CLT has over the last two decades provided a viable alternative to concrete and steel construction. CLT was first developed and used in Germany and Austria in the early 1990s. Austrian-born researcher Gerhard Schickhofer presented his Ph.D. thesis research on CLT in 1994. Austria published the first national CLT guidelines in 2002, based on Schickhofer’s extensive research. These national guidelines are credited with paving a path for the acceptance of engineered CLT elements in multistorey buildings.

Gerhard Schickhofer was awarded the 2019 Marcus Wallenberg Prize for his ground-breaking contributions to the field of CLT research. By the 2000s CLT saw much wider usage in Europe, being used in various building systems such as single-family and multi-story housing. As old-growth timber became more difficult to source, CLT and other engineered wood products appeared on the market. The US and Canada followed shortly, with Australia behind them. Now Indonesia will make the change to a better build.