We Build the World's Healthiest, Greenest, Safest 100% Solid Wood Prefab Homes with the Highest Building Standards'Eckhart Tolle Reveals How to Silence the Voices in Your Head' in OPRAH “Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in ‘just being’. Allow nature to teach you stillness. When you look at a tree and perceive its stillness, you become still yourself.” – Eckhart Tolle, one of the greatest spiritual leaders of our time HEALTH – YOUR GREATEST INVESTMENTWe don’t notice right away, but why do we get headaches and feel dizzy or suffocated in large stores or new buildings? The reason is simple. According to EPA, “Americans, on average, spend approximately 90% of their time indoors”, where “concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors up to ten times higher than outdoors… VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects”. Conventional building materials pollute the air we breathe with dust, VOCs, allergens, and off-gassing due to chemicals, toxins, glue/resins, paint, varnishes, stains, and so much more that we do not see but feel over time. A long-term exposure to hidden toxins induce stress and can trigger serious stress-related health consequences, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and related cardiometabolic complications. Three of the ten top causes of death in the U.S. include cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease correlated to long-term exposure to such environments are exactly the ones minimized by wood. During sleep in a pure wooden home, the heart rate slows down so that a person saves 1 hour (3,000+ heartbeats) a day and reduces overall stress - as if you were sleeping in a forest. BUILD WITH WOODDo you know about the various associated health benefits of wood? Based on extensive research ("Make it Wood" by Planet Ark), numerous independent studies taken all over the world clearly demonstrate that the presence of wood has positive physiological and psychological benefits that mimic the effect of spending time outside in nature. For example, wood improves your emotional state by increasing levels of happiness, self-esteem, cognitive abilities and self-expression while reducing blood pressure, pulse rates, cholesterol and stress levels. Using wood in schools and daycares reduce exposure to stress during childhood and adolescence which decreases the probability of stress-related mental disorders later in life. Natural wood in hospitals and senior’s homes increase interaction, engagement, positive self-expressions elicited by the feeling of warmth, comfort, and relaxation which reduces stress, anxiety, risk of dementia and recovery time which shorten hospital stays, therefore reducing medical costs. Within commercial or corporate environments, the presence of wood drastically influences first impressions as it conveys feelings of innovation, energy, comfort, and improved productivity. Most consider wood to be visually appealing, has a natural look and feel, and is more versatile, recyclable, renewable and long lasting compared to brick, concrete, steel, aluminum, and plastic. Not only do wooden living spaces improve its residents’ emotional, mental, and physiological state, but responsibly sourced and certified timber is also a formidable weapon in the struggle against climate change by both storing carbon and eliminating emission. Contrary to the great misconception that wood cannot be fireproof, heavy timber construction has an inherent level of fire resistance which increases with thickness as the outer layer chars and becomes a protective insulation layer that slows down the burning rate. The strength and load carrying capacity is not as compromised as steel which buckles under extreme heat due to its significantly higher thermal conductivity and allowing heat to spread rapidly, causing beams and floors to collapse. CHOOSE HOLZ100 FOR YOUR DREAM HOMEHolz100 (“holz” = wood in German) is a cross-laminated, prefabricated 100% pure solid wood building system connected by wooden dowels – it is the product of our founder Dr. Thoma’s aim “to build the healthiest house in the world – with the highest standards of build”. Holz100 is therefore the ultimate all-in-one solution for health, safety, sustainability, and wellbeing for both people and the environment. It is certified by both FSC and PEFC, our wood is harvested at the ideal time (‘moonwood’ or lunar harvested) in high altitudes, selectively hand-picked and air-dried for the highest quality achievable for timber products. These methods collectively ensure that even without a trace of preservatives, glue, toxins, chemicals, or VOCs, our building system ensures extraordinary longevity and quality that results in no air leakage, shrinkage or thermal bridges. Patented internationally, Holz100 is the most unique and exclusive product which fulfills most, if not all,ideal building standards which includes a world record in thermal insulation, a fire safety rating 5 times better than of any other conventional building system (in case of fire, poisonous vapors are non-existent and there is practically no increase in surface temperature opposite side of the wall – allowing Holz100 to be used as firewalls), 99.9% barrier to electromagnetic radiation and achievement of passive house standard ratings for energy use and airtightness. Forces of nature has a minimal effect on Holz100 structures as it has survived numerous earthquakes in Japan without any damage, has defied the strongest storms in German coastal regions, suffering no major flood damage and are easily habitable after flooding. As Holz100 is composed exclusively of unadulterated wood, it results in an indoor climate with no boundaries between the layers impermeable to vapor and humidity; hence why we offer a 50-year guarantee against mold and condensation. Holz100 is an oasis of well-being with perfectly natural thermal insulation, storage and buffering which brings pleasant warmth in winter and a comfortable coolness in summer. Holz100 also naturally stabilizes the temperature and humidity fluctuations and brings you high energy efficiency and low energy costs as its air tightness ensures any heat loss. It is an achievable dream for allergy sufferers because of the fungal resistance of the exclusive moonwood we use