Wood In Architecture Issue 1, 2023

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ISSUE 1, 2023 

What is the role of a 

library? 

Sylva: Prefabricated, 

modular mass timber 

elements in one kit 

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CONTENTS 

34 

12 

32 

2 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 1 – 2023

CONTENTS 

04 Editor’s Note 

06 News 

THE BIG PICTURE 

12 What is the role of a library? 

MARKET REPORT 

26 Timber construction 

business: How to make it a 

success story 

SUSTAINABILITY 

30 Compliance with North 

American composite wood 

formaldehyde emission rules 

32 EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin 

MATERIALS AND 

TECHNOLOGY 

34 Aurum: Modern, sustainable 

architecture embraced by 

historic surroundings 

36 Sylva: Prefabricated, 



ENGINEERED WOOD 

39 Communicating with mass 

timber: Wooden telecom 

towers by EcoTelligent 

42 Glulam columns for a 

veranda 

DESIGN 

44 Escapes – The landscapes of 

the soul: Wood-dye veneers by 

TABU 

46 Paseo Mallorca 15 

STRUCTURAL 

ELEMENTS 

49 Sandwiched Variable Eggcrate 

Structure: Reconstituted 

timber component for wall and 

flooring use 

52 The Circus 

FLOORING 

54 Harder than hardwood: 

Woodura by Välinge Flooring 

56 2022: Challenging year for 

global laminate flooring sector 

FIT-OUTS 

57 Sycamore tree hung in hotel 

lobby 

59 Yamagiwa Osaka showroom 

and office 

SHOW PREVIEW 

61 Workspace Design Show 2023 

62 BEX Asia 2023 

63 Events Calendar 

64 Index of Advertisers 

42 

46 

36 

WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 1 – 2023 3

EDITOR’S NOTE 

When will the mass 

timber revolution hit 

South East Asia? 

It is not often for somebody who lives in South 

East Asia to see mass timber structures. 

Wooden buildings, maybe — depending on 

which country you stay. Wooden cabins or 

small houses are probably plenty in rural 

regions, but for urbanised Singapore you get a 

steel and concrete jungle everywhere. 

Mass timber has taken hold of many western 

countries and in some parts of Asia-Pacific, 

but it is slow on the uptake for South East 

Asia. Familiar arguments in support of mass 

timber, such as its inexpensiveness in terms of 

material and labour, might not apply in South 

East Asian context. Specific to Singapore, 

architects and designers need to import 

timber from EU countries or New Zealand, and 

that marks up the cost of building with mass 

timber. They need to install sprinkler systems 

as well, and that increases costs. 

That does not mean that mass timber is a 

lost cause for South East Asia, of course. 

Mass timber still is a worthy investment for 

our environment and the carbon-intensive 

construction industry, although the caveat to 

this is that the timber used to create mass 

timber elements must be sustainably 

harvested and sourced. After all, 

deforestation, land conversation and illegal 

forestry are also culprits of increasing 

greenhouse gas emissions. 

In this issue, we interviewed architect 

and creative director Pan Yi Cheng, 

who invented the Sandwiched Variable 

Eggcrate Structure, a flooring and wall 

module prototype (p.49). This prototype 

aims to decarbonise the construction 

industry by targeting low-storey houses 

in Singapore, as well as address the 

aforementioned expensiveness of 

importing timber from western countries 

by using reconstituted timber from 

Malaysia to build the prototype. 

We also talked to global sawnwood 

producer Stora Enso about their new kit for 

prefabricated, mass timber elements, Sylva 

(p.36). With manpower in the construction 

industry getting scarcer and the demand 

for green buildings growing, Sylva aims to 

be the answer to these two issues, tailormade 

for various building typologies. 

Libraries are our central theme for this 

issue’s Big Picture column. When we think of 

libraries, we think of books. However, a closer 

look at the projects we feature — and many 

others out there in the world — tell a different 

story: How can libraries become communal 

spaces as well? And what is the effect of 

using wood in such spaces? 

We hope to continue bringing everyone 

inspiring and beautiful projects of wooden 

architecture and interior design in the new 

year. And if ever you come across new 

projects, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and 

let us know. We will be happy to showcase 

them. 

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NEWS 

US IMPORTS OF ENGINEERED 

WOOD FLOORING RISE BY 11% 

According to the Decorative Hardwoods 

Association, imports of multi-layered 

wood flooring into the US rose by 

more than 11% in value to more than 

US$1.3bn and 7% in volume to more 

than 761 million square feet in 2022. 

Data from the US International Trade 

Commission showed that there were 

strong increases that followed growth 

of more than 31% in volume in 2021 

compared to 2020. 

Asia, in particular South East Asia, 

swept the top few positions. Imports 

from Vietnam rank first, increasing by 

nearly one-third in 2022 from 2021, 

with approximately 209 million square 

feet imported and $311m in value. 

Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Thailand 

and Indonesia followed after, although 

Cambodia and China saw a fall in 

volume compared to 2021, with 4.1% 

and 20.4% decrease respectively, and a 

fall in value with 2.6% and 16.2%. 

In contrast, Malaysia, Thailand and 

Indonesia recorded robust increases 

in volume and value. Malaysia 

experienced a 34.4% increase in 

volume and 39.8% in value, Thailand 

with 46% and 53.4% increases, and 

Indonesia with 31.5% and 24.1% 

increases. WIA 

SUMITOMO FORESTRY ESTABLISHES JOINT VENTURE 

FOR ENTRY INTO UK REAL ESTATE MARKET 

Sumitomo Forestry has announced it 

has jointly established three companies 

— Bywater SFC Holdings, Bywater SFC 

Management and Bywater SFC Investments, 

or collectively known as Bywater SFC — 

with British real estate developer Bywater 

Properties. 

With a shared business vision to realise 

decarbonisation, Sumitomo Forestry and 

Bywater are developing a six-storey mass 

timber office building in London, UK. 

The establishment of Bywater SFC will 

serve to further strengthen the relationship 

of these two companies. It also marks 

Sumitomo Forestry’s full-scale entry into 

the UK real estate development market 

to promote environmentally conscious 

properties and mass timber constructions in 

Europe. 

Bywater specialises in the development, 

planning and management of real estate 

properties, primarily offices. It has developed 

mass timber and environmentally conscious 

properties in UK cities such as London, 

Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast. 

Sumitomo Forestry Group is engaged in a range 

of businesses revolving around wood, including 

forest management, timber and building 

material procurement and manufacturing, 

wooden construction, and wood biomass power 

generation. 

Within the construction industry, it is currently 

involved in the development of 4,000 mass 

timber build-to-rent housing units per year 

using 2×4 construction, as well as numerous 

medium- to large-scale mass timber 

constructions both in Japan and abroad, such 

as a 15-storey office building in Melbourne, 

Australia, a six-storey office building in London, 

UK, a seven-storey office building in Dallas, US, 

and a three-storey office building in Atlanta, US. 

In February 2022, Sumitomo Forestry 

established Sumirin UK which has been 

collaborating with Bywater to develop the 

London office building. 

Bywater SFC will develop real estate properties 

under the Bywater brand name. Its expansion 

into the European market is planned to 

include developing mass timber multi-family 

dwellings, refurbishing buildings, and several 

environmentally conscious projects using 

existing construction methods. 

According to Sumitomo Forestry, demand for 

environmentally conscious real estate is high 

in Europe, which leads the world in terms of 

climate change policies. 

Under the UK’s Assessment of Environmental 

Performance of Buildings (BS EN15978), 

for buildings constructed of wood from 

sustainable forests and designed so that 

the wood is reused after demolition, wood 

carbon sequestration can be subtracted in the 

calculation of the building’s Whole Lifecycle 

Carbon (WLC) emissions. 

The UK ranks number one in Europe in terms 

of commercial real estate investments and the 

number of residential transactions, as reported 

by the European Mortgage Federation. 

Recent advances in wood fireproofing and 

other technologies have led to the streamlining 

of building certification and administrative 

licensing systems, resulting in an increase in 

the number of medium- to large-scale mass 

timber construction projects. WIA 


NEWS 

MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOOD IN 

CHINA’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 

Back in October 2022, the municipal government 

of Shanghai began to promote low-carbon, 

zero-carbon and even negative carbon emission 

technology innovations to support the carbon 

peak and carbon neutrality strategies for the city. 

According to Canada Wood Group, Shanghai 

officials are reportedly working on positioning 

the city as an exemplary model for the national 

double carbon goals, to reach carbon peak by 

2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. 

Ten action plans were formulated to support 

the goals, which includes the zero-carbon 

technologies of urban and rural construction 

and transportation areas. 

The government published an official notice 

for the Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality 

Implementation Plan with Science and 

Technology Backing, which has been 

announced with the participation of six 

municipal authorities. 

The implementation plan sets specific 

targets, such as the R&D of low-carbon 

related technology systems covering energy, 

industry, construction, and transportation 

areas; completion of demonstration projects; 

and establishment of carbon neutralityrelated 

laboratories and green technological 

innovation centres. 

To promote the green and low-carbon 

construction of urban areas, communities and 

rural areas, the plan promotes the R&D of key 

technologies for carbon reduction throughout 

the lifecycle of buildings. 

It specifically lists low-carbon or zerocarbon 

building materials for design and 

construction, calling for action on the 

R&D of new building materials as well as 

structural systems with natural materials 

that can sequester carbon, including wood 

structures. 

During the China-Canada Green Low Carbon 

Construction Exchange organised by 

Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) China, 

the Shanghai Management Commission of 

Housing and Urban-Rural Development also 

reiterated the importance of the inclusion of 

wood in the plan. 

China’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality 

strategy are creating more opportunities for 

wood construction development across the 

country, with the carbon advantages of wood 

gaining more awareness among Chinese 

government stakeholders. WIA 


NEWS 

CANADA WOOD KOREA KICKS OFF 

SECOND NLT DEMONSTRATION IN KOREA 

According to Canada Wood Korea, South 

Korea envisions timber as the key construction 

material to reach its carbon neutrality target. 

The trend of building with wood using mass 

timber technology in larger and taller public 

buildings has been reinforced by repeated 

statements from various levels of government 

in recent years. 

Canada aims to take advantage of this market 

opportunity, particularly in the public building 

sector, by promoting the use of nail-laminated 

timber (NLT), a cost-effective substitute 

to cross-laminated timber (CLT) products. 

For cost-sensitive public building projects 

funded by the government, the simplicity and 

aesthetic quality of NLT have a unique catch. 

To generate meaningful impact, Canada Wood 

has pivoted their demonstration efforts in 

this direction to showcase the use of NLT in 

public buildings such as a community centre 

and enable the Korean industry to get through 

the learning curve when it comes to design, 

manufacturing and installation. 

Their inaugural project was a community 

building in Jinju city focused on introducing 

various NLT roof configurations in a gable roof 

design. 

The second NLT demonstration is underway 

now. The project is located in Seungsan Village, 

a historic settlement featuring classic Korean 

wooden dwellings, and is famous for being 

the hometown of several corporate founders 

of large conglomerates like GS and LG Group. 

As a popular tourism destination, the demo 

project will be home to many travellers. 

Drawing upon knowledge gleaned from the 

first project, this building has incorporated 

The second NLT demonstration is underway in 

Seungsan Village (Image: Canada Wood Korea) 

various design components that improve 

manufacturing and construction cost. For 

example, its shed roof layout facilitates simpler 

and consistent NLT roof setup, resulting in 

cheaper production and no need for the steel 

columns seen in the first project. 

The Jinju municipality is encouraging the 

utilisation of wood and is the host city of the 

inaugural Architecture Festival in 2022, which 

explicitly recognised wood structures for their 

ability to maintain carbon neutrality. WIA 

LUNAWOOD TO INCLUDE FIRE PROTECTION 

TREATMENT IN THEIR PRODUCTS 

Lunawood has entered into a partnership 

agreement with Nordic Timber Labs for the fire 

protection of planed Lunawood Thermowood 

products at their production facility in Nastola, 

Lahti, Finland. 

Lunawood is the producer of Lunawood 

Thermowood, a range of thermally treated 

wood products for facades, interiors and 

landscaping. Nordic Timber Labs is a provider 

of fire impregnation services. 

Himmelbyen, 2017-2019 by The Seasons (Image: 

Terkel Bo Grum-Schwensen/Bergsten Timber) 

The use of wood materials in facades has 

increased around the world, especially in 

growth centres where architects want to use 

natural wood products to bring warmth and 

soften modern architecture, and help replace 

fossil building materials with wood products 

that act as carbon stores. 

