[a1371]

My local forestery product association already claims that per unit of weight, wood is stronger than steel. We are seeing taller and taller high rises going up with mass timber.

The idea here holds merit and has been attempted before. The video below is a great watch about "bulletproof wood".

This company however is using it for the facade of the building not the structure, which is kind of a yellow flag. Many fancy headquarter buildings are after some novelty to show off. Facade is not a reliable market unless they can somehow integrate their wood into curtain wall systems and other high wind load applications.

https://youtu.be/CglNRNrMFGM?si=LhVQnWZfMyw_wssH

[Hilift]

Ipe (Brazilian Walnut or Ironwood) has excellent resistance to penetration for standard lead rounds. It's super-dense and fire resistant. The process for InventWood seems like it is re-creating something similar.

Ipe is actually not attractive for exterior structures. The wood is so dense, stains don't penetrate. Many let it age to a grey/brown patina with annual cleaning and sanding. Inventwood would be a better alternative for exterior work if they have coloring options during the manufacturing process. For Ipe, staining is expensive and time consuming due to it has to be stained like cabinetry, with two passes.

[rob74]

I assume that their first product is for facades because it was easier to get an approval for it? But eventually they want to expand into structural elements too.