and its natural reduction in household dust. Holz100 is the first building component system ever to receive a GOLD Cradle to Cradle certification as a material completely waste-free in its life cycle: a resource-efficient product which allows for reuse and avoid landfill waste. We use only solar energy and produce more energy than we use in the processing / manufacturing of our elements. Wood is durable, low maintenance, and ages gracefully over generations and centuries, making it a timeless product of increasing value. The built environment with Holz100 will enhance therapeutic experiences and impact the body’s ability to heal, rejuvenating and reviving your wellbeing – your home should be a place of learning and healing. All product properties of Holz100 have been certified by renowned research institutions including the Universities in Vienna and Graz, University of the Bundeswehr in Munich, Fraunhofer Institute Stuttgart, Institute for Fire Protection and Safety Research in Linz. At first glance, these improvements and possibilities are nearly unbelievable. We combined our ancestors’ traditional methods with modern technology and found the ultimate solution needed in the 21st century. We are focused on raising its standards and efficiency in order to fulfill the clients’ needs and wishes and to be able to actively maneuver in the potential markets in which it has been our privilege and pride to implement hundreds of projects all over the world. Wide Holz100 planks made exclusively of 100% pure moonwood
^"WOODCUBE", This first high-rise building class 5 was built entirely of wood (Holz100) and without gypsum encapsulation. Deemed a 'Smart Material House' by IBA Hamburg, Woodcube holds passive house energy standards, is carbon neutral, and provides incredible health benefits for its residents. Important Links & PDFs Company Website | www.holz100canada.com "Make it Wood" by Planet Ark A great resource for research on wood and its health benefits WOODCUBE - Smart Material House An introduction, outline, and details of the award-winning Holz100 project (IBA Hamburg) Holz100 Canada Booklet 2017 A comprehensive introduction booklet to our building system, by Holz100 Canada Inc. Holz100 Parts Catalogue 2017 An extensive catalogue of all available Holz100 elements, including technical information. More Resources | Links & Downloads CONTACT US Phone (416) 876-3388 admin@holz100canada.com Hours Monday to Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Address 240 Duncan Mill Road, Suite #500 Toronto, ON M3B 3S6 Canada Come visit us at our office!
1 Comment
Detached house in Upper AustriaA wooden house with a pool and sauna was a long-cherished dream for the homeowner. With the roofs of the wrap-around balcony and the terrace, many weather-independent dwellings were created and completed to perfection. On a flower meadow in the Dachauer HinterlandThrough the clever combination of photovoltaic and the Holz100 solid wood building system, this house generates more energy than it consumes. OASIS Healing HouseIn a fantastic location overlooking the Baltic Sea is the ecological building materials OASIS Healing House completely built of Holz100. Located in a large garden, in addition to the lovingly designed guest rooms and apartments, the house offers an excellent vegetarian cuisine, meditations, yoga, and physiotherapeutic treatments.
Extremely high growth rates in mobile communications have led to several hundred million mobile phone owners throughout Europe since the 1990s. The impact of this "flood on the sky" on human health is still a hot topic. Damping values of different building materials in comparison.
Scientists from neutral research institutes have found that there are no longer any effects of low-frequency pulsed high-frequency signals on biological processes and on the nervous system in their studies. As part of an investigation of the Thoma Research Center in Goldegg more than 100 different building materials and their combinations were tested at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich for their attenuation for technically generated, high-frequency waves. During the measurement it was examined how much of the emitted power penetrates the test specimen. The result provided the best values for thick wooden walls! Contrary to all expectations, the building material wood - tested in the form of non-glued, fully solid Thoma Holz100 walls - shields considerably better than, for example, brick variants or lightweight construction systems. Here are the damping values of a 17.6 cm thick Thoma Holz100 wall: At 900 MHz (D-Net), only 25% penetrate through the wooden wall At 1800 MHz (E-net), 10% penetrate through the wooden wall At 4 GHz, only 1% penetrate through the wooden wall Starting at 6.5 GHz, less than 1 per thousand already penetrate through the wooden wall (According to measurements of the University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich, Department of Electrical Engineering, Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, 85577 Neubiberg, Germany) Building with the forest: |
Holz100 is 100% free of toxic building chemicals. But it gets even better - with Holz100, you're surround by solid wood; just like second skin. Free of harmful off-gassing, and instead it provides its inhabitants of invigoration and healing. The Holz100 house is the best foundation for deep, healthy sleep and an active, dynamic life full of strength and tranquility. |
For many, the dream of owning a house in the countryside is linked to the desire for health and exposure to nature. The choice of the main building material, one which does not burden the health, is particularly important.
The development of new building materials has progressed rapidly since the 1970s, and today everything seems technically feasible. But there is also a steadily rising number of health complaints, the causes of which could be traceable to the immediate living environment. Residual poisons found in some building materials and furniture can release polluting substances for years. They are considered as possible causes of allergies and other diseases as well. The health effects of evaporating plastics, foils of all kinds, solvents, adhesives and other construction chemicals are always posing new challenges.