Without fire protection treatment, 

Thermowood belongs to the same fire 

class D as untreated wood. Using the 

fire impregnation method, Lunawood 

Thermowood will reportedly meet the 

required fire class B of the facade structures 

of P1 and P2 buildings. 

The used technology and method for fire 

protection is a documented, CE-marked 

treatment process which enables consistent 

quality in fire protection. 

“The cornerstone of Lunawood strategy is 

sustainability. Thanks to the fire impregnation 

technique we are able to bring our sustainable 

Thermowood to new heights in larger projects, 

replacing fossil-based materials. In addition, 

working with a local impregnation partner 

helps us minimise the overall climate footprint 

of the final product,” explained Maija Masalin, 

vice-president of marketing and product 

management at Lunawood. 

“We are happy that such specialised 

expertise has been established in Finland. 

This co-operation increases the degree 

of domesticity and both usability and 

competitiveness of sustainable wood 

products manufactured entirely in Finland in 

the international market.” 

Vincent Parasnis, CEO of Nordic Timber Labs, 

concluded: “We are proud to be teaming up 

with such a competent and well-respected 

innovator in the Thermowood space, and it 

is exciting bringing novel technology to the 

Finnish timber market. The global commercial 

footprint of Lunawood products helps us 

enable fire safe wood construction all around 

the world.” WIA 


NEWS 

BEST USE OF CERTIFIED TIMBER PRIZE 

WINNER AWARDED BY PEFC AND WAF 

Paseo Mallorca 15, designed by OHLAB 

architects, has won the Best Use of Certified 

Timber prize, supported by the Programme for 

the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) 

at the 2022 World Architecture Festival (WAF). 

The prize recognises architects for their use 

of certified timber as a key element of their 

project and something that makes it stand out 

in terms of sustainability, innovation, quality 

and aesthetics. 

The judges praised the project for its 

“masterful control of light” and “timeless 

beauty and technical innovation”. 

“The building shows the many ways that PEFCcertified 

material can deliver sustainability to 

global building design,” said Fabienne Sinclair, 

head of marketing of PEFC, who presented the 

award. 

CELEBRATING LOCAL TRADITION 

AND SUSTAINABILITY 

Set on a tree-lined promenade in the heart of 

the Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca, Paseo 

Mallorca 15 is a new residential complex has 

sustainability and energy efficiency at heart. 

The facade, supplied by GRUPO GUBIA, is 

made of PEFC-certified Scots pine that has 

been thermally modified due to the building’s 

close proximity to the sea. This treatment 

gives the timber minimal contractions and 

expansion movements. Vertical timber slats 

are brushed on all sides, with different sections 

and separations, then fixed to an anodised 

aluminium frame. 

According to PEFC, more than 350 fixed and 

sliding timber panels change the vision of the 

building continually and act as a solar filter or 

brise soleil. 

The design reflects traditional Majorcan 

carpentry and according to OHLAB is a 

“re-reading of the island’s traditional 

materials and systems…carried out in an 

abstract and contemporary key, creating a 

building that seeks to be totally efficient and 

sustainable as well as creating a pleasant 

and stimulating sensory experience for its 

inhabitants”. 

The project has been designed according to 

Passivhaus standards to achieve maximum 

energy efficiency and to provide a healthy, 

comfortable living environment. 

To know more about Paseo Mallorca 15, flip to 

page 46. WIA 


NEWS 

AHEC PARTICIPATES IN MADRID DESIGN FESTIVAL 

WITH TWO WOOD DESIGN SHOWCASES 

1 

1 The mentors of SLOW Spain, as well as designers for the workpieces 

showcased for Natural Connections. From left: Jorge Penadés, 

Álvaro Catalán de Ocón, Inma Bermúdez and Moritz Krefter 

2 The furniture pieces showcased for SLOW Spain 

2 

The American Hardwood Export Council 

(AHEC) has presented two wood design 

projects at the Madrid Design Festival 

2023, held from 7 Feb-12 Mar 2023. 

The first is ‘SLOW Spain: Slow design for 

fast change’, a project in collaboration 

with nine Spanish design schools that 

showcases the talent and ideas of 

the emerging design generation while 

exploring the material possibilities 

of four sustainable but underused 

American hardwoods for furniture 

design. 

The projects have been mentored by 

designers Inma Bermúdez and Moritz 

Krefter from Studio Inma Bermúdez, 

Álvaro Catalán de Ocón from studio 

ACdO, and Jorge Penadés from Oficina 

Penadés. 

Together with the students, they 

have worked to refine and shape the 

students’ ideas using red oak, maple, 

cherry and tulipwood. 

The exhibition aims to show the 

importance of ‘slow design’ and how 

this philosophy can be applied 

in furniture creation. As well as 

being an opportunity to learn 

more about the importance of 

sustainability in furniture design, 

the ‘slow’ approach can contribute 

to a positive change in the current 

culture of fast furniture. 

Each of the pieces has been 

handcrafted in the La Navarra 

carpentry in Madrid. The final 

designs mix aesthetics with 

functionality, and range from side 

tables to a bookcase-screen, a desk 

or the reinvention of a chair. 

“SLOW is about education and 

opportunity. We have attempted 

to fill the gap in design education 

which often does not provide an 

in-depth experience for design 

students to learn about and work 

with hardwood materials,” said 

David Venables, European director 

of AHEC. 

The second project is ‘Natural 

Connections’, which reportedly 

aims to connect materials and people in 

a playful, conscious and nature-focused 

way. 

The aforementioned mentor-designers 

were invited to create three pieces of 

furniture for public spaces, designed to 

help people encounter and rediscover 

nature, using red oak, maple or cherry. 

The result is a collection of pieces that 

promote fun and interaction. 

“Our collaboration with the Madrid 

Design Festival, Matadero Madrid and 

three of the most important design 

studios in Spain has provided an amazing 

opportunity to connect the public with 

the worlds of design, craft, and wood,” 

said Venables. 

“The design teams worked with 

maple, cherry, and red oak to create 

playful, original, and highly innovative 

installations that we hope will provide 

engagement, excitement and a 

connection for visitors to these wonderful 

natural materials.” WIA 

Images: AHEC 


NEWS 

PUBLIC HOUSES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 

TO ONLY USE LOCAL MATERIALS 

The state government of South Australia has 

announced that public houses built in South 

Australia must use products manufactured 

in the state. 

This means the state government requires 

core products used in construction, including 

bricks, timber frames, concrete, reinforcing 

steel, steel frames, windows, security doors 

and steel for roofing, fencing and rainwater 

tanks, to be manufactured locally in South 

Australia. 

house framing timber and about 25% of the 

nation’s particleboard, and it is great news 

that this policy will support our domestic 

manufactured product over imported product, 

thereby support local jobs.” 

Furthermore, the cross-laminated timber 

(CLT) and glue-laminated timber (glulam) 

expansion by Timberlink is expected to help 

secure the southeast region of Australia as one 

of Australia’s leading timber manufacturing 

regions, unlocking further economic activity for 

the region. WIA 

Source: Timberbiz 

According to Timberbiz, this announcement 

came after government reforms, where the 

new government has made promises to 

make policy changes that will benefit local 

businesses, manufacturers and workers. 

The state government will also commit 

AU$177.5m to build 400 new homes and 

refurbish another 350, which will benefit 

local manufacturers and South Australia 

businesses, especially in times of a stressed 

housing market. 

The government is further targeting an 

increase of $425m per year in work awarded 

to South Australia businesses. 

“This is a big win for manufacturing 

industries in South Australia, particularly 

the forest industries, giving such sectors 

a boost of confidence and recognition by 

the state government,” said Nathan Paine, 

CEO of South Australian Forest Products 

Association. 

“Timber frames are a core manufactured 

product in South Australia that supports 

our residential construction and building 

industries, and we are please that locally 

grown trees [will help in] building and 

refurbishing affordable public homes for 

South Australians. 

“The South Australian forest industries 

process about 35% of Australia’s structural 


BIG PICTURE 

What is the role 

of a library? 

12 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 12 – 2023 2022

BIG PICTURE 

Libraries have long developed past their sole purpose of 

collecting books for use. As public spaces where 

the community can gather to work, play, and 

socialise, and as models for sustainability, 

the following projects showcase timber 

libraries in all their versatility, encapsulating 

not only culture, but also enjoyment, 

neighbourliness, and warmth. 

WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 1– 2023 13

BIG PICTURE 

2 

1 

Climate-conscious 

design 

PROJECT: Microlibrary Warak Kayu 

LOCATION: Semarang, Indonesia 

ARCHITECTURE FIRM: SHAU Indonesia 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Joko Agus Catur Wibowo 

RESEARCH AND PREFABRICATION: 

Kayu Lapis Indonesia 

CONTRACTOR: RAH Contractor 

PHOTOGRAPHY: KIE & team 

A NEIGHBOURHOOD ICON 

The Microlibrary Warak Kayu is 

the fifth built project within the 

Microlibrary series, an Indonesian 

initiative to increase reading interest 

by creating socially-performative 

multifunctional community spaces 

with environmentally conscious 

design and materials, which aim to 

serve low-income neighbourhoods in 

Indonesia. Designed by architecture 

firm SHAU and prefabricated by 

Kayu Lapis Indonesia, an integrated 

wood manufacturing company, this 

project is a community, private sector 

and government collaboration. The 

microlibrary charges no entry fee and 

is run by Harvey Centre, a locallyembedded 

charity group in Semarang, 

the Indonesian capital of Central 

Java, in coordination with the local 

government. 

Architecturally it represents SHAU’s 

passive climate design, material, 

and typology experimentation for 

the tropical context. After numerous 

design iterations, the most favourable 

design concept was the one with 

the whole building being elevated, 

like a traditional rumah panggung — 

which translates to house on stilts — 

because it does not only function as a 

library but adds value by becoming a 

neighbourhood and community centre, 

at the same time being used to promote 

Indonesian engineered wood products 

and manufacturing capabilities. By 

elevating the library, various spatial 

configurations, multiple programmes 

and a range of activities can be offered. 

On the ground is a large semi-outdoor 

area which can be used for workshops, 

as well as a wide tribune seating at the 

entrance for watching presentations or 

movies, and to grab children’s attention, 

a wooden swing. The ground area is 

framed by a ring of planter boxes to 

create a more intimate atmosphere. 

Upstairs in the library itself, there is a 

net where kids can lie down, relax and 

read but also directly communicate 


BIG PICTURE 

2 3 

1 The library has a net where kids can lie down, 

relax and read but also directly communicate 

with people underneath 

2 Bangkirai-based finger joint laminate was 

used for columns and beams 

3 A wide tribune seating at the entrance for 

watching presentations or movies 

with parents and friends in the space 

underneath. It is important to have this multiprogrammatic 

approach to make the library a 

popular place, since reading alone is not yet 

considered a fun activity in the country. 

The Microlibrary Warak Kayu is the latest 

addition to the architecture landscape of 

Semarang. It is built at Taman Kasmaran, a 

public square in the city centre with direct 

proximity with a river and has a view to 

Kampung Pelangi, or Rainbow Village, a local 

tourist attraction. The square has a cafeteria 

with warungs, also known as small vendors, 

underneath, and there is a local school nearby. 

The library will be part of the city’s tourism 

route where the bus tour will stop. In that 

sense, the library serves not only the local 

neighbourhood but is embedded in the larger 

city network and thus has an increased reach. 

A MODEL FOR FSC-CERTIFIED 

CONSTRUCTION 

The building can be seen as a living 

educational spot for wood material and 

construction techniques and is Indonesia’s 

first Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) 

project certified building. This is possible 

with the donor and client, Arkatama 

Isvara Foundation. A variety of Kayu Lapis 

Indonesia’s available materials and products 

for construction are used and only the 

foundation, footings and roof cladding are not 

wood-based materials. 

The design process includes a bottom-up 

process, where all available products in the 

factory were first evaluated, and the design 

was developed from that. As one of the 

design-exploration results, the brise soleil 

was based on the Zollinger Bauweise, a 

construction system developed in the 1920s 

in Germany. It is a form of reciprocal system, 

resulting in a distinctive slightly shifted 

diamond pattern. This pattern happens to 

resemble a local mythical creature, Warak 

Ngendog, and its dragon-like skin, displayed 

during annual festivals in Semarang. Hence 

the name Warak Kayu in Indonesian, 

meaning wooden Warak, which is a positive 

narrative for communicating the design to a 

wider audience. 

