As stated in the memorandum of understanding of the COST Action C25 new building materials, new products and technologies are in the long term a necessary way to re-duce environmental impacts. The paper investigates the environmental performance of a new building material based on renewable resource wood. It presents the outcomes of a life cycle assessment (LCA) showing the most important drivers (phases during the life cycle as well as specific inputs) for environmental impacts and the important impact categories for which environmental impacts are expected if fiber reinforced wood profiles are used. A preliminary case study, comparison between columns made of fibre reinforced wood, hot finished steel section and hollow core section is presented. The case study was conceived considering experimental data available for the reinforced wood columns.