The key point for a sustainable preventative measure of such avoidable diseases lies in the conscious decision for building with biologically harmless materials. For this reason, builders increasingly demand from planners, property developers or suppliers a full declaration of the processed material from resource, harvesting, and manufacturing. For Holz100, this list of declarations is short: wood. Holz100 is made entirely and exclusively of high quality wood.
With Holz100, not only does it surround its inhabitants with a completely unadulterated building material, Holz100 also strengthens your immune system, calms your vital nervous systems and helps you to live longer. Wooden rooms are so reassuring to our body systems that every night (proven scientifically), we save ourselves an hour of heartbeats each day.
These and other new research results on the health-promoting effects of wood are presented in many, various ways - such as Planet Ark's "Make it Wood" campaign.
With the Zinipi you can get a small Holz100 pearl in the garden. Whether as a reading and retreat, as a sauna or as a lookout point. The possibilities for the little cube are limited only by our own imagination. One of them (it became a Tepidarium) you can also test in the nature house.
In Austrian timber construction, the smallest and most westerly state is regarded as a land of pioneers. One of the young, wild Vorarlberg wood architects is Oskar Leo Kaufmann. He has planned a so-called "floating" timber construction - Holz100.
The water in a living being like a tree is more than just content in a tank which can be filled or emptied. The example with the oboes shows that at the end, kiln dried wood contains the same amount of moisture as wood which has been dried for 30 years. However, oboes made from kiln dried wood crack whereas seasoned wood doesn't, it stays stable and resonates.
The ability of wood to absorb and release moisture can be compared to a sponge. Timber which has been stored for a long time matures and dries slowly. It stays in shape even when the humidity is fluctuating, whereas younger and kiln dried wood tends to warp and bend. This principle always applies.
However, wood used for building and furniture manufacture has shorter drying and storage times than the highest quality wood used to build instruments. Depending on the type of tree and intended use, one to three years of air drying are sufficient here.
The rule to remember is: The faster the wood is drying, the more it will warp and twist. This is called the sponge effect. It means that on humid summer days, this type of wood absorbs more moisture from the surrounding air, expands and works harder than wood which has dried naturally over some years.
A stack of sawn boards which has been stored outside for a few years (protected from water), has been exposed to hot summer days as well as freezing winter nights. These boards have not only dried, they also experienced and adapted to the different weather conditions. This 'memory' has a relaxing effect on the wood.
In those years of storage and slow drying, something else and as important is happening: oxidation and several other processes cause the breakdown of nutrients for insects and fungi. This natural process to preserve wood is not happening when speeding up the drying process with a kiln (which takes from a few days to weeks).
Some economic experts who visited our saw mill showed utter disbelief when they saw a stack of oak boards which had been drying for four years. These boards were to be used for a solid wood floor at some stage. Four years of tying down capital when everyone knows you might as well kiln dry it in just a few days or weeks. How can you afford to leave this kind of capital lying around for such a long period?
From a business point of view this might seem right. However it doesn't have anything to do with using wood in the most ideal way.
The purely technical way of drying wood fast, unfortunately misses out on all the subtle benefits of working with nature. The resulting wood often needs to be treated with questionable preservatives or glues. Treated wood ends up as toxic waste and cannot be returned into the natural cycle to turn into valuable mulch and nutrients for other plants. It also cannot easily be burned either. This toxic waste is the beginning of a dead end road.
Communication by semiochemical substances represents only one type among many for trees. In his life’s journey, Dr. Erwin Thoma met another outstanding forester, Mr. Peter Wohlleben, whose books are also available in English. He made a surprising discovery about forests. As it turns out, communication methods between trees are incredibly complex. For example, trees recognize the saliva of various animals. Recent research by Leipzig University shows that when a deer bites a twig, the tree responds differently than when a person breaks it. Trees react to the saliva of caterpillars in yet another way. For example, oaks give off a special smell signal then, in the form of a semiochemical substance, thus calling predators such as hymenoptera bees for help. These lay eggs in the leaf-devouring caterpillars and as a result, the caterpillars get devoured from the inside by the newly hatched eggs.
Trees also communicate through their root systems called the wood wide web. It serves to convey warnings to its neighboring trees so that they could get ready for danger, such as insect attacks or drought. These signals are transmitted, as those in our nervous system, through electrical impulses and chemical substances. Where the roots of the trees do not reach, the information is transmitted through the connected mycelium network. Trees pay their "helpers" back by providing them with sugar. Mycelia are the largest living organisms on the Earth. Their size reaches thousands of acres, and some scientists claim that all mycelia on the Earth are connected. When trees at the bottom of the slope begin to feel the lack of water due to the drought, they inform other trees. These close their pores, thereby reducing water loss and slowing down photosynthesis. When one tree is attacked by wood borers, all trees within 50 meters change production to defensive substances. In our common larch, one of these substances is resin. It contains about 1000 complex chemicals and is the world's best natural fungicide, bactericidal and virucidal agent. Some trees can live more than 1000 years thanks to it. The ointment made from resin beats any pharmaceuticals that accelerate wound healing; however, it will never hit the market or doctors' offices, because its synthesis and patenting will probably never be possible, and pharmaceutical companies will not be able to make any money on it. This was stated by Professor Max Moser, who was mentioned earlier, and who was asked by Dr. Thoma to analyze the miracle wound ointment prepared by his grandmother. As a side fact, the same applies to Indian cannabis, which contains almost 445 unexplored compounds and is a cure for dozens of diseases, including cancer, as shown by the latest research in Germany and Israel, among others.