CLIMATE DESIGN, MATERIAL AND 

CONSTRUCTION 

The Microlibrary Warak Kayu is designed 

around passive climatic design aspects: No air 

conditioning is used, and therefore no energy is 

spent. Semarang has a tropical monsoon climate 

according to Köppen climate classification with 

temperatures up to 34°C during the end of dry 

season. The building is cooled down by means 

of cross ventilation and solar heat is prevented 

from entering using shading elements. The roof 

overhang provides shading around noon. The 

longer facades are oriented north-west and 

south-east due to site restrictions. Therefore, an 

eggcrate-like deep screen is designed to block 

the lower sun altitude angles in the mornings and 

afternoons. That means direct sunlight cannot 

enter the building in an unobstructed way. As a 

result, the diffuse-reflected sunlight is sufficient 

to read books without artificial lighting. In 

addition, the depth requirement of the Zollinger 

brise soleil was determined by the angular 

relationship between the sun path and building 

rotation. The cross ventilation aspect also helps 

to drag moisture out of the building and prevent 

books from getting mouldy or damaged. 


BIG PICTURE 

1 

4 

5 

4 Only bangkirai 

is used for the 

main structure of 

columns, beams 

and secondary 

beams 

5 The Zollinger 

brise soleil, 

eggcrate design 

blocks the lower 

sun altitude 

angles in the 

mornings and 

afternoons 

Wood as construction material 

outperforms many other materials 

regarding embodied energy, water and 

air pollution, carbon footprint, and 

it is also a re-growing material. For 

the Microlibrary Warak Kayu all wood 

materials are in compliance to the SVLK 

Timber Legality Verification for certified 

timber, and almost all according to 

FSC certification. Wood is sustainably 

logged in Central Kalimantan, then 

shipped from Sampit over the Java 

Sea southwards to Semarang and 

the factory. The whole process also 

includes nursery, replanting and 

harvesting time planning to maintain 

sustainability for the coming years. 

Various types of wood products and 

wood species were used. For the main 

structural components like columns 

and beams, bangkirai-based finger joint 

laminate — a tropical hardwood with 

high weather resistance often used for 

outdoor furniture and decks — was 

used. For decking and the Zollinger 

brise soleil, different meranti-based 

plywood types in various thicknesses 

were employed. 

The main structure of columns, beams 

and secondary beams has the highest 

volume of all materials. Here, only 

bangkirai is used. The by-products of 

this manufacturing in form of leftover 

and small-cut wood pieces are 

trimmed and processed for finger joint 

strip elements. That means the whole 

structural elements also make use of 

factory leftovers. 

Apart from the concrete foundation all 

wooden elements are prefabricated at 

the Semarang factory and transported 

within 20km to the site. Prefabrication 

of the elements at the factory, on-time 

delivery and on-site assembly mean 

less noise, dust and generally less 

harmful impacts on the direct 

environment during assembly, and at 

the same time, faster construction time. 

In addition, with prefabrication at the 

factory, due to better trained workers, 

modern tools, higher safety standards, 

a safer construction process but also 

higher degree of precision is reached, 

and with that, fewer mistakes are made. 

This in return produces less waste. 

In general, wooden waste material 

produced at the factory can be collected 

more easily because no sorting is 

needed. Also, there is minimal distance 

involved in transporting waste for 

recycling, and valuable leftovers from 

cutting can be used for other products 

consisting of smaller pieces also made 

at the factory. The construction of 

the main structural elements uses a 

mixture of engineered connections and 

carpenter joints — most notably scarf 

joints — for prolonging the main beams 

due to manufacturing practicality. 


BIG PICTURE 

1 

1 

A hybridised 

public space 

PROJECT: Lea Bridge Library Pavilion 

LOCATION: Leyton, London, UK 

ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Studio Weave 

CLIENT: London Borough of Waltham Forest 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Timberwright 

FURNITURE AND CARPENTRY: 

Sebastian Cox 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Jim Stephenson 

COMPLETION: October 2021 

2 

London-based architecture practice Studio Weave has 

extended the Lea Bridge Library in east London, adding 

a cafe and adaptable community space with improved 

connection to the library’s gardens, resulting in a revived 

civic heart for the Borough of Waltham Forest. 

1 The Lea Bridge Library 

2 A library can offer places to work, learn, 

socialise, and gather, beyond just reading 

To connect the local and future community as the 

neighbourhood undergoes a period of cultural growth and 


BIG PICTURE 

3 

regeneration, Studio Weave explored the 

changing role of a library in modern civic 

infrastructure conceiving a new wing that 

offers places to work, learn, socialise, and 

gather. 

Je Ahn, director of Studio Weave said: “We 

envisaged the Lea Bridge Library extension 

as a hybridised public space; a new town 

hall with wider opportunities for citizens to 

participate more fully in public life. Hybridised 

public spaces combine and maximise 

collective resources, and are unexpected 

engine rooms for community connection. 

“Since completing the new library extension, 

as locals we have witnessed first-hand the 

impact it has had on the community. The 

extension is always brimming with occupants: 

children’s parties on weekends, students, 

mother’s groups, and workshop attendees 

each week. We are proud to have contributed 

an environmentally-focused space for Leyton’s 

social and cultural growth.” 

The new 250m 2 wing sits to the rear of the 

Edwardian red brick library and occupies the 

western boundary of the site, designed to 

lightly touch the existing heritage building and 

its green space, Friendship Gardens. Studio 

Weave utilised the existing western garden 

wall as a structural spine, anchoring the 

structure and bulk of the building to one side, 

ensuring a seamless, open connection to the 

gardens. Cantilevered beams of high-strength 

laminated veneer lumber (LVL) support a 

length of overhead glazing and floating ceiling 

of timber battens. Floor-to-ceiling glazing 

along the entire east elevation invites the 

outdoors in, creating a visual and physical 

connection to Friendship Gardens. 

Studio Weave designed the new Lea Bridge 

Library extension to sit harmoniously in 

between existing mature trees in Friendship 

Gardens, resulting in a rectangular floor 

plan punctuated by a semi-circular glass cut 

out. The pavilion curves in and steps up at a 

central pinch point to protect the root system 

4 


BIG PICTURE 

of a neighbouring mature Common Lime 

tree. The architects used this momentary 

squeeze in the plan created by the sweeping 

concave glass as an opportunity to divide the 

pavilion. A pivoting timber door hangs flush 

with wall joinery and swings across to create 

a flexible private events space, offering a 

community asset while also future-proofing a 

further revenue stream for the library. A long 

colonnade stretches the length of the new 

extension, featuring a gently graded natural 

stone walkway to ensure level access to the 

rear event space. A facade of zig-zagging red 

precast concrete panels and columns nods 

to the tone of the brick used in the existing 

library, and conceal drainage which captures 

and redirects water down to the tree roots 

below the building. 

Accessibility is central to the success and 

popular use of the Lea Bridge Library Pavilion. 

Studio Weave designed two new access points 

to draw visitors in through the gardens at 

the side and rear of the site, bypassing the 

library’s quiet zone. The main entrance and 

foyer on Lea Bridge Road were refurbished to 

include new wash facilities, buggy parking and 

an upstairs staff room. From the foyer, the new 

cafe welcomes visitors before opening into the 

main space. A continuous wall of fluted timber 

joinery connects bookshelves with in-built 

banquette seating, creating interspersed open 

reading rooms. The open plan layout can be 

adapted for a range of cultural, recreational 

and community activities and be used at 

different times of day by different local groups 

and library users. 

The architects’ approach to sustainability 

can be felt throughout the building. Studio 

Weave balanced a light, open-plan community 

space that benefits from a considered passive 

cooling strategy supported by mechanical 

heat recovery ventilation (MVHR). The ceiling 

is positioned to protect the exposed aggregate 

floor from direct sunlight, and the continuous 

glass wall opens at intervals to allow for 

natural cross ventilation. 

Reuse is a strong theme throughout the new 

pavilion. All internal joinery and furniture 

timber were salvaged from trees felled across 

the publicly owned streets and parks across 

London in an effort to reduce the carbon 

footprint of the pavilion and reuse existing 

waste materials. The species of trees salvaged 

include London plane, poplar, sycamore, ash, 

holm oak, turkey oak, sequoia, horse chestnut 

and more, and add a variety of textures and 

tones to the custom-designed fitted and 

loose furniture. Studio Weave worked closely 

with local furniture maker Sebastian Cox, 

designing an in-built banquette with fluted 

timber shelving that stretches along the 

pavilion, reinforcing the link to the library 

while creating a natural visual language which 

is echoed by the trees outside in Friendship 

Gardens. Sebastian Cox also designed custom 

tables, chairs and sofas for the new space, all 

crafted from 25m 3 of waste timber. 

The project is a community element of 

the Borough of Waltham Forest’s cultural 

regeneration, supported by £411,000 from 

the Greater London Authority’s Good Growth 

Fund. Studio Weave is now working on the 

second phase of the library’s development, 

re-landscaping the garden and adding in play 

facilities to be delivered by summer 2023. 

The extension has revived the library as a key 

cultural and community hub through which 

social cohesion is fostered, offering events, 

activities and opportunities to empower 

local residents. Where the library offers 

access to a wealth of knowledge, Studio 

Weave’s architecture offers an open public 

asset and space for the community to share 

experiences. 

5 

3 All internal joinery 

and furniture timber 

was salvaged from 

trees felled across 

London streets and 

parks 

4 Large windows 

for users to enjoy 

the fresh air and 

sunshine 

5 Cantilevered beams 

of high-strength LVL 

Alpa Depani, head of strategic planning and 

design at Waltham Forest Council, concluded: 

“The Lea Bridge Library extension is a warm 

and generous addition that responds with 

care to both the existing historic building, 

and the garden with its mature trees. It 

embeds sustainable principles and has been 

transformative in terms of opening up the 

possibilities for community life and activity, 

as proved by its popularity with a range of our 

residents.” 


BIG PICTURE 

20 WOOD IN ARCHITECTURE • ISSUE 1 – 2023 

1

BIG PICTURE 

Durable and sustainable 

1 The New Library at Magdalene College 

2 The timber gable pitched roof 

PROJECT: New Library at Magdalene College 

ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Niall McLaughlin Architects 

CLIENT: Magdalene College 

TIMBER SUPPLIER: James Latham 

TIMBER EXTERNAL DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS AND CLADDING: 

Piper Joinery 

CLT STRUCTURE: Eurban 

CLT SUPPLY: Stora Enso 

GLULAM STRUCTURE: Neue Holzbau 

INTERNAL TIMBER DOORS AND SCREENS: Trojanwood Joinery 

TIMBER FLOORING: Pica Floorings 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Nick Kane 

COMPLETION: January 2021 

The new building at Magdalene College 

replaces cramped and poorly equipped 

facilities in the adjacent Pepys Building 

with a larger library, incorporating an 

archive facility and a picture gallery. 

The New Library is sited at a sensitive 

historic setting, along the boundary 

wall between the enclosed space of 

the Master’s Garden and the more 

open space of the Fellows’ Garden. Its 

placement extends the quadrangular 

arrangement of buildings and courts 

that developed from the monastic 

origins of the college site. 

2 

The library is approached from Second 

Court, through a little doorway and 

out under an old yew tree. From this 

corner visitors can sense the presence 

of the river opening out at the edge of 

the lawn. Niall McLaughlin Architects 

wanted to make the building a journey 

that gradually rose up towards the 

light. On the way up there would be 

rooms, galleries and places to perch 

with a book. At the top, there would 

be views out over the lawn towards 

the water. The architects wanted to 

create a variety of ways for someone to 

situate themselves depending on their 


BIG PICTURE 

inclination. Visitors might sit in a grand hall, 

a small room, or tuck themselves into a tiny 

private niche. 

For the architects, good architecture plays 

variety of experience against the underlying 

order to produce harmony. The new library 

is based upon a logical latticework of 

interrelated elements. A regular grid of 

brick chimneys supports the floors and 

bookstacks and carries warm air up to 

ventilate the building. Between each set of 

four chimneys there is a roof lantern bringing 

light down into the spaces below: air rising 

and light falling. This regular array produces 

a natural hierarchy with narrow zones for 

circulation and wide zones for reading 

rooms. The delineation of load-bearing 

brick vertical structure, supporting spanning 

engineered timber horizontal structure is 

used to reinforce the organisational scheme. 

This creates an underlying pattern of warp 

and weft that the architects hope can be 

understood intuitively by people using the 

building. 

