Open Source Wood challenged architecture students participating in the EASA 2020 event

The Open Source Wood initiative challenged the architecture students participating in EASA 2020 to create a concept for a wooden multi-storey building using the element and module designs available on Opensourcewood.com.

The evaluation of the competition entries was based on their practicality, viability, innovativeness and efficient use of wood. The winning concept was T-LAB: Timber Laboratory for Co-operative Living by Hannah Dalton and Jack Vickerman.

The concept uses Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber) as the main construction material. It is a system of modules and building components that is perfect for offsite construction. The project is a viable alternative to traditional housing, proposing a cooperative building model which allows the benefits of practicality and efficiency to be carried through to the end user.

Fast construction of wooden residential buildings in Linnanfältti

Wooden multi-storey apartment buildings in Linnanfältti, close to the centre of Turku, Finland are being built with Kerto® LVL-based elements. A residential building constructed from wooden elements can rise in less than half the time compared to a similar kind of concrete building. With Metsä Wood’s Kerto LVL-based elements (laminated veneer lumber) buildings are fast, light and green to construct. 

A wooden Metsä Pavilion in Tokyo

​Metsä Group and Business Finland joined forces in building a wooden Metsä pavilion on the grounds of the Finnish Embassy in the centre of Tokyo, Japan.. The Pavilion will be used as a venue for different Embassy meetings and Business Finland events. It will also host the Finnish national team during the 2021 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This pavilion is an example of innovative architecture based on industrially manufactured wooden elements. The building was made entirely from Metsä Wood’s Kerto® LVL (laminated veneer lumber) elements. The pavilion has been designed by world-renowned Finnish architect Pekka Helin from Helin & Co Architects.

The raw material for the pavilion comes from sustainably grown Finnish forests, owned by Jukka Heikkonen. 

Project Manager Lasse Hietanen, from Finnish AINS Group, is responsible for the structural design of the Metsä Pavilion. The main goal was to create this unique building using as few parts as possible, making the production of Kerto LVL as efficient as possible.

The elements used in Metsä Wood and Business Finland’s Metsä Pavilion were produced at the Timberpoint factory in Loviisa, Finland. CEO and co-founder of Timberpoint Marko Suonpää  highlights that tight-knit collaboration between several professionals made the pavilion come to life.

The low weight of Kerto LVL elements was an advantage in the transport, and the lightness also made onsite handling easy. “The elements could be quickly put together on site,” says Jyrki Huttunen, CEO of Puurakentajat Oy, the company responsible for the erection of the Pavilion in Tokyo. On site, Japanese architect Atsushi Ueda was monitoring the construction and Ueda’s team also installed windows and finished up the interior and the visible surfaces of the Pavilion.

Open Source Wood gathers structural calculation tools in one place

Open Source Wood offers innovation, ideas and a library of element and module designs, freely available to everyone. Now, Open Source Wood also offers easy access to structural calculation tools.

Hybrid City competition results offer solutions to improve both sustainability and efficiency

The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience in Craigellachie, Speyside in Scotland is a stunning sight. Five meadow-covered hills hide the undulating roof of the distillery. The contemporary building combines a wooden roof with glass and steel. Fast, light and green Kerto LVL (laminated veneer lumber) was used as part of the prefabricated roof.