Hotel Seiser Alm of the Urthaler family is the largest wooden hotel in Europe with 45 family suites. Timber necessary for its construction was produced by the Austrian forest in an hour and a half. The forest not only has a healing effect on people, but it is also a system of exemplary economy. Forestry and economics are two academic areas of science which teach things that are completely the opposite. While we profit by exponential growth and elimination of competition is the only goal for the economy, the forest is based on cooperation to create the best conditions for the next generation. These are terms foreign to economists. Trees compete with each other only at the beginning of their careers, but they do not try to grow indefinitely and seize all resources for themselves.
When a tree dies, it returns each of its particles to where it came from. It leaves no waste in the wake of its life. Waste doesn’t exist nor is created. The only thing that exists is the circuit and cycle of its life. According to Dr. Thoma, this model is the only one we humans may model a sustainable economy on. There is no alternative. Dr. Thoma's computerized and robotized factory draws all the energy from photovoltaics and the surplus is returned to the grid. It manufactures without waste, from material that is created from carbon dioxide. Dr. Thoma claims that any economy or energy crisis is nonsense. The only crisis in the world is the crisis of our minds. We lack nothing other than the right concept for our economy. Today's furniture is made of particleboards glued together with chlorine derivatives and formaldehyde resins. They are extremely harmful to health and nature, and are classified as hazardous waste for the purpose of their disposal. Their disposal is more expensive than the purchase of solid wood of the same weight. However, it is a billion dollar industry supported by lobbyists and politicians. Humankind debates global warming caused by carbon dioxide, when one tree may neutralize tons of carbon out of the atmosphere. Instead of building waste-free wooden houses, we insulate them with styrofoam, which besides mildew offers minimal effects, and when soiled with plaster is almost impossible to dispose of. We burn carbon, gas, and oil to heat and cool buildings, when a few photovoltaic batteries can deliver more power to a wooden building than it needs. It is now the ideal time to start thinking differently. As you can see from Dr. Thoma's example, sometimes one man's perseverance is sufficient to initiate small, big changes in the world.
Hotel Seiser Alm of the Urthaler family is the largest wooden hotel in Europe with 45 family suites. Timber necessary for its construction was produced by the Austrian forest in an hour and a half. The forest not only has a healing effect on people, but it is also a system of exemplary economy. Forestry and economics are two academic areas of science which teach things that are completely the opposite. While we profit by exponential growth and elimination of competition is the only goal for the economy, the forest is based on cooperation to create the best conditions for the next generation. These are terms foreign to economists. Trees compete with each other only at the beginning of their careers, but they do not try to grow indefinitely and seize all resources for themselves.
When a tree dies, it returns each of its particles to where it came from. It leaves no waste in the wake of its life. Waste doesn’t exist nor is created. The only thing that exists is the circuit and cycle of its life. According to Dr. Thoma, this model is the only one we humans may model a sustainable economy on. There is no alternative. Dr. Thoma's computerized and robotized factory draws all the energy from photovoltaics and the surplus is returned to the grid. It manufactures without waste, from material that is created from carbon dioxide. Dr. Thoma claims that any economy or energy crisis is nonsense. The only crisis in the world is the crisis of our minds. We lack nothing other than the right concept for our economy. Today's furniture is made of particleboards glued together with chlorine derivatives and formaldehyde resins. They are extremely harmful to health and nature, and are classified as hazardous waste for the purpose of their disposal. Their disposal is more expensive than the purchase of solid wood of the same weight. However, it is a billion dollar industry supported by lobbyists and politicians. Humankind debates global warming caused by carbon dioxide, when one tree may neutralize tons of carbon out of the atmosphere. Instead of building waste-free wooden houses, we insulate them with styrofoam, which besides mildew offers minimal effects, and when soiled with plaster is almost impossible to dispose of. We burn carbon, gas, and oil to heat and cool buildings, when a few photovoltaic batteries can deliver more power to a wooden building than it needs. It is now the ideal time to start thinking differently. As you can see from Dr. Thoma's example, sometimes one man's perseverance is sufficient to initiate small, big changes in the world.
After about 20 years of fighting against the stereotypes of prejudice and discrediting attempts from wood and chemical industries, Dr. Thoma succeeded - as he says - in accomplishing technically everything. However, throughout the 20 years, he failed to scientifically explain and prove the positive impacts of wood on the wellbeing of people. As he says: “Intuition doesn’t lie, and the human body doesn’t lie either. Why, then, do I feel so great in the old, wooden house, whereas in a modern building my eyes tear up and my throat becomes scratchy?”. There must be a way to prove the positive impact of wood on people by using academic and scientific methods.