3 

3 Horizontal timber 

structure to reinforce 

the organisational 

scheme 

4 Engineered timber 

was used to reduce 

embodied carbon 

dioxide in the 

construction 

5 The timber window 

tracery will weather 

over time to become 

silvery grey 

The materiality and form of the new library 

are derived both from its context and from 

the college’s brief to make a highly durable 

and sustainable building. The older college 

buildings are of load-bearing brick, with 

timber floors and gabled pitched roofs 

structures. Brick chimneys animate the 

skyline and stone tracery picks out the 

fenestration. Niall McLaughlin Architects 

tried to make the new building from this set 

of architectural elements. They used timber 

instead of stone for the window tracery, 

which will weather over time to become 

silvery grey like stone colour. They worked 

carefully with their builders to find a variety 

of bricks that would match the tapestry-like 

quality of the older College buildings. At the 

same time, the New Library at Magdalene 

College is a modern building that employs 

passive ventilation strategies to minimise 

energy in use, and engineered timber 

structure to reduce carbon embodied in its 

construction. 

The New Library won the 26th RIBA Stirling 

Prize in 2022. 

4 5 


BIG PICTURE 

Warm, 

peaceful, 

tranquil 

PROJECT: Tonami Public Library 

LOCATION: Toyama, Japan 

ARCHITECTURE FIRM: 

MIKAMI Architects and 

Oshita Architects & Engineers 

AREA: 3,342.62m 2 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Kouji Horiuchi 

COMPLETION: November 2020 

1 1 A nighttime view of the 

library’s huge roof 


BIG PICTURE 

The Tonami Public Library is a public 

library located in Tonami city, Toyama 

prefecture in Japan, facing the Sea 

of Japan. The countryside of Tonami 

has inherited a breathtaking rural 

landscape known as the ‘scattered 

villages’. The exterior of the main 

building conveys the reality of 

azumadachi there, a term which refers 

to a traditional Japanese house style. 

The concept of a ‘one-room library 

under a big roof’ was born from this 

image. 

The massive roof, like the large, 

gentle waves depicted, is a modern 

interpretation of azumadachi and a new 

landmark for Tonami city. The building 

is also positioned so that the road on 

the west side is parallel to the low 

eaves and the interior of the building 

is visible. The ceiling of this gently 

undulating main roof is approximately 

1,900m 2 and is finished with a design 

consisting of slender cedar planks. 

The total length of the cedar planks 

is 42km. The library is enveloped in 

the scent and warmth of dense wood, 

giving visitors a sense of peace and 

tranquility in a forest of books. 

Inside the building, the ceiling inverts 

with the gentle waves of the main roof, 

connecting the two levels as one. The 

sloping ceiling on the north side of the 

building evokes a sense of liveliness. 

As one moves toward the back, the 

slope of the ceiling becomes gentler, 

and everyone, from children to the 

elderly, is enveloped by the warmth of 

1 


BIG PICTURE 

dense wood and natural light pouring 

in through the high windows. The 

facing staircase leading to the upper 

floor connects the upper and lower 

spaces, allowing visitors to freely view 

the entire interior from the second 

floor. 

In the interior, the combination of 

wood and poured concrete creates 

a calm reading space, while the 

tulip-patterned carpet — the flower 

representing Tonami city — and the 

tulip design evokes refreshment after 

studying. 

In addition, when sitting on a sofa-type 

reading chair while facing the street, the 

wooden ceiling can rest visitors’ eyes 

after a long day of reading. The ceiling, 

which extends to the eaves, leads the 

eye outside, allowing the viewer to enjoy 

the glass-paned windows. Meanwhile, 

a kids space allows the interior to be 

shared with the exterior world through 

the windows. WIA 

2 The one-room library under a big 

roof concept 

3 The wooden ceiling rests visitors’ 

eyes after a long day of reading 

4 The library is enveloped in the 

scent and warmth of dense wood 

2 3 

4 


MARKET REPORT 

Timber 

construction 

business: 

How to make 

it a success story 

By Peter Hartmann, South East Asia market responsible, 

and Michael Postulart, senior consultant, Schuler Consulting 

navigate through the jungle of project 

requirements, and implement 

construction projects from design to 

production. 

OUT OF THE NICHE, INTO THE 

MARKET 

Many entrepreneurs have recognised 

that the future lies in timber 

construction. Both investors who come 

from the classical object construction 

with mineral building materials as 

well as non-industry stakeholders are 

looking for their place in the market. 

Those who build with wood now are 

moving with the trend, for timber 

construction offers answers to modern 

man’s question of sustainable and 

affordable living space. By 2050, more 

than two billion additional individuals 

are expected to seek a roof over their 

heads. With the housing industry 

coping with this major task, wood can 

help to go the extra mile. In housing 

densification, wood as a building 

material is already better than other 

materials due to its properties, such as 

lower weight and higher stability. 

The race is on: One prestigious 

project follows the next. The current 

tallest timber building at 85.4m-tall, 

Mjøstårnet, based in the town of 

Brumunddal, Innlandet, Norway, will 

soon surrender its place to the next 

record chaser, the Rocket in the city 

of Winterthur, Switzerland, which is 

scheduled to reach the 100m mark in 

2026. With timber construction, many 

want to reach new heights. Multi-storey 

buildings are often intended not only 

to set new construction standards, 

but also to serve as an example of 

urban living. The wooden giants are 

unique, but they have one thing in 

common: They are complex. From 

vision to implementation, there are 

several hurdles to overcome. Schuler 

Consulting can help companies 

But it is not only the building material 

itself that is appealing. Strengthened by 

the social demand for green building, 

timber construction is developing out 

of its niche and into a real movement. 

Wood is also a showcase candidate in 

terms of climate friendliness. While 

conventional construction emits 

up to 600kg of CO2 per tonne of 

cement, the wood used in multi-storey 

buildings in timber construction saves 

more CO2 than is emitted during the 

construction project. In the case of 

hybrid construction methods, with 

a combination of elements made of 

wood and wood-based materials as 

well as elements made of, for instance, 

concrete, it is the ratio that counts — 

every component that is not made of 

concrete saves CO2 emissions. 

For example, a single-family house 

binds about 40 tonnes of CO2 and 


MARKET REPORT 

requires only half as much CO2 in production 

as a concrete building. This already makes 

timber construction attractive today, but 

especially in the long term, also from a 

business perspective, since lower CO2 

emissions consequently mean less CO2 tax. 

The possibilities of timber construction are 

expanding step by step. Even bigger, even 

higher or even more sustainable: There are 

always new benchmarks. Building with wood 

is attractive for many, such as for residents 

and for politicians, who must also set new 

framework conditions in the building sector to 

comply with the agreed climate agreements, 

not least for economic reasons. However, in 

timber construction, there have so far been few 

standards to fall back on when implementing 

complex projects such as multi-storey 

buildings or housing developments reports. On 

the one hand, this makes the market attractive, 

as there is a lot of design scope for architects, 

investors and engineers. It invites investors to 

think big and, of course, to build high. On the 

other hand, due to their complexity, projects in 

multi-storey construction place high demands 

on project management and project execution. 

This is noticeable, among other things, in 

the fact that companies from the timber 

construction sector are increasingly looking for 

strategic advice. As such, Schuler Consulting’s 

task as project engineers is then to look 

for lean ways in the project to implement 

the visions of the timber constructors 

economically and efficiently. To approach 

the question of how to become successful in 

timber construction, especially in large-scale 

projects, we share a few practical tips from our 

own experience. 

SEVEN PROJECT MANAGEMENT 

TIPS FOR MULTI-STOREY 

CONSTRUCTION 

Know your product: Every project starts with 

an idea, which can quickly grow in complexity. 

It is important to define the building project 

clearly from the beginning. Firstly, this means 

knowing your product and what you want 

to get out of it at the end of the project, and 

secondly, making a detailed business case. 

A business case is necessary to make one’s 

The great timber construction boom is also due to the possibilities of automation and a higher degree 

of prefabrication 

vision economically tangible and to place it on 

a firm foundation that will try to withstand all 

risk assessments in the best-case scenario. 

At the beginning of the project there is always 

the question of the product: What is to be 

built, how high, what is the vision in terms of 

sustainability and economic viability, and more. 

Then there is risk assessment by the project 

management. These are many questions that 

have to be clarified at the beginning to start the 

project cleanly. 

Know your stakeholders: It is also necessary 

to have a top-down view of the goal at the 

beginning and not lose sight of it throughout 

the entire project course. This means knowing 

the requirements of all the people involved, 

such as architects, the building physicists 

and technical building planners, logisticians 

and buyers. Each of them brings a catalogue 

of requirements and wishes that need to 

be sorted, structured and prioritised. Often, 

classic conflicting goals between the different 

technical planners — fire protection, sound 

insulation, thermal insulation, statics, building 

services, architecture — have to be coordinated 

and aligned with the project goal. Also, new 

on board here is the production planner, who 

wants a product that can be manufactured 

as highly automated as possible to an 

economically feasible extent. 

As project managers, Schuler plays a kind 

of conductor in a construction and factory 

planning project, bringing together or 

‘orchestrating’ the concerns of the different 

planners in such a way that the end result is a 

product that can be produced smartly. 

Small changes, big impact: Team size is 

crucial for successful project management. 

While small teams create a fast and agile 

working environment that also delivers results 

and implements changes at short notice, large 

teams can bring the necessary manpower to 

check changes down to the last detail. Even 

small changes in construction have a great 

impact in other areas: If the thickness of the 

timber frame construction is changed, this 


MARKET REPORT 

Defining the building 

project clearly 

from the beginning, 

knowing your 

product, make one’s 

vision economically 

tangible 

impacts on the statics; if another 

layer is added to the wall structure, 

such as to improve the building’s 

physical properties, the additional 

work steps and thus the entire cycle 

time in the coordinated prefabrication 

must be adjusted. Such changes also 

have a further impact on fire and 

noise protection, as well as thermal 

insulation — for example, if the dew 

point slips into an unfavourable range 

as a result of the change. 

In large teams, there are enough 

specialist planners who can produce 

comprehensive designs for this. The 

challenge is to keep the threads 

in hand and bring them together 

properly. The more players there 

are in the game, the more views and 

opinions from different disciplines 

come up. This brings opportunities and 

risks. The project manager’s task is to 

choose the right path, to develop the 

most target-oriented idea, and to take 

the entire team along on this path. 

Logistics planning: The crucial 

question in all projects is logistics. It is 

often easier to manufacture the timber 

elements on-site, in the production 

environment, than to transport the 

elements to the construction site. 

The larger the projects, the greater 

the advantages of sophisticated 

logistics. Thus, a marginal topic that 

is inconspicuous at the beginning 

often gains a lot of attention in the 

projects. One of the reasons for this is 

that logistics is one of the major cost 

drivers in the value chain. With the 

progressive increase in CO2 taxation 

and the associated rise in transport 

costs, the pressure for optimised 

logistics is growing. Particularly large 

production volumes will result in a 

high number of loading cycles, which 

require smart and often individual 

loading concepts. Here, Schuler 

can develop concepts tailored to 

the customer with the surrounding 

logistics in the production and 

warehouse environments. 

Certificates do not just hang on the 

wall: The issue of sustainability is 

becoming increasingly important in 

construction projects. Many insurance 

companies, funds and investors attach 

importance to building certification. 

Through certification, builders 

and investors hope for greater 

competitiveness in the real estate 

market and higher returns over 

the entire lifecycle of the property. 

Over the last decades, various 

national as well as international 

methods and models have been 

developed, such as the German 

Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) 

certification, the Leadership in 

Energy and Environmental Design 

(LEED) rating system, or the 

BREEAM certification by the Building 

Research Establishment. What do 

these topics have to do with factory 

planning? Depending on the model, 

the manufacturing process of the 

building elements flows into the 

certification with different weighting. 

That means CO2 emissions, waste, 

transports, and others are a direct 

lever that have a positive or negative 

effect on the certification, depending 

on the process and construction 

design. 

Another and often decisive point 

is the element construction. The 

certification goals are linked to 

various point systems that have 

a practical effect on the element 

construction — for example, which 

fasteners are used and how well 

they enable recycling, or what the 

energy requirements of the property 

are, which is to say, how good the 

combination of thermal insulation 

and building services must be. These 

issues influence the production and 

assembly processes. For this reason, 

it is important to have made the 

basic decisions at the beginning of 

the planning process, as explained in 

tip number one: What is my vision? 

How sustainable do I want to be? 

Which certification do I strive for and 

with which goal achievement? What 

is in the lead — efficiency or cost, 

producibility, sustainability or design? 

All these issues are considered in the 

roadmap of a planning project. 


