What's the worst that could happen? world's tallest wooden skyscraper.

[HAB911]

A Japanese company is planning to build the world's tallest wooden skyscraper with 90 percent of the building made of wood.

Sumitomo Forestry says its wooden high-rise — dubbed the W350 — will be 350 meters tall and the planned structure will be a hybrid of mostly wood and steel.

The 70-storey building, expected to be built in Tokyo, will comprise of stores, offices, hotels and private homes, the company noted in plans released earlier in February.

Sumitomo Forestry, which notes on its website that "happiness grows from trees," said it aimed to create environmentally-friendly, timber-utilizing cities which "become forests through increased use of wooden architecture for high-rise buildings."

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/20/worlds-tallest-wooden-skyscraper-japan.html

[COLGATE4]

1. Termites?

[procon]

2. Fire. Earthquakes.

Does it come down to cost, can they build cheaper by using wood vs steel and concrete? Building codes in an earthquake zones, such as California, are strict by necessity to minimize damage and save lives.

[2naSalit]

3. And just which

forest will be cut down for this? Aside from other valid points made here, we need to stop cutting down trees for such whimsical feats, this is neither necessary nor practical in any way. I was hoping this was a joke.

[Duppers]

4. Hmm

"Japan is the world's largest importer of wood, pulp, and paper products that are traded on the world market."
http://www.jatan.org/eng/japan-e.html