He tried with doctors and with medicine-related professionals, but he didn't get anywhere. A few years ago, he was invited to a wood industry symposium. Many scientists and well-known people participated in the symposium. Dr. Thoma noticed one strange, older man, with Einstein-like hair. It turned out to be Professor Max Moser, who was the department chair at the medical university in Graz. At a meal, Dr. Thoma jokingly asked him what he was doing at such a symposium full of tree huggers. The professor replied that he had participated in the AUSTROMIR program a few years earlier and together with his team, had created the medical research equipment for the Mir international space station. Max Moser is one of the most renowned scientists in Austria, and he was selected for the space program. “But what does this have to do with wood?”, asked Dr. Thoma.
The task of the professor, when it came to the space station, was to study all semiochemical substances that would affect the health or wellbeing of the cosmonauts. The space station has a closed air circuit and ventilation is impossible; hence, the effect of semiochemistry on humans is particularly strong. Semiochemical substances are chemical compounds, such as pheromones, produced by animals and plants that are used to carry information and exert a certain determined influence on the environment. However, the fumes of certain substances and plastics also affect humans. For this purpose, the professor developed a unique apparatus that can measure the effect of secreted substances on the autonomic nervous system of people. Dr. Thoma dropped his spoon from his hand and cried out, “professor, I have been looking for you for 20 years! If you can measure such impacts on humans, we must carry out a joint research project”. The professor replied that if he managed to fund such a project it wouldn’t be a problem, but - for a project like this - a six-digit sum might not be enough. Dr. Thoma had a lot of experience in organizing funding for research projects, and after a year he had a confirmation of the seven-digit sum for the research sitting on his table. Therefore, a large-scale research project was organized, and its results left no doubt whatsoever.
Two identical rooms were built for the project. One was constructed of solid wood, while the other was constructed of laminated particle boards. The result of the experiment was somewhat of a surprise. It turned out that 10 minutes after a man walked from the laminated particleboard to the solid wood room, his biological functions would completely change. His heart would relax, stabilize and slow down. The semiochemical substances released by the wood immediately informed the body that it could feel safe and was out of danger.
Ninety percent of Western Europeans die from three main causes: cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia or Alzheimer's disease. These three risks are exactly the ones minimized by wood. During sleep, the heart rate slows down so that a person saves 1 hour of heartbeat overnight or 3000 strokes. As the number of heartbeats in one’s lifetime is limited to about 2 billion, one can say that in a wooden room people live 1 hour longer per day, and the sleep is deeper and more regenerating. People who suffer from sleep problems all the time, suddenly fall asleep easily in a wooden room. A walk in the forest has a similar effect on people.
Solid wood is not only the safest material when it comes to fire, flood or earthquakes, but it also protects its inhabitants from all kinds of harmful, high frequency electromagnetic waves. It completely stops, for example, mobile phone frequencies. This has been confirmed by research conducted by the Bundeswehr University in Munich.
It has also been found that wood is best suited for the construction of rooms with the highest level of surveillance protection required as well. Thanks to this finding, Dr. Thoma's company has received a number of orders to build various structures for the German army.
This seven-floor hotel is built completely out of Holz100 – 100% pure wood. It proves day by day the incredible static strength of this natural, raw material. More so, there is even a huge swimming pool located on the seventh floor which boasts a open-air panoramic view of surrounding mountains. Starting from the day that its foundation was laid, the time that it took to officially open its doors only took 2 months.
This is the Austrian, state-of-the-art film archive, which houses 70,000 historical nitro-film reels. Fumes from the film erode rebars in reinforced concrete and therefore wood becomes most suitable for this purpose. This archive requires no external sources of electricity, and the constantly monitored temperature is at 3 degrees Celsius throughout the year as fluctuations are unacceptable in this case. In the summer, the facade warms up to an average temperature of twenty degrees Celsius from the outside and only a small, solar-powered air conditioner is at work.
To obtain such a result, the building has been modeled after a red ant forest anthill.
The larval hatching chamber at the center of the mound is exceptionally resistant to variations in outdoor temperatures. For this purpose, a research project was created, which involved the best BMW specialists in engine thermodynamics. It turned out that wood has two completely unique thermodynamic properties. 1 kg of wood accumulates 2.5 times as much heat as 1 kilogram of stone, and the time required to change its temperature is much longer than any other natural, raw material.
To obtain such a result, the building has been modeled after a red ant forest anthill.
The larval hatching chamber at the center of the mound is exceptionally resistant to variations in outdoor temperatures. For this purpose, a research project was created, which involved the best BMW specialists in engine thermodynamics. It turned out that wood has two completely unique thermodynamic properties. 1 kg of wood accumulates 2.5 times as much heat as 1 kilogram of stone, and the time required to change its temperature is much longer than any other natural, raw material.
This is the Haramura church near Fukushima in Japan which withstood a well-known earthquake for its destruction. Moreover, it is capable of surviving typhoons of up to 200 km per hour. One should know that for concrete, it is irreversibly damaged once it passes breaking point. Wood, on the other hand, flexes, shifts into the elastic phase, and then returns to its original form.