MARKET REPORT 

Raise the automation level: In 

addition to sustainability goals and 

construction details of the elements, 

other guard rails are important in 

the project. It should be defined 

from the beginning what the degree 

of prefabrication and automation 

should be in the later production. 

The great timber construction boom 

is also due to the possibilities of 

automation and a higher degree of 

prefabrication. But a mere shift of 

value creation from the construction 

site to the production hall is no 

longer sufficient. Skilled workers 

are also very difficult to recruit in an 

orderly industrial environment on the 

production floor. Since this problem 

will not be alleviated and the general 

trend is towards automation anyway, 

a high degree of automation should 

be aimed for here. This increases the 

complexity of the project, but with 

the right product and an efficient and 

automated production, there is the 

possibility of successfully creating 

housing in the future with planning 

certainty, despite challenges such as 

the shortage of skilled workers and 

the energy crisis. 

Know the market developments: 

The timber construction market 

is dynamic, so it is particularly 

important to observe current 

developments and to be aware 

of innovations in good time, such 

as in certification. Risks and 

opportunities must be derived from 

what is happening in the market 

and their effects on the project 

must be assessed. For example, a 

look into the distant future offers 

hope that rising construction costs 

will reduce the requirements for a 

building, especially in the area of 

affordable housing. Currently, the 

requirements are still very high, but 

a change must take place here in 

perspective. A stronger consideration 

of timber construction in the 

standards compared to conventional 

construction would also create 

relief in fire and noise protection. 

Optimisations in these areas could 

further increase the attractiveness 

of building with wood by simplifying 

constructions, thus creating a step 

towards affordable housing. Current 

risks for timber construction projects, 

however, are the currently long 

delivery times of machinery suppliers. 

The machine manufacturers are 

working to capacity and are facing a 

procurement crisis for raw materials 

and machine components, which 

means that longer delivery times 

should be planned for, especially for 

larger plants. 

CONCLUSION 

Strategic production development 

often looks frighteningly complex 

at the outset, taking into account 

all stakeholders, constraints 

and regulations. However, when 

considering the long lifecycle of real 

estate or processes in the construction 

industry, holistic planning is necessary 

to be able to produce sustainably 

and efficiently. In the end, the aim is 

to deliver sustainable and affordable 

housing to the end customer with 

increased efficiency and profitability, 

and thus to operate successfully in the 

market. Those who want to take off in 

Michael Postulart, senior consultant, 

Schuler Consulting 

timber construction therefore set the 

course for success through strategic 

and efficient project management. And 

that is necessary, because there is a lot 

going on in the industry. 

The constant race to build the next 

tallest wooden skyscraper shows 

how competitive the market is. 

Timber construction will continue to 

gain significant shares in the coming 

years. The timber construction boom 

will continue, even if the general 

construction boom, especially for 

single-family houses, is somewhat 

declining currently. Timber 

construction will hopefully quickly 

replace classic construction of using 

concrete and CO2-intensive cement 

as the predominant construction 

method. Even so, it will not be 

possible to do without cement and 

concrete completely. We should limit 

ourselves to the sensible components, 

as the hybrid construction method 

demonstrates. 

Timber construction business is and 

will remain popular. To be successful 

in it, Schuler Consulting offers support 

— whether the project concerns the 

production of single-family homes, a 

multi-storey wooden building, or of a 

housing development project. WIA 

Peter Hartmann, South East Asia market 

responsible, Schuler Consulting 



Compliance with 

North American 

composite wood 

formaldehyde 

emission rules 

By Tsang HingWo, global information and innovation manager, SGS 

(MDF), oriented strand board (OSB), and 

laminated timber. 

CONCERNS OVER 

FORMALDEHYDE 

Formaldehyde is often used as the 

binding agent in composite wood 

products because it is effective and 

inexpensive. However, formaldehyde 

emissions higher than 0.1 parts per 

million (ppm) in the air can cause watery 

eyes, a burning sensation in the eyes, 

nose and throat, coughing, wheezing, skin 

irritation and nausea.* It has also been 

shown that exposure to formaldehyde 

can cause cancer.* This has led to several 

countries introducing legislation to 

restrict emissions from composite wood 

products. 

In an increasingly regulated market, how 

can manufacturers and suppliers ensure 

their products meet North American 

regulatory standards for formaldehyde 

emissions? 

The market for composite wood 

products is growing. Most homes 

now contain several products made 

from composite woods, from furniture 

to laminate flooring. According to 

Allied Market Research, the North 

American composite wood market is 

projected to rise from US$736m in 

2016 to around $1,876m in 2023.* 

This popularity stems from the fact 

that composite wood materials are 

more sustainable, hard-wearing, and 

can be easily moulded and shaped 

at lower temperatures, making it 

cheaper to work with and better for 

the environment. For consumers, 

this means that one material type 

can create a variety of products with 

multiple looks and designs. 

WHAT IS COMPOSITE WOOD? 

This term covers a range of fabricated 

wood products. Fibres, sawdust and 

wood veneers are bound together 

using adhesives or plastics to create 

a new material. Types of composite 

wood include plywood, fibreboards 

like medium-density fibreboard 

NORTH AMERICAN 

REGULATIONS 

In 2010, then-US President Barack 

Obama signed into law the Formaldehyde 

Standards for Composite Wood Products 

Act. The US Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) then published its final rule 

in December 2016 to reduce exposure 

to formaldehyde emissions from certain 

wood products. The EPA regulation aligns 

with California Air Resources Board 

(CARB) requirements.* 

Under the terms of this legislation, all 

composite wood products imported, 

manufactured or sold in the US need 

to conform to these requirements 

since June 2018. The one exception is 

laminated products that are not exempt 

from the meaning of hardwood plywood 

(HWPW), which must comply from 24 Mar 

2024.* 

In 2021, the Canadian Government 

published ‘Formaldehyde Emissions 

from Composite Wood Products 



Regulations’ (SOR/2021-148), aligning 

the country’s standards with the US 

Toxic Substances Control Act Title 

VI ‘Formaldehyde Standards for 

Composite Wood Products’ (TSCA Title 

VI). Canada’s regulations have come 

into force on 7 Jan 2023, but with 

requirements for laminated products 

not applying until 7 Jan 2028.* 

Both US and Canadian laws set 

requirements for testing, recordkeeping, 

reporting and labelling. In the 

US, since 22 Mar 2019, importers of all 

composite wood products, whether as 

panels or incorporated into component 

parts or finished goods, have also 

been required to provide an import 

certification. 

1 

The advantages of composite wood 

materials mean that the market for 

products made from them is growing. 

To succeed in the competitive North 

American market, manufacturers 

and suppliers must ensure their 

products conform to US, Canadian, 

and if they operate in California, CARB 

requirements. 

To meet certification and CARB 

requirements, manufacturers 

can look towards certification 

and inspection bodies like SGS, a 

testing, inspection and certification 

company that provides services to 

help manufacturers and suppliers of 

composite wood products successfully 

access US and Canadian markets. They 

can cover a range of product types, 

including children’s toys, composite 

wood panels, flooring, countertops 

and picture frames. Solutions 

should conform to strict regulatory 

requirements, using large chamber 

(ASTM E1333) or small chamber 

(ASTM D6007) methodologies with 

services including US Formaldehyde 

Emissions Certification and CARB 

Certification Services. WIA 

*References are available on request. 

2 

3 

1 Composite wood 

products like 

plywood require 

formaldehyde as 

a binding agent 

2 Formaldehyde 

used to bind 

wood fibres to 

create OSB 

3 Too much 

formaldehyde can 

cause damage 

to the eyes, 

nose and throat, 

and even cause 

cancer 



EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin 

LOCATION: Berlin, Germany 

ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Tchoban Voss 

Architekten 

BUILDING TYPE: Commercial 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Buro Happold 

PEFC-CERTIFIED TIMBER SUPPLIER: 

HESS Timber, Knauf Elements 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ilya Ivanov 

TEXT: PEFC International 

1 

EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin is a new seven-storey 

office complex comprised of two joined 

buildings, the Carré office and the smaller 

Solitaire building, with a total floor area of 

32,000m 2 . The complex has been built using 

a modular hybrid-timber construction. Each 

building has six floors and is connected 

by an underground car park. The result is 

allegedly the largest modular timber-hybrid 

construction project in Germany and one of 

the largest in Europe. 

The buildings were designed by Tchoban Voss 

Architekten, who worked with CREE Buildings 

and structural engineers from Buro Happold. 

Approximately 3,350m³ of Programme for the 

Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)- 

certified spruce was used for the supporting 

elements, ceiling beams, walls and windows. 

The decision to choose timber was integral 

to achieving environmental and sustainability 

targets set by the client. 

The smaller of the two buildings, the Solitaire, 

is an elongated free-standing building which 

continues the line of the facade of the larger 

office building. The latter, the Carré, is a 

quadrangle-type structure with an irregular 

trapezoidal footprint. Since the summer of 

2022, the building has served as the German 

headquarters of Swedish energy supplier 

Vattenfall. 

The wall elements were made regionally in the 

German town of Neuruppin, while the ceiling 

elements were produced in Lower Saxony 

state. Altogether there are 1,190 timberhybrid 

ceiling elements carried by 1,280 

glulam facade supports and 445 timber wall 

elements with a total area of 16,000m 2 . 

The heart of the Carré building is a spacious, 

light-filled atrium. A two-storey entrance lobby 

with a 7m height faces the plaza in front of 

the building. The 26m-high atrium is covered 

by a transparent ethylene tetrafluoroethylene 

(ETFE) foil roof, supported by a timber-truss 

construction. A central highlight is the four 

tree-like shapes of different heights which 

grow skywards under the foil roof as if in a 

greenhouse. 

The structures are linked by filigree steps with 

white railings, which lead via platforms to 



the adjacent floors of offices. The fifth floor 

has a sky lounge with panoramic windows 

and a spacious external terrace. In every 

part of the building — from the supports, 

beams, windows, and doors to the cladding 

and railings — timber is visible, adding a 

natural, clear feel and bringing nature into the 

individual spaces. 

The hybrid combination of timber and 

concrete saved up to 80% of CO2 per square 

metre of floor area. Low construction weight, 

short shell construction times, high reliability 

in planning and costs, and durability are other 

advantages of this construction approach. 

Particular emphasis was placed on using 

materials that can be recycled wherever 

possible. 

2 

EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin is the first 

building in Germany to be uploaded to the 

MADASTER material database for building 

construction. This material passport allows 

the materials used to be reused and recycled, 

enabling precise monitoring of ecological 

sustainability. The building also received 

an overall German Sustainable Building 

Council (DGNB) compliance rating of 95.4%, 

making it a sustainable architecture project 

in Germany. DGNB is a German sustainability 

accreditation. The building also received the 

DGNB Diamond award for design quality as 

well as Germany’s first WELL Core & Shell 

Gold certificate. 

3 

1 Four tree-like shapes of 

different heights at the Carré 

2 PEFC-certified spruce was 

used for the supporting 

elements 

3 The hybrid combination 

of timber and concrete 

saved up to 80% of CO2 

per square metre of floor 

area 

Sergei Tchoban, partner at Tchoban Voss 

Architekten, said: “EDGE Suedkreuz Berlin 

is not just an ensemble of buildings. For me, 

the project is and remains a prototype of a 

new way of thinking. In the construction of 

the buildings, the focus was on reducing the 

weight and thus the CO2 footprint as much 

as possible while simultaneously combining 

the aesthetics of the building with an ethical 

approach to nature. Emphasis was placed 

on using materials that can be recycled 

according to the cradle-to-cradle principle. 

The prefabrication of the building components 

and their possible repeated use ensure a 

sustainable building system that makes it 

possible to create impressive spaces and 

future-oriented working environments.” WIA 


MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY 

Aurum: Modern, sustainable 

architecture embraced by 

historic surroundings 

The dimensionally stable Lunawood 

ThermoWood was chosen as the wood 

material for this building in Turku, 

Finland, which achieved 

an Excellent BREAAM 

Environmental rating. 

1 

Turku’s new modern university building is a 

project where the area’s history embraces 

contemporary architecture. Aurum, built for 

the Faculty of Science and Engineering of Åbo 

Akademi University and the Department of 

Chemistry of the University of Turku, integrates 

into the culturally significant surroundings, 

especially with its material choices. 

