The Czech Republic is set to dramatically ease restrictions on wooden construction, allowing timber buildings to reach up to eight stories high—double the current four-story limit. This change will take effect in early August when new building codes for wooden structures come into force, reflecting the government’s commitment to boosting the timber construction market.
Under the revised regulations, wooden buildings can soar to heights of 22.5 meters, a significant increase from the previous 12-meter limitation. The reform aims to encourage more apartment buildings to be constructed using wood, according to Industry and Trade Minister Lukáš Vlček who introduced the new standard.
“Currently, wooden apartment buildings represent just tenths of a percent of construction. Our ambition is to accelerate this pace significantly,” Vlček stated. He highlighted that while wooden single-family homes have seen impressive growth—increasing from 3% to approximately 15% over the past decade—apartment buildings haven’t experienced the same development.
Experts welcome the change, noting that it could make timber construction more appealing to investors. However, they caution that this alone will likely not significantly improve overall housing affordability. Vlček suggests the modified standard could also encourage greater utilization of domestic timber resources, as the Czech Republic currently exports most of its wood.
The wooden building movement is already taking root in Prague, where developer UBM completed the city’s first multi-story wooden apartment complex last year. The Timber Praha project in Řeporyje consists of four buildings, with two rising to four stories and two featuring a ground floor plus two stories. Meanwhile, in Žďár nad Sázavou, Česká spořitelna’s Affordable Housing division is developing 34 cost-effective apartments across two separate wooden structures.
Internationally, wooden architecture has reached even greater heights. Vienna boasts the hybrid HoHo tower, standing over 80 meters tall with 75% wooden construction. The United States and Norway feature wooden buildings reaching 85.4 and 86.6 meters respectively, while Berlin is planning the WoHo project, which will approach nearly 100 meters in height.