In 2012, Dr. Thoma's company built an energy self-efficient 5-floor commercial wooden building in Hamburg. This is ArcheNEO in Oberndorf, Tirol. A 6,600 square meter office complex, in which tenants’ leases state that they will not have to pay even a penny for heating throughout the year. The whole complex is built out of wood and not a trace of chemicals were used. Its temperature is regulated by heat pumps powered by photovoltaic batteries located on the roof.
It is hard to imagine, but the dense, hard timber that you can crack your head against is nothing but transformed air. Trees draw carbon dioxide from the air, returns oxygen, and uses carbon to build the most incredible structure that mankind refers to as wood. It only utilizes water and a small amount of minerals from the earth for this purpose. It is a structure so complex that the inner surface of one cubic centimeter of wood consists of 150 to 200 square meters in surface area.
Not only is this excellent structure the best natural heat insulator, but it also accumulates and stores heat well. Dr. Thoma in earlier years had already built many of the world's most energy-efficient homes, but even more so, he wanted to prove that it was possible to create an absolutely energy self-sufficient home without an external source of energy such as photovoltaics. He accomplished this by using other ancient methods.
Therefore he erected a five-floor house in the Bernese Oberland in the Matterhorn area of the Alps, which retains such an optimized facade with an intelligent arrangement of glass elements that during the day the sun falls through large windows on the so-called “sun traps” in the form of black stone floors. They warm up and act as a short-lived heat accumulator, while the high natural heat insulation properties of the wooden walls act as long-lasting heat storage. The house does not have any heating or ventilation, and its air quality and temperature are constantly monitored as part of the research project. Its indoor temperature in winter has never dropped below 18° C.
Moonwood harvesting was not only utilized in ancient Rome. After the first book was published, Dr. Thoma was unexpectedly visited by a delegation from Japan, led by the highest monk of the Japanese Buddhist monastery Hōryū-ji. The monastery is home to the world's oldest wooden buildings, erected in 607 AD. As it turned out, those buildings had also been built from moonwood. The head of the monastery wanted to become acquainted with Dr. Thoma's technology, because one of his student had left him with Dr. Thoma's book.
After observing everything, the monks left with a word that Dr. Thoma is turning the wheels of something great, because Buddhists believed that one should live in such a way which does as not leave any traces behind. Since Dr. Thoma’s technology does not harm the environment and does not leave waste throughout its entire life cycle, it certainly aligns with their principles. At the end, the monk promised his support. Dr. Thoma said goodbye, but questioned how they would be able to support him all the way from Japan and did not expect to hear back from them.
However, two weeks later a Japanese publisher called to inform Dr. Thoma that he received publication orders for a Japanese translation of Dr. Thoma’s book. Following his publications in Japan, Dr. Thoma started receiving orders for Holz100 from Japan. At this time, entering the Japanese market for building materials was considered virtually impossible even for large corporations, let alone such a small company like Dr. Thoma's.
To build houses in Japan, however, one needed to obtain the most restrictive certificate for earthquake resistance. Japan has at its disposal the largest platform for simulating seismic shocks which was where Dr. Thoma’s employees built a Holz100 house for testing. Dr. Thoma could not be present for testing, and he was very surprised when his employee called him to say that they failed to get certified.
The certificate is only issued when the tested house falls apart. It is then that the seismic level at which the construction fails is determined. However, Mr. Thoma’s house withstood the highest level of seismic shocks that could be simulated. The structure of the house had to be weakened by removing some of the connecting pegs for the house to fall apart, so that the certificate could be issued. The certificate received was of the highest safety class that can be obtained in Japan.
The first serious issue that Dr. Erwin Thoma came across in Germany was fire protection. In the 1970s and 1980s, wood houses were not allowed to be built with more than one floor. It was believed to be too dangerous because timber would burn quickly. Dr. Thoma decided to attain a fire safety certificate at the IBS Institute. It is one of the best known institutes of its kind in Europe, and it has the largest furnace for fire testing in Europe.
A manager of the institute said, “It is a wooden wall, so let’s try to run the F30 test and see how it does.” This test examines whether a wall can withstand a flame of 1000 degrees on one side for 30 minutes. Dr. Thoma had initially claimed that although made of wood, Holz100 was a completely different structure and asked for them to examine how long the wall would last beyond F30.
In response, the manager looked at Dr. Thoma as if he were an idiot and replied, “I said F30”. Dr. Thoma insisted, and the manager replied, irritated: “Listen, I have been working at the Institute for many years, and I have tested everything one could test in the timber industry. You should be glad if it can even withstand the F30 test. It will definitely not last any longer.” Finally, Dr. Thoma offered to pay for every minute of the test and the manager agreed, shook his head, and started the test. After 122 minutes, there was a strange sound. It turned out that the tank ran out of oil.
Following this incident, the institute carried out the test at its own expense and in the end, Dr. Thoma received a F180 certificate. It turned out that after three hours of treating a Holz100 wall with a 1000 ° flame, the temperature on its other side rose only by 1.8° C. The same treatment of a reinforced concrete wall would have caused the temperature on the opposing side rise to 600° even after 20-30 minutes and everything would start to burn. Because of the heat, the concrete begins to crack in layers and release the rebar rods which then melt.
