A research team from the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FT UGM) has developed an eco-friendly house using cross-laminated timber. The house, the Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) Nusantara Pavilion, also incorporates smart technologies and uses local Acacia wood as its structural component.
The house has already been constructed as a prototype on the grounds of FT UGM.
In addition to its timber construction, the house features a hybrid off-grid solar power system equipped with solar panels and deep-cycle gel batteries to convert sunlight into zero-emission electricity.
It also includes Smart Light Control technology that adjusts the brightness of indoor LED lights based on the natural light received from the sun and an IoT Smart Garden system that automatically manages the watering of plants on the building’s façade.
Dr. Ali Awaludin, a lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering and one of the researchers, explained that the CLT Nusantara Pavilion uses wooden boards arranged crosswise in an odd-numbered layering system.
The boards are then bonded together using a lamination technique.
“We use small wooden boards that typically have low market value,” he said on Tuesday, Apr. 8, 2025.
He gave an example of odd-numbered layering: the next layer is placed crosswise for each board installed, and a third board is added on top.
“We use an odd number of layers depending on the desired final thickness. That thickness determines the load-bearing capacity of the panel,” Dr. Awaludin explained.
He added that the house design does not require columns, relying solely on the CLT walls and floors as structural supports.
“We deliberately chose acacia wood because it is relatively inexpensive and readily available,” he said.
The researchers planted climbing plants around the house’s exterior to protect the wood from the sun and rain.
“We previously tried growing passion fruit, but it didn’t succeed. Now we’re growing angled luffa, and the results are quite good,” the academic shared.
Interestingly, these plants don’t need to be watered regularly by hand; they are equipped with sensors that enable automatic watering.
“This way, we don’t need staff to water the plants daily, as the system can do it autonomously, allowing the plants to thrive,” said Dr. I Wayan Mustika, another research team member.
Dr. Mustika, who is also a lecturer in Electrical Engineering and Information Engineering, emphasized that this zero-emission house serves as a prototype for eco-friendly housing that utilizes renewable materials and energy sources.
“We hope this house maintains its sustainability. At some point, we all need to aim for emission reduction targets, ultimately achieving zero emissions. This house already sets an example. It can serve as a pilot project for other buildings,” he said.
Although it is environmentally friendly, Dr. Awaludin acknowledged that this type of house still has weaknesses, particularly regarding wood durability in humid conditions and vulnerability to mold.
“We continue to innovate to better understand these challenges and find solutions to improve the design going forward,” he stated.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna