But around the world, many inexperienced clients are still nervous about committing to wood. "I’d say the biggest obstacle to CLT use today is people’s perception," says Andrew Waugh of London-based Waugh Thistleton, an architectural practice that is pioneering tall timber buildings. The firm was responsible for the Stadthaus, one of the British capital’s first CLT buildings, completed in 2009.

There is also a lack of experience and expertise with the material in some markets. In Taiwan, for example, where up to three-quarters of buildings are still made from concrete, most universities don’t teach timber engineering. Despite this, Chiao remains optimistic about WoodTek’s prospects. "Our clients are changing their thinking," says the designer. "They want a better and more natural environment in which to live and work."

If current trends in construction and technological development continue, then the use of CLT and other forms of engineered timber is likely to become the norm in the very near future. Factors such as carbon taxes, resource scarcity and an ever increasing awareness of environmental issues will all contribute to the mushrooming of wooden architecture across the globe.

"We are now at the beginning of the timber age," says Waugh. "We’ve been building the same way for a hundred years. Now it’s time for a revolution. It’s time to plant some trees."