It may seem unbelievable, but even a thick tree trunk thrown into the fire will often remain unburned, while the fire eventually fades and dies out. Only some of its surface will be charred as a result. When the source of fire disappears, the trunk stops burning as well. For wood to burn well, it must be cut into small pieces and surrounded by air. Today, Dr. Thoma's firm builds certified firewalls made of wood for industrial needs.
Absence of glue between layers create microscopic air gaps. There are additional air channels between some layers, allowing for improved thermal insulation. In this field, it has been so far assumed that the highest heat transfer coefficient (U-value) that wood can achieve is 0.14. However, this is true for glue laminated wood. Unglued and mechanically linked walls of Dr. Thoma have achieved a result twice as efficient; a U-value of 0.078. As such, a 36 cm thick Holz100 wall would provide a similar insulation to a 75 cm thick, solid, glue-laminated wooden wall (CLT) or a 10 m thick reinforced concrete wall.
Leaving out chemicals and toxins in the processing of Holz100 surprisingly led it to break the world record in thermal insulation for building materials. The results were so unbelievable that initially the Frauenhofer Institute in Stuttgart denied to issue a certificate. Over time, both the Frauenhofer and the Graz Technical University confirmed the results and issued relevant certificates.
The U value does not tell us everything, however; it turns out to be a poor manipulation created to favor thermal insulation manufacturers. In a laboratory experiment at the University of Graz, three walls with identical heat transfer coefficients were compared: an internally insulated prefabricated wall made of gypsum and particle board; a brick wall with Polystyrene insulation; and a 30 cm solid wood wall (holz100). The test room was at a room temperature without heating, and the outside temperature was -10 degrees Co. The test measured the time, in which the internal wall would reach 0 degrees Co. To reach 0 Co, It took 2 days for the prefab wall, the insulated brick wall took 10 days, and finally the solid wood wall (holz100) required over a month of time.
Moisture is yet another problem in construction. Water vapor and condensation is such a difficult issue that no company in the world can guarantee construction materials free of condensation and mold growth for more than 5 years. Lower Saxony's research has revealed recently that 80% of all homes equipped with styrofoam thermal insulation have developed mildew between the wall and the styrofoam. Mold is one of the worst poisons of all that can toxicate residential buildings.
Dr. Thoma guarantees his Holz100 houses for 50 years against moisture and mold. He has already built over 1000 houses in 33 countries, from the tropics to the Arctic Circle and, so far, has not received a single complaint.
The company grew and Mr. Thoma started building houses from solid wood, which, in the 1980's, was completely against the development of modern building systems at the time. Wooden houses were usually made of frame structures, in which mixed materials such as wood, foil, styrofoam, and others were used together.
Dr. Thoma wanted to build houses where people would be surrounded only and completely by wood, without the use of chemicals and toxins, to create an atmosphere similar to old wooden huts he knew from his childhood. They had a uniquely positive atmosphere. Gaining insight into the mystery of this well-being material has become a quiet passion of Dr. Thoma. He had to postpone his work in this area for later because, as it turned out, he still had many obstacles to first overcome.
Dr. Thoma developed and patented his own technology of wooden building systems. He called the technology Holz100 (“Wood”100), because Holz100 buildings were made of 100% wood in with absolutely no chemicals, screws or nails. Its walls were mainly 36 cm thick and consisted of five layers of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal wooden boards. All layers were joined by dry wooden pegs that swelled with moisture from the surrounding environment and formed an inseparable structure. A water, curd and lime mix acted as grease to reduce resistance when driving the pegs through the wooden boards with a hydraulic press. Elements prefabricated in such a way were delivered to the project site, and the assembly of a “turnkey” single family home only took 1 to 2 days for completion.
When humidity changes, timber swells or shrinks, but its length never changes. The cross structure of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal layers provide incredible stability similar to that offered by a concrete wall, as well as an exceptional durability of the form, even if such a house is flooded.
The Center for Chinese Healing Arts made of Holz100 built on the river in Gars am Kamp, Austria, was flooded by a hundred-year flood for four months after it was opened. After the water had subsided, only a bit of cosmetic work and replacement of floorboards required to be completed - and the building was ready to be used again.
The notes he took throughout his observations eventually became a manuscript and was accidentally discovered by a publisher. He talked Dr. Thoma into publishing his first book, “I Saw You Grow”, in which he precisely described the phenomenon of moonwood. Dr. Thoma’s friends advised him not to disclose secrets of his business. However, he believed that he should not keep this precious knowledge to himself, because it could change people's thinking about wood and make the world a little better as a result. He believed that what goes around comes around. This book caused a stir among the entire woodworking industry in the German-speaking area and many old craftsmen reacted positively to it. However, scientists and other industries responded with a hail of criticism and ridicule. He was called the moon whisperer and stamped as an esoteric.
