of participants in the construction procedure to those who are entitled. Digitisation may make some things easier, but it will not solve the fundamental problems of our current system.”
The parent company, UBM Development AG, currently has over 250,000 m2 of timber buildings in the pipeline. More than half of them are in the office segment, the rest are in the residential segment. The latest acquisition, worth EUR 24.5 million, is the Timber Marina Tower in Vienna with approximately 44,350 m2 of gross floor area, which the developer will build with a hybrid structure. Plans call for the construction of an office building with 32 floors above ground and 4 underground, making it the tallest wooden skyscraper in the world at present. Its operation will be as environmentally friendly as possible, thanks to the use of geothermal energy, groundwater and the installation of photovoltaic panels. The building will comply with EU taxonomic regulations and ESG guidelines, while also aiming to achieve LEED Gold certification. Construction is scheduled to begin in Q1 2025.
A LeopoldQuartier project with approximately 75,000 m2 of floor space is also under construction in Vienna. It will become the first urban district in Europe to feature buildings with wood-hybrid construction. The complex includes apartments and offices. Thanks to the consistent use of geothermal energy and photovoltaics, the project will be CO2 neutral in its operation. UBM plans to complete construction in mid-2025.
UBM is developing two projects in close proximity in Mainz, Germany, the Timber Peak office building and the Timber View residential area. Timber Peak will offer approximately 9,500 m2 of gross floor area with flexible floor plans for office use, parking for electric vehicles, a 5th floor terrace, a roof terrace with panoramic views, etc. The Timber View project was designed by einszueins Architektur ZT. The concept divides the new residential area into seven buildings with a total of 184 apartments, which together represent approximately 13,570 m2 of living space. Air-to-air heat pumps and photovoltaic systems on green roofs will ensure energy self-sufficiency. Construction is scheduled to start in the 4th quarter of 2024.
UBM has also started construction of wooden buildings in the Czech Republic. “In 2022, we developed the Timber Praha project, which is intimate apartment buildings made of wood with a total of 62 apartments with layouts ranging from 1 bedroom to 4 bedrooms. The reinforced concrete basements started to be built in March 2023, we started the assembly of the timber part at the end of June 2023 and now two houses are already standing. The wooden part is to be completely finished by the end of this year and the approval will take place in the second half of 2024,” says Josef Wiedermann, Managing Director of UBM Development Czechia, adding: “This is the first project of its kind in Prague. It is actually a pioneering venture in our country, but from the perspective of Austria, Germany or Scandinavian countries, it is already a common construction. UBM in the Czech Republic is very active in terms of initiatives for more extensive construction with wood as an ecological material. We are in contact with a number of other experts in this field. In addition, in cooperation with representatives of some banks, developers and architects, we have set up a professional Platform for Sustainable Wood Construction and together we support the upcoming change in the fire standard, which will also allow taller buildings to be constructed from wood in the future.”
Timber buildings are the future of sustainable housing. Wood construction reduces the construction time by up to half by using modern prefabrication technology. Wood is a durable and renewable natural material that has a positive effect on the human psyche. It creates a natural environment, maintains ideal humidity, reduces stress and also has antibacterial effects. In the Timber Prague project, wood will also become part of the interiors of apartments and common areas of buildings as a design element. These energy-efficient houses with an energy certificate in the most economical category A and BREEAM Excellent environmental certification will also be equipped with heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, geothermal boreholes and smart technologies.
Modern homes made from solid CLT timber panels are built with a minimal carbon footprint. The construction sector produces up to 38% of CO2 emissions, of which around 10% during construction and a further 28% during operation. “The Czech Republic, like other EU countries, has adopted the Paris Agreement and strict CO2 reduction limits. Building with wood is one good option that significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions when implemented, is sustainable, low energy consumption and has proven solutions. We can see that Western European countries, including Austria, are taking the CO2 agreements seriously and it is a pity that in the Czech Republic, due to outdated legislation, mass construction is not yet possible,” explains Tomáš Krejčí.
The parent company of UBM Development AG in Austria continues to pursue its strategy of “green, smart and more” and its vision of becoming the leading developer of timber buildings in Europe. “The main motive is of course environmental protection and CO2 reduction. However, we also plan and build these properties out of the conviction that only sustainable buildings will retain their value in the long term. A few years ago, only enthusiasts were promoting the construction of wood. Now, however, it is already sought after by investors themselves, and with our in-house know-how in the field of timber buildings, we can further develop and expand our leading market position in this segment,” says Bernhard Egert, Head of the Timber Buildings Division at UBM Development AG.