The project’s lead architect, Piia Viitanen 

from Aihio Architects, described that the 

design work of Aurum was guided 

by environmental responsibility, and 

this was considered in all the design 

solutions. She wanted to use genuine 

and natural materials that celebrate their 

characteristics while creating a unique 

atmosphere. As a result, the chosen 

materials generated strong dialogue and 

contrast: silky and partly rugged concrete, 

transparent glass, and natural Lunawood 

ThermoWood. 

GEM OF THE BLOCK 

Aurum’s entrance that leads to the atrium 

space — the building’s heart and common 

lobby — is the gem of the entire block. 

The facade uses similar white wall tiles as 

the surrounding buildings but in smaller 

size. In contrast to that, the entrance 

uses over 1,000 Lunawood ThermoWood 

battens in an upward-curving shape that 

imbues an impressive and natural look to 

the space. 



2 

3 

“We wanted to use authentic materials 

as the colour source, such as transparent 

glass, cast-in-place concrete with both 

polished and unpolished surfaces, and wood 

to bring added warmth and atmosphere,” 

explained Viitanen. “This sets high technical 

requirements for the materials because the 

colour comes from the material itself and 

therefore must be of high quality in terms 

of their technical standards. As the batten 

cladding continues from exterior walls to 

interior surfaces through a glass wall, it was 

extremely important that the same colour 

tone continues from out to indoors.” 

Indoors, the Lunawood ThermoWood was 

left untreated and it retains the warm 

signature colour, haptic feel and the natural 

fragrance of the wood. Outdoors, the battens 

were treated with UV-protected surface 

treatment agent to maintain the brown 

colour. The coherent batten look seamlessly 

integrates the whole and enables the unity 

of the architecture and style throughout the 

building. Dimensionally stable Lunawood 

ThermoWood battens allow long parallel lines 

and curved lines to continue from outdoors 

to the seven-storey interior atrium space, 

as the same Lunawood product can be used 

in both purposes. According to Lunawood, 

over 1,800m³ of the Lunawood ThermoWood 

batten wall was installed — a total of 7,270 

pieces over 18,000m. 

The atrium space was designed for shared 

living, group work and entertainment, and the 

horizontal wood trim supports this by evening 

out the soundscape and reverberation time 

of the space. Also, the wood material brings 

warmth and softness to the lobby area as a 

counterweight to technical study spaces, such 

as laboratories. 

ACCURACY AND PRECISION IN 

KEY POSITION 

Viitanen emphasised that the dimensional 

accuracy and precision in installation was 

a crucial factor when choosing the wood 

material for the building. 

“After analysing a large number of wooden 

materials, we concluded that no other 

material offered technical properties that 

would allow us to achieve the required level 

of dimensional accuracy and stability when 

installing the material, but also in the coming 

years. In fact, Lunawood’s ThermoWood was 

the only product that met these requirements. 

Outdoors, the wood must stay dimensionally 

stable, and indoors in installations the ends 

of the battens had to extend evenly, with only 

a tolerance of 2mm allowed for the space 

between them.” 

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTIONS 

Sustainability and consideration of ecological 

values were also important factors when 

1 The entrance of Aurum that leads into the atrium 

space is lined with Lunawood ThermoWood 

(Image: Wellu Hämäläinen) 

2 The wood material brings warmth and softness to 

the lobby area (Image: Lunawood) 

3 Installing ThermoWood requires no resin, as 

claimed by Lunawood, and the entire lifecycle of 

the wood is sustainable (Image: Lunawood) 

selecting project’s wood material. As the 

whole lifecycle of Lunawood ThermoWood 

is sustainable, and since the installation of 

ThermoWood is resin-free, it supports the 

values of the University of Turku and its 

position as a responsible leader in society. 

Aurum’s design and implementation sought 

an Excellent BREEAM environmental rating. 

The BREEAM system helps to design and 

build a building with the smallest possible 

environmental footprint. This was taken into 

account in both material selection and space 

efficiency, as well as in LVISA solutions. 

PRODUCT USED 

Luna SHP 42x92 is a Thermowood batten used 

primarily for facades, solar shades, interiors 

and other decorative surfaces. It is beautiful, 

durable, suitable for all climates, and requires 

low maintenance. It creates a connection 

between urban life and nature and will be 

naturally weathered over time when exposed 

to UV light, becoming silvery in colour. WIA 



Sylva: Prefabricated, 



Can you explain what Sylva aims to 

achieve? 

Matthew Linegar: Sylva is a kit of 

customisable prefabricated building 

elements manufactured from mass 

timber comprising walls, floors, roofs, 

stairs, beams and columns. Because 

every Sylva element is tailor-made, it is 

possible to build anything from multistorey 

residential buildings, commercial 

office buildings, large industrial building 

and even schools. 

Nanyang Technological University, Academic Building South, Asia’s largest mass engineered timber 

project in Singapore (Image: Steeltech Industries) 

ARCHITECTS: Toyo Ito 

& Associates, Architects, 

and RSP Architects 

Planners & Engineers 

Mass timber is becoming increasingly popular 

worldwide, but the construction industry is 

highly risk-averse. New and innovative ways 

of building and green technologies have to 

demonstrate that engineering and regulation 

requirements can be met before they become 

mainstream. Stora Enso, in response, has 

introduced Sylva to address those concerns 

directly. Matthew Linegar, head of product 

management at Stora Enso, shares more. 

By Yap Shi Quan 

Sylva solves six major issues in the 

construction industry today by: lowering 

the environmental impact — where the 

industry is responsible for 39% of all 

CO2 emissions, which we now know are 

the cause of climate change — mitigating 

the labour shortage, being more costefficient, 

reducing construction times, 

simplifying designing with wood, and 

boosting health and wellness for tenants 

or users. There are more side benefits, 

but these are the immediate, direct 

advantages. 

Why develop Sylvia as a kit? 

Linegar: The construction industry is 

changing: Labour is scarce, coordination 

among building trades is complex, and 

the demand for green construction is 

growing rapidly. In response, developers 

are seeking new ways to reduce on-site 

labour, shorten construction timelines, 

and build more sustainably. Increasingly, 

these developers are moving away from 

traditional building material suppliers 

and towards companies who can 

deliver prefabricated building elements 

manufactured off-site, paired with expert 

design and installation coordination 

services. 

Sylva elements are lightweight and high 

load-bearing, and because they are easy 

to work with, it is possible to mix and 

match with existing building materials. 

For example, existing buildings made 

from reinforced concrete can often be 

extended with additional floors made 

from Sylva elements without the need to 



strengthen the foundations due to the 

lighter weight nature of wood. The kits 

also enable spaces to be repurposed 

over time. Instead of knocking down a 

building after it has fulfilled its purpose, 

it is possible to repurpose it without 

major renovations. When a Sylva 

building reaches its end of life, the 

wooden elements can be dismantled 

easily, with parts reused or recycled 

with minimised impact on the planet. 

SITE: Stora Enso Mill, 

Gruvön, Sweden 

PARTNER OF STORA 

ENSO: WiEHAG 

ARCHITECT: Tengbom 

Can you elaborate on the entire 

consumption process, from ordering 

and manufacturing to delivering and 

installing Sylva on-site? 

Linegar: Stora Enso connects with 

architects, builders, planners and 

various stakeholders at different entry 

points of the construction process. 

Our aim is to enable all the players to 

optimise the use of wood in a way that 

is as easy as possible for them. 

We have developed building concepts 

for residential, industrial, office and 

school buildings. These concepts apply 

the Design for Manufacturing and 

Assembly method (DfMA) to align the 

design and delivery process for a more 

predictable and optimal outcome. We 

have also optimised them to create 

the best-performing, low-carbon and 

cost-effective building solutions based 

on our products from Stora Enso’s Sylva 

kit. As a result, you can design and 

build low-carbon and cost-effective 

buildings of all typologies and scales for 

a specific project’s needs. 

Once the design has been determined, 

customers can use our digital tools and 

services to work out the dimensions of 

the walls, columns and beams before 

the final international foundation class 

(IFC)-model, or 3D model, is made. This 

can streamline construction efficiencies 

and costs because it essentially creates 

a virtual model with all the specific 

measurements of the cut-outs for 

windows, doors and specifications 

for the wood that will be visible and 

exposed in the building. We can tell 

you, for example, what is the most 

efficient and economical use of Sylva 

glue-laminated timber (glulam) beams 

and columns in a building. 

The finalised, processed model is then 

sent to Stora Enso for optimisation. 

Contractors and architects can maintain 

full control from their electronic 

dashboard, and confirm that everything 

is correct before production starts. 

Once the order is confirmed Stora Enso 

cooperates with setting delivery plans 

and decides how different elements 

should be placed during transportation. 

We make sure that each piece arrives 

just-in-time. 

How compliant is Sylva with national 

building codes and regulations? 

Linegar: One of the reasons Sylva is so 

popular is that we have already done 

so much of the work behind the scenes 

to ensure that each component can 

easily meet building codes regulations 

with the correct design, coatings 

and installation for every detail — 

such as thermal, acoustic, seismic 

and fire issues, and other structural 

considerations. Even seasoned 

architects that have worked with wood 

for a long time are turning to Sylva 

because these topics are so complex 

that it can be hard to keep up with the 

latest requirements. With Sylva you 

have that assurance that can not only 

meet the criteria, but do so in a way 

that will result in a construction project 

that is profitable and attractive too. 

Additionally, Sylva is flexible, so it can 

be used with other building materials, 

clad or left unclad, depending on the 

typology and use. 

The wood used in Sylva kits 

originates from sustainably managed 

European forests. Like all Stora 

Enso wood products, the wood is 

third-party certified by traceability 

and chain of custody systems, like 

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), 

the Programme for the Endorsement 

of Forest Certification (PEFC), or 

both. Furthermore, the energy 

used to manufacture Sylva is very 

low. Sylva cross-laminated timber 

(CLT) products are produced with 

renewable electricity or fossil-free 

energy in our European production 

units. 

Developers are 

increasingly 

looking for 

prefabricated, 

modular building 

elements that are 

assembled off-site 

(Image: Kjell 

Andersson) 



As part of our sustainability ambition, 

Stora Enso is committed to achieving a 

net-positive impact on biodiversity in 

our own forests and plantations by 2050 

through active biodiversity management. 

Working towards this net-positive goal, 

we have begun to work within and 

beyond the forest sector to improve 

biodiversity, through knowledge-sharing 

and active participation in formulating 

new policies and standards. 

What is Stora Enso’s current position 

and role and in the mass timber 

industry? 

Linegar: We are one of the world’s 

largest CLT producers and one of 

the largest sawnwood producers in 

Europe. We continue to invest in a more 

sustainable construction value-chain and 

recently inaugurated one of the world’s 

most modern production sites for CLT. 

Regarding traditional wood products, 

we are one of the largest suppliers of 

sawn wood in Europe with a global reach 

with more than 40% sales in overseas 

markets. 

Currently, Sylva is only available 

in Europe and Australia — regions 

where the mass timber movement 

is becoming mainstream. What are 

Stora Enso’s plans to bring Sylva to 

Asia, or to other parts of the world? 

Linegar: Our capacity to serve 

markets in Europe, Japan, Australia, 

and North America will increase by 

approximately 40%, enabling us to 

meet the growing demand in green, 

low-carbon construction. Sylva 

products, such as CLT by Stora Enso 

or LVL, are available everywhere. We 

have already delivered significant 

volumes to Singapore for instance. 

How can we tailor mass timber 

elements — and by extension, 

Sylva — to suit Southeast Asia’s 

tropical climate? 

Linegar: We have experience in 

timber construction in a range of 

weather conditions, from cold, 

snowy, and rainy winters in the 

Nordics and the UK, to humid tropical 

weather in Singapore. To build a 

sound building, which maintains a 

pleasant internal temperature, it 

is necessary to have good design, 

and a material with low inertia may 

be a good design option. Wood is a 

structural material with the lowest 

inertia, which means it heats up 

or cools down quickly; it allows 

ventilation and the release of energy 

as soon as temperatures are a little 

lower. 

Stora Enso’s automated coating 

line, being built in the town of 

Ybbs, Austria, will further enhance 

the value and quality of the Sylva 

components by offering high-quality 

water-based coatings, protecting 

them against moisture, sunlight, 

insects, and fire. This will result 

in shorter construction times, 

decrease costs for construction 

companies, and provide added 

value and improved product quality. 

