15
Sep

Member portrait 3: Erich Wiesner, CEO and owner of WIEHAG

Mitgliederportrait WIEHAG

Behind every building are people and companies with visions and innovative products and approaches. More and more of them are united in our association and growing network. Join us and benefit from the advantages. As part of our series of short portraits of our members, we spoke to Erich Wiesner, CEO and owner of WIEHAG.

Member portrait 3: Erich Wiesner from WIEHAG

WIEHAG has been a pioneer in timber engineering for decades and continues to set new standards in sustainable construction. In this interview, Mr. Wiesner, CEO and owner of WIEHAG, shares his visions and insights into the future of timber construction as well as the challenges and opportunities that arise from the increased use of timber as a building material. 1) Mr. Wiesner, what drives you personally to constantly push the boundaries of timber construction and what vision guides your work when it comes to establishing timber as a pioneering building material? We have always been pioneers in timber engineering and are taking what is still considered a niche area of the construction industry to a new level. The global trend towards climate-friendly construction is promoting growth in timber construction, and with our timber construction expertise we want to be part of the shift towards material- and energy-efficient construction methods. Our international references are forward-looking. With the NTU University in Singapore, we have realized the largest timber building in Asia, built the Ascent Tower in Milwaukee as the tallest timber high-rise in the USA and are currently building the Atlassian Tower in Sydney, whose impressive height of 180 meters sets new standards in timber engineering worldwide. 2 What makes WIEHAG unique? WIEHAG takes a holistic approach to timber construction. Our expertise in engineering, production and project management enables us to open up new dimensions in timber engineering. As early as 1966, we built the largest timber hall in Europe with a free span of 100 meters – a milestone in timber engineering. 3. what contribution can timber construction make to the decarbonization of the construction industry? The construction industry and buildings are responsible for around 37% of global CO2 emissions. In contrast, the use of wood in construction has a positive effect on the climate, as trees store CO₂ as they grow and this is retained in the wood used over the entire service life of a building. According to the certified environmental product declaration, one cubic meter of glulam from WIEHAG stores 768 kg of CO2. The decisive factor here is sustainable forest management, which is regulated by forestry laws in Europe and ensures that no more wood is removed each year than grows back. 4. what challenges do you see in the spread of solid timber construction in markets traditionally dominated by steel and concrete? Timber construction is becoming increasingly important globally and is gaining ground due to its ecological advantages. In many markets, it is a question of creating trust in this material, and reference buildings that have already been built make a significant contribution to this. Another major challenge is the development and transfer of knowledge, as timber construction has not yet been taught in schools and universities in many countries, which means there is a lot of catching up to do. The fact that timber construction plays a pioneering role in the areas of digitalization and prefabrication has a supporting effect. 5. how does WIEHAG ensure that its timber products meet both sustainability and construction standards in different markets around the world? Many foreign markets do not have their own technical building standards for timber construction and are therefore based on German (DIN) or European (EN) standards. We are very familiar with these standards, as WIEHAG engineers have been continuously involved in the development of standards for timber construction at national and European level. Our Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is based on the life cycle assessment method according to ISO 14000 and provides a standardized, fact-based information basis. About WIEHAG:

WIEHAG is a leader in climate protection through innovations in timber construction. The company develops sustainable, long-lasting solutions, drawing on over 175 years of experience at its headquarters in Altheim. Its expertise in timber engineering has resulted in impressive projects worldwide, including the tallest timber skyscraper in the USA, the largest timber building in Asia and a pioneering project in Australia. WIEHAG is revolutionizing the global construction industry with its environmentally friendly construction methods.

https://www.wiehag.com/(Interview by Samara Sicardi, Head of Marketing Communications at Timber Finance)

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