An Austrian trade magazine has even commissioned research that was supposed to officially confirm that moonwood was nonsense. And, of course, test results matched the client's wishes, as it often happens in such cases. However, the book also reached Professor Ernst Zurcher at the ETH Institute in Zürich. It is the best technical university in Europe and one of the most renowned technical universities in the world. Based on his accumulated knowledge, a five-year research was organized to study moonwood. Similar research efforts were also initiated in Vienna and Hamburg. The Vienna and Hamburg research was short lived and proved nothing. On the other hand, the five-year research in Zürich confirmed the truth of the old grandfather’s knowledge. The results of these studies have been published in the most reputable publications of the world. Professor Zurcher still continues to research the impact of moon on various nature related phenomena.
The first thing discovered in Zurich was that a tree would pulse in step with the phases of the moon, i.e., it would swell and shrink in diameter by a fraction of a millimeter. Nevertheless, its length would never change. It was also discovered that each tree would form an electromagnetic field around it. One could think of this as some kind of an aura. The field's potential would increase and decrease in step with the phases of the moon. Next, the research concentrated on the intermolecular interactions in wood - most importantly those related to water. It was discovered that such interactions, similar to tides, also changed under the influence according to the phases of the moon. Water in its liquid state always manifests in systems called clusters. This phenomenon is poorly researched and contains many secrets yet to unfold. Some theories claim that such clusters carry information.
The ETH Institute in Zurich discovered that during the waning moon, individual molecules of water disconnected from the clusters and temporarily combined with single molecules of cellulose on the surface of capillaries. This can be described as the smallest mechanical mixture that exists. This phenomenon brings quantum physics into mind. The water molecule in this state is no longer in a liquid, gas, or solid state – it is in a fourth state described as gelled or gelatinous. Once the moon phase changes, these molecules separate which is scientifically inexplicable today. The only significant discovery was that it was controlled by the electromagnetic field surrounding the tree. It can be said that the moon affects the water contained in wood rather than the wood itself, thus improving properties of the wood. If the tree is harvested down during the waning moon phase, the resulting timber is so resistant to pests and fungi that the use of any wood preservatives or other chemicals is absolutely unnecessary. Such wood has the potential to last for hundreds of years without any maintenance or chemical treatment.
As it turns out, this knowledge was already in use in ancient Rome. In their records, moonwood was found to be used in building warships, as it was not prone to be attacked by harmful crustaceans. Julius Caesar even instituted the death penalty for ship builders who used wood other than moonwood. Pliny, a historian and Roman writer, also wrote about moonwood. Similar laws existed practically in every high culture in human history.
This was another event in the life of Dr. Thoma that made him start questioning modern methods of problem solving. Since the properties of wood saved his children from suffering, he thought that there might be a demand for traditional woodworking. He decided to open a woodworking shop, with an idea that wood might also help other people. He asked his grandfather to be his advisor. And this is how, in the 80’s, they started their business - one that would run completely contrary to the modern trends of civilization. Initially, most of their orders were for flooring. Unfortunately, these floors were often installed in new buildings, where there was still a lot of moisture in the concrete. As a result, the wood would swell with time, and the parquets would expand and contract.
Again, it was his grandfather who came up with a solution. He mentioned how we should only and solely use wood that was harvested at its best. What does it mean, though? The idea is to only harvest wood when the sap levels are its lowest in winter, but most importantly, to do it solely during the waning moon.
“Grandfather”, Dr. Thoma replied. “I studied forestry engineering in Vienna with the best professors. If such knowledge existed, I would have heard about it a long time ago.” Still, his grandfather remained stubborn. “I've been doing this all my life, you should try it, too” - he said. Dr. Thoma was still skeptical; however, he decided to harvest the next batch of timber in January, during the waning moon.
His timber was set aside in one pile while lumberjacks continued to work on a new pile of timber, despite the fact that the moon had already entered a different phase. The timber they cut at this time was set aside in another pile at the neighbor's. Because of the snow, the wood could not be transported, so they had to wait until spring. Once the snow melted, Mr. Thoma went to fetch the wood. The first thing he did was to check for woodworms, and it turned out that there were no signs of pests on it.
Out of curiosity, he checked the other pile of wood at the neighbor's and found that it was completely infested with woodworms! This was the third time that Dr. Thoma reveled in the fact that there was more knowledge to be learned about wood than what he had learned at the university. As he continued to work with wood, he began conducting his own research and took notes. It turned out that this “moonwood”, as he called it, was more resistant to fungus, and especially to blue stain fungi. It dried faster and was more resistant to fire. And, most of all, it was harder and stronger, with no tendency to swell when exposed to moisture.
Today, Dr. Thoma builds homes everywhere including the tropics next to termite mounds, where everything is usually eaten by insects except Holz100 homes. As he claims, there has never been any problems with woodworms or fungi.
Author
Holz100 Canada Inc.
Archives
July 2019
May 2019
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
Categories
All
Earthquake Resistance
Fire Safety
Flood Proof
Forests & Energy
Health
Indoor Environment
Introduction
Projects
Radiation Shielding
Recommendations
Soundproofing
Thermal Insulation
Tree Species
Trees & Wood
What To Avoid
Why Holz100?