Thus, Sylva is one of the most 

carefully designed wood products 

on the market today. WIA 

PROJECT: Elementary 

School Hallwang 

LOCATION: Austria 

ARCHITECTURE: 

LP architektur 

STORA ENSO 

PARTNER: DMH 

With Sylva, users 

can design and build 

low-carbon and costeffective 

buildings 

of all typologies 

and scales (Image: 

Albrecht Imanuel 

Schnabel) 



Communicating with mass 

timber: Wooden telecom 

towers by EcoTelligent 

How can we expand the uses of mass timber beyond residential 

or commercial constructions? Recognising its eco-friendliness, 

structural durability, and aesthetic properties, EcoTelligent 

manufactures telecom towers with mass timber, 

aiming to decarbonise the telecommunication sector. 

Gyöngyi Mátray, CEO of EcoTelligent, tells us more 

about the whole enterprise. 


An Ecopol tower in Italy 



How did EcoTelligent come about? 

Gyöngyi Mátray: Fifteen years ago, our 

engineers realised that there was a need for 

wooden structured telecommunication towers. 

While installing new steel and concrete towers 

in residential areas, the continuous negative 

feedback from locals made them rethink 

telecom tower structures. After a few years of 

material and construction testing, they came 

up with an alternative to steel telecom towers 

in 2010: The first wooden structured tower was 

raised. The design got a very positive reception 

and encouraged the inventors to continue 

their work on a sustainable and visually more 

acceptable model. 

Eventually, after many phases we established 

EcoTelligent in 2017, moved the technology to 

this company, and carried on the development 

work in Finland where there is a long history 

and knowledge of timber construction and fast 

development of telecommunication technology. 

What are the different types and features of 

EcoTelligent towers? 

Mátray: In our portfolio, there are rooftop 

solutions called Barbican for city centres 

on top of high buildings, used mainly for 

5G technology; ground-based towers or 

green field towers called Ecopol, which are 

30-40m-tall, used mostly in the countryside or 

outside settlements; and street towers called 

Castellum, which are between 15-25m-tall, 

used in city parks or inside residential areas. 

There are several thousands of new sites under 

construction yearly only in Europe. These sites 

require various kinds and heights of tower or 

poles. 

Compared to steel, what are the advantages 

of building telecom towers with wood? 

Mátray: Our alternative solutions are low-carbon 

and climate friendly. Compared to steel and 

concrete, the CO2 footprint of these towers 

are considerably lower. Our main construction 

materials are engineered wood like glued and 

laminated wooden products. We also utilise the 

characteristics of a circular economy when we 

use products from surplus production. As you 

already know, wood is a renewable resource. It 

is a natural carbon sink or biological sequester, 

which means that the wooden plates we use 

1 

contain CO2 by nature and capture CO2. 

EcoTelligent uses wooden raw material that 

originate from responsibly managed forests. 

This way, we can ensure that the wood we 

use is meant for industrial use, and that it was 

harvested responsibly. 

Our clients also told us that our wooden 

tower structures are appreciated by local 

residential areas because of the construction 

material, which contributes to a natural feel, 

and because of their aesthetic and beautiful 

design. Our products are also appreciated 

for their tailored designs. They are also 

welcomed by the authorities because they are 

alternatives for sensitive areas like national 

parks or protected sites. 

Does EcoTelligent use laminated veneer 

lumber (LVL) only? What about other types of 

engineered wood, such as cross-laminated 

timber (CLT) or glue-laminated timber 

(glulam)? 

Mátray: We use other engineered wood as 

well. We provide these low-carbon alternative 

solutions by applying wood construction 

technology, which is a rapidly developing area 

in the science of sustainable construction. We 

will continue to follow the development of this 

scientific field in the future. For each product 

we develop, we will monitor its greenhouse 

gas emission from the construction phase. To 

attribute even more value to our products, we 

are applying for carbon-neutral or -negative 

verifications to our future products. At the same 

time, our development work focuses on reducing 

the carbon footprint even more in future 

products. 

What kinds of structural or engineering 

considerations did EcoTelligent have to 

account for when building telecom towers 

with wood? 

Mátray: Our tower solutions challenge the 

commonly used steel or concrete structures 

without compromising the strength and 

resistance [required by construction authorities 

and regulations]. The structures and strength 

of the construction materials meet the 

requirements of European standards, similar 

to how steel and concrete towers need to meet 

these standards. As for fire resistance, we use 

the same wooden products used for tall wooden 

buildings — which is to say, our telecom tower 

materials meet the same fire-resistant standards 

used for multi-storey wooden buildings. 

How receptive are businesses in replacing 

steel telecom towers with wooden ones? 

Mátray: It has been quite a journey so far. But 

I think the climate situation made it clear that 

we need sustainable solutions in every field. 

Now there are significant companies from 

the telecom field contacting us and asking for 

cooperations. It will give us possibilities to 

build telecom support structures, like towers 

and poles, with wood worldwide. The amount, 

however, is hard to say. 



2 3 

ECOTELLIGENT AND VANTAGE 

TOWERS 

Tower infrastructure operator 

Vantage Towers plans to 

build two wooden structured 

telecommunication towers in 

Germany in Q1 2023. The new 

Ecopol tower by EcoTelligent will be 

constructed in suitable locations. 

Vantage Towers aims to attract as 

many tenants as possible to each of 

its sites. For the Ecopol towers, up 

to four mobile network operators 

can host their antennas at the sites. 

They have an expected lifespan 

of 30 years and are protected 

from environmental influences 

by a weather-resistant protective 

coating. To blend in even better 

with the existing landscape, the 

coating can basically be chosen in 

any colour. To provide the required 

load bearing capacity, the Ecopol 

series is additionally reinforced 

with a steel structure on the inside 

and is typically suitable for use in 

moderate wind zones. 

Vivek Badrinath, CEO of 

Vantage Towers, said: “With our 

infrastructure, we are already 

shaping digitalisation in Europe with 

a special focus on sustainability and 

the fulfilment of high corporate and 

social requirements. With the Ecopol 

wooden structured towers, we succeed 

in this in two respects: On the one 

hand, we protect the environment and 

reduce our CO2 footprint. On the other, 

we increase the acceptance of our 

infrastructure among the population 

due to the natural, aesthetic design.” 

If the two pilots are successful, the 

wooden structured towers could 

also be used at other locations in 

other markets of Vantage Towers in 

the future. For this purpose, Vantage 

Towers and EcoTelligent are in talks 

for a more extensive framework 

agreement. 

Vantage Towers is working on new 

technologies and materials to optimise 

its infrastructure and make it more 

sustainable. Considering rising 

commodity prices, wood is gaining 

more relevance as a renewable building 

material, while playing a role in the fight 

against global climate change. 

Mátray concluded: “With the 

ongoing 5G expansion, thousands 

of telecommunication towers are 

currently being planned and built 

across Europe. It is therefore 

increasingly important to consider 

emissions in this sector. As a 

renewable resource and natural 

carbon sink, wood is a responsible 

and more sustainable alternative for 

building digital infrastructure.” WIA 

Images: EcoTelligent 

Gyöngyi Mátray, CEO, EcoTelligent 

1 Mass engineered 

timber plates are 

just as durable 

as steel and 

concrete, but 

with the ability to 

sequester CO2 

2 View of the Ecopol 

tower from above 

3 The construction 

phase of an 

Ecopol tower 



Glulam columns 

for a veranda 

PROJECT: 1/3 House 

LOCATION: Øksendal, Norway 


Rever & Drage Architects 

DESIGN TEAM: Tom Auger, Martin 

Beverfjord, Eirik Lilledrange 

BUILDING TEAM: 

Brødrene Gjershaug 

COMPLETION DATE: 2019 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Tom Auger 

This detached house was built for a young 

couple in the Norwegian municipality of 

Sunndal, who wanted to build a small home 

they could afford with limited funds. Both 

saw the need to think simple, especially due 

to economic concerns, but at the same time 

wanted to think about the future, so there 

would be no big leaps for changes as their 

family size changed. 

The insulated part of the building has two 

floors, both with an area of 50m 2 . The 

uninsulated utility space, the outdoor space 

under the roof, has about twice that area. The 

former part responds to the need the couple 

has for living space today, and it will probably 

be able to accommodate a family increase 

of one or two children. The latter part has 

potential for expansion. The veranda functions 

as a storage room, garage, workshop, banquet 

hall and not least, as a space for butchering 

deer. The windows in the insulated section 

are organised in a traditional way, albeit with 

a somewhat larger format than usual in such 

buildings, while the hall or veranda has a more 

industrial and temporary design. 

The floorplan of the insulated part is organised 

around a warm core on both floors. On the 

ground floor the entrance, kitchen and living 

room encircle the laundry room, while on the 

second floor the storage space, bedroom, 

second living room and TV room are arranged 

around the bathroom. The front door faces the 

courtyard while the back entrance is from the 

hall or veranda via the laundry room. 



1 

2 

3 

4 

The roof over the utility space is held up by 

tilted glue-laminated timber (glulam) columns. 

These are built into the wall panels but help 

define the openings towards the landscape 

views. Under this roof one can get an indoor 

and outdoor feeling — the space is both 

open and closed at the same time. Due to its 

expressive form, there is a dramatic framing of 

views in different directions. The utility space 

has a scale somewhere between housing 

and industrial, and the experience alternates 

between large and small. 

Because of the simplistic design, the building 

appears a little abstract. The similarity 

between concept model and the finished 

building is striking. From the driveway, the 

building is dominated by the insulated part 

while the utility space disappears behind. 

Seen from the sides, the relationship 

between the two is balanced: one is big and 

light while the other is small and heavy. 

One interesting thing about this building is 

that in the future it may end up resembling a 

completely traditional local farmhouse once 

all the potential area has been converted. As 

such, something that started as an unusual 

building will gradually develop to become 

more traditional. The only remaining traces 

will be the tilted glulam columns from the 

former veranda. These will be built into 

the exterior walls and only appear in the 

window openings, in a way reminiscent of 

the transept chapel buttress of Gloucester 

Cathedral. WIA 

1 The veranda 

2 The wall panels define 

the openings towards the 

landscape views 

3 Glulam columns built 

into the wall panels 

4 The 1/3 House can 

end up resembling a 

farmhouse once all the 

potential area has been 

converted 


DESIGN 

Escapes – The 

landscapes of the soul: 

Wood-dye veneers 

by TABU 

TABU, the Italian specialist in wood 

dyeing, has launched a collection 

of 23 natural dyed veneers called 

“Escapes – The landscapes of the 

soul”, made with different wood 

species such as oak, bolivar, American 

walnut, eucalyptus, maple, plane, 

and also in variants such as ash burl 

and madrona burl. All wood materials 

used are FSC-certified. The collection 

is divided into five moodboards which 

reflect the various dimensions of the 

spirit and lifestyles possible with wood 

and colour designs. 

ELEGANTIA 

The Elegantia moodboard embodies 

elegance, a palette carefully tailored in 

Italian tradition. Exclusive and sought 

after, the materials used — plane 

medullary ray, American walnut and 

Herringbone wood — recall ancient 

atmospheres and aim to create new, 

unexpected sensations. The dark, 

striking colours of the collection 

contrast with light backgrounds, 

achieving understated timelessness, 

classic yet capable of an elegance 

full of character and class. The toned 

grey shades combine with the curated 

colour accents, evoking atmospheres 

of life and valuable memories. 

ETEREA 

An interior decorated with the Eterea 

moodboard, using eucalyptus and 

maple, aims to be an intimate and 

welcoming place, at the heart of 

inner nature. It is a dimension for 

users to find themselves in the 

quiet and tranquility of their most 

private moments, to be enjoyed with 

the people they love. All around, 

the collection’s light tone-on-tone 

colours can create simple, delicate 

shapes. The soft and light sounds 

of nature accompany the light wood 

shades with semi-transparent 

and natural fabrics, and soft floral 

fragrances. 

ISOLABELLA 

Isolabella evokes visuals of glowing 

lights over the lake or sea, or the 

infinite depth in the colour of the 

waves. This palette embraces the 

colours of life, intense yet graceful, 

and echoes the freedom and peace 

enjoyed while sailing toward the 

horizon in search of new dawns and 

sunsets, pristine beaches and wild 

coasts never seen before. It also 

urges users to regain their interior 

balance by embracing nature, leaving 

behind everyday life. The Isolabella 

moodboard is born out of the glowing 

lights over sea and colours — using 

ultramarine blue bolivar from the 

collection — that inspire moments of 

freedom for sailors of life, those who 

sense the call of adventure, to feed 

their inner peace. 

MONTEFELTRO 

The Montefeltro is inspired by the 

intimate atmosphere of ancient 

libraries, the Renaissance ‘Studioli’, 

down to the timeless class of the 

Victorian clubs in the late 19th century. 

