Korean Architect Undertakes Feasibility Study to Apply Wood Infill Wall System to Concrete Housing
Recent advancements in building prefabrication, as well as increased concerns for environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions, are driving interest in utilizing wood infill wall system as the non-load bearing walls for concrete structure buildings in South Korea.
Despite the availability of this system, there are still basic barriers that impede its adoption in the residential and non-residential market. Probably the primary barrier is that the building industry is generally reluctant to adopt alternative building methods and materials unless they exhibit clear cost and performance advantages.
To address this concern, Canada Wood Korea has been providing technical support since May 2020 to an infill wall project located in Gimpo designed and built
by a local architectural firm SMUSOOP. Ms. Hong, Chief architect of SMUSOOP will undertake a feasibility study using this new housing project to evaluate the cost benefit and construction feasibility.
Ms. Hong was introduced to the wood infill wall system thanks to Canada Wood Korea’s promotional program and believes the lightweight, easy-to-prefab and higher thermal performance make the wood infill system an attractive alternative to conventional systems.
The construction work began last November, and it is expected to be completed in the spring of 2021. Upon completion, all the technical information will be collected and reviewed to assess suitability for applying wood infill wall system to their future projects.