It aims to recall hidden gems made 

of precious wood inlays, exclusive 

discreet milieux where elegance 

reigns in every detail, among timeless 

objects of the finest detail and 

craftsmanship. The moodboard takes 

advantage of the deep brown shades 

of exotic woods, oak and tobacco 

nuances, and the reflections of the 

eucalyptus and the plane medullary 

ray from the collection. At the hearth, 

the moodboard uses accents of 

Renaissance green, the colour of 

Mona Lisa’s dress, which symbolises 

prosperity and wealth. 

PURPUREA 

The Purpurea moodboard, using soft 

volutes of madrona burl combined with 

walnut and oak, evokes a fascinating, 

delicate yet intense dream. It is 

immersed in a flower garden, savouring 

the emotions of nature that manifests 

in an explosion of colours and forms. 

Purpurea aims to recall an exclusive, 

fleeting yet memorable moment, 

calling for users to contemplate and 

linger, to preserve and cherish — 

suspended, as if listening to nature, in 

stillness and peace.WIA 


DESIGN 

1 

2 

3 

4 

1 Elegantia: Elegance in grey scale, using 

plane medullary ray, American walnut and 

herringbone wood 

2 Eterea: The soft three-dimensionality of the fibre 

in eucalyptus and maple 

3 Isolabella: Bolivar in ultramarine blue 

4 Montefeltro: Figured eucalyptus, oak, bolivar, 

and plane medullary ray for a strong and 

sophisticated mood 

5 Purpurea: A mood embellished by the soft 

volutes of the madrona burl, combined with 

walnut and oak 

5 


DESIGN 

1 CLIENT: Ramis Promociones 

LOCATION: Palma, Mallorca, Spain 

ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR 

DESIGN: OHLAB / oliver hernaiz 

architecture lab 

BUILDING ENGINEER: 

Bartolomeu Tous 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING 

CONSULTANT: HIMA Estructuras 

WOODEN FACADE: GRUPO GUBIA 

ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS: 

AMM Technical Group 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY ADVISOR: 

José Manuel Busquets, Anne Vogt 

LANDSCAPE: Jonathan Bell 

PHOTOGRAPHY: José Hevia 

Paseo Mallorca 15, the new residential 

complex located in Paseo Mallorca, the 

tree-lines promenade overlooking the 

Riera water course running through the 

heart of the city of Palma, Mallorca, 

Spain, is set to become a city landmark 

due to its architecture, sustainability, 

energy efficiency, urban integration, 

quality of materials, interior design and 

level of comfort. 

Paseo 

Mallorca 15 

The facade, consisting of sliding panels 

made of wooden slats, acts as a solar 

filter to create effects of changing 

light and shade on the homes, making 

the most of the sun efficiently and 

all year round. According to OHLAB, 

the projects have been designed in 

accordance with Passivhaus standards 

to aim to achieve maximum energy 

efficiency and a heating and airconditioning 

demand of 15kWh/m 2 per 

year. This means a reduction of almost 

90% in terms of air heating and cooling 

requirements in comparison with a 

conventional building, resulting in low 

energy costs for the owner and for the 

planet. This construction method falls 

within the nearly zero energy building 

(nZEB) standard for consumption, a 

standard approved by the EU. 

On entering the building, visitors are 

greeted by a green wall of Spanish 


DESIGN 

2 3 

4 

cane, also scientifically known as 

Arundo Donax, typical of Mediterranean 

riverbeds, as a nod to the Riera of 

Paseo Mallorca opposite the building. 

The green wall leads them out onto the 

inner courtyard, where they are met by 

an oasis of vegetation and calm. The 

inner courtyard, with its different levels, 

acts as an inner lung of vegetation and 

trees that continues upwards until it 

reaches the landscaped terraces with 

pools on the fourth, sixth and eighth 

floors of the building. 

The courtyard garden features a 

waterfall that cascades to the floor 

below, cooling the courtyard in the 

summer through evapotranspiration 

and creating a relaxing sound. This 

courtyard also connects with below, 

providing lighting and vegetation to the 

basement which houses the residents’ 

pool, gym and spa, transforming it into 

a unifying vertical axis that links the 

building’s vegetation, and allows crossventilation 

through the garden for all 

the homes. 

The residents’ spa area, with walls 

and floors finished in natural stone, 

includes a heated indoor pool, steam 

bath and changing rooms. Next to the 

pool is the gym, with large windows 

overlooking the courtyard garden. 

The outside of the building is defined 

by two types of facades. A permeable 

skin made of wooden slats filters the 

sun and plays with the light and shade 

in the day areas of the homes. Another, 

more solid, stone facade protects the 

bedrooms. 

The first type of cladding is on the 

side overlooking Paseo Mallorca, 

which is the sunniest part, where the 

day areas of the homes are located. 

This area has a double facade with 

1 The penthouse 

2 Full view of the 

building with its 

wooden facade 

3 Entrance 

mailboxes 

4 Entrance 

intercom 


DESIGN 

large windows for residents to take 

advantage of the views, enjoy the 

numerous deciduous trees and the 

winter sun. This facade is protected 

by a second sensitive skin consisting 

of moving panels of wooden slats 

that block out the sun in the summer, 

make the most of the sun in the winter 

and mark the transition between the 

home and its surroundings. It is an 

organic, permeable and changing layer, 

an exterior reflection of its interior, 

a solar filter to modulate light and 

shade, optimised through solar studies, 

which adapts to the different climate 

needs and draws upon the tradition 

of Majorcan pergolas and shutters. 

Combined with cross-ventilation and 

a heat recovery system, it is key to 

ensuring maximum energy efficiency. 

The second type of cladding, 

meanwhile, is found on the perimeter 

areas, facing the quieter streets, where 

the sleeping areas of the homes are 

situated. This is a solid facade that 

provides the necessary protection and 

defines the area containing the private 

areas. Different textures and rhythms 

imposed will find, in their own diversity, 

the unity of the whole. The material 

balances between the negatives and 

positives, creating a landscape of 

casings with changing textures. 

The selection of natural and local 

materials, highlighting the essence 

of the Mediterranean, was important 

for the OHLAB team. A palette of fine 

materials, such as solid doors made of 

local stone or pieces of aged bronze, 

characterise the interiors of the homes 

at Paseo Mallorca 15. Finishes have 

been selected for their quality, taking 

every detail, texture and smell into 

account. 

The penthouses at Paseo Mallorca 15 

on different levels are urban havens 

above the city, with landscaped 

terraces and private mini-pools from 

where residents can admire the 

panoramic views of Palma rooftops and 

the three-lined walk along Riera. 

Paseo Mallorca 15 has been awarded 

the Best Use of Timber Award Prize 

by the World Architecture Festival in 

December 2022, which is supported by 

the Programme for the Endorsement of 

Forest Certification (PEFC). WIA 

5 6 

5 Apartment interior 

6 Bathroom 


STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 

The finished prototype of SVES, and how the hollow spaces can be pumped with fire retardant foam 

Sandwiched Variable 

Eggcrate Structure: 

Reconstituted timber 

component for wall 

and flooring use 

Using mass timber in Singapore can be financially and 

environmentally costly. Pan Yi Cheng, developer of Sandwiched 

Variable Eggcrate Structure (SVES), a flooring and wall module 

prototype made using reconstituted timber, believes that 

reconstituted timber and prefabrication can be solutions. 


The construction industry is responsible for a 

majority of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

But even within the industry, construction 

of small residential houses or shophouses 

contributes to a large percentage of these 

emissions. 

“If we want to lower the overall emissions 

in the building industry, we need to target 

the mass of the building stock, which are 

residential homes,” Pan Yi Cheng, a registered 

architect and creative director of Produce, an 

architecture and design studio, told Panels & 

Furniture Asia. 

Mass timber can be one solution. However, 

Singapore is not very receptive to mass 

timber, which is booming in popularity 

in western countries, perhaps for good 

reason: Adherence to EU building codes, 

and the freight and shipping costs of using 

European timber, add to the already huge 

amount of resources needed in construction. 

Additionally, it is disallowed to use mass 

timber in residential projects, unless there is 

a sprinkler system installed — and that adds 

even more expenses. 

Aiming to address these issues, Pan 

developed the Sandwiched Variable Eggcrate 



Structure (SVES), a flooring and wall 

module that aims to replace precast 

concrete floor slabs, built using 

homogeneous reconstituted timber 

(HRT) developed by Onewood. 

1 

WHAT ARE SVES AND 

RECONSTITUTED TIMBER? 

As its name suggests, the SVES has 

an eggcrate structure sandwiched in 

between two panels. The eggcrate 

structure is formed using a mould — 

made using a computerised numerical 

control (CNC) machine — that presses 

laminated layers of wood fibres into the 

eggcrate-like shape. There are two types 

of SVES: The wall module uses a single 

directional eggcrate structure that allows 

conduits and wirings to pass through the 

hollow space, and the flooring module 

uses a double directional structure that 

allows higher durability and strength. 

Currently, the SVES withstands 1.5kN 

of standing force. Furthermore, once 

fire retardant foam is pumped into the 

hollow spaces, the SVES can become a 

Class 0 component, which means it can 

be used in residential houses since it can 

slow the spread of fire. 

1 SVES is 

made using 

reconstituted 

timber, which is 

a dense material 

made of 70% 

wood fibres and 

30% binder 

2 An SVES floor 

component 

can withstand 

up to 1.5kN of 

standing force 

3 Testing how 

much load an 

SVES panel can 

hold 

2 

3 

SVES is made entirely with Onewood’s 

HRT, which aims to be a sustainable 

alternative to hardwood timber by using 

wood fibres from tree plantations that 

are bound together using a water-based 

binder. Pan estimated that HRT is 

roughly 70% of wood fibres, and 30% of 

the binder. 

Using reconstituted timber addresses 

the multiple issues mentioned earlier 

that plague Singapore’s mass timber 

industry. Since Onewood sources wood 

fibres from plantations around the 

region, such as Malaysia, manufacturing 

SVES will not incur huge freight and 

shipping costs, unlike importing 

engineered timber from Europe. 

Furthermore, HRT uses wood fibres from 

plantation timber that only requires 5-7 

years compared to mass engineered 

timber which uses solid lumber that 



4 5 

requires a longer harvest period of 

around 30 years rotation. The density 

of reconstitute timber also makes the 

SVES resistant to termites. 

But that does not mean reconstituted 

timber, and by extension SVES, can 

be used immediately for construction, 

since Singapore allows engineered 

timber from Europe or New Zealand 

to be used in high-rise projects. 

Pan elaborated: “Since Singapore 

subscribes to the EU building code, 

you need to make sure the material 

complies with the building code 

through certification and testing, and 

that takes a very long time. And they 

are many different certifications to go 

through which are expensive.” 

Even so, SVES is developed with the 

goal of using it for low-rise projects, 

like residential houses. “The idea 

is that we can change the building 

type with SVES, and we do not need 

columns and beams anymore, since we 

are not doing high-rise construction,” 

added Pan. “I’m looking at a maximum 

of two-and-a-half-storey building.” 

PREFABRICATION 

As a Design for Manufacturing and 

Assembly (DfMA)-trained architect, 

Pan and his studio developed the 

SVES with prefabrication in mind. 

The SVES modules can be fabricated 

and manufactured off-site, before 

being delivered to the construction 

site and installed onto the building 

itself. Furthermore, the mould used to 

press the laminated veneers into an 

eggcrate structure can be reused again 

to produce more eggcrate structures, 

allowing the mass production of SVES 

modules. 

Although prefabrication has a negative 

connotation in the architecture 

sector since it seemingly allows only 

cookie-cutter designs, Pan wanted 

to explore how to achieve design 

freedom alongside prefabrication and 

mass customisation. Other important 

aspects to prefabrication are its ecofriendliness 

and economy. 

For instance, speaking about another 

residential project he is currently 

working on, a mass timber, twostorey 

detached house or bungalow 

in Sentosa, Singapore, Pan described 

how even though mass timber 

solutions seem costlier than concrete 

or steel structures in Singapore, the 

overall cost, which takes into account 

construction time and labour, is 

actually cheaper. For the bungalow 

he is working on, Pan mentioned 

that it only requires “less than four 

weeks” to complete the on-site 

installation of the wooden structure. 

Prefabrication therefore saves on time 

and manpower. 

“There is an economy of scale here, 

where I am looking at componentbased 

timber products and doing 

different column, wall, or beam types. I 

am giving architects all the kit of parts 

[of the wooden building components], 

which they can take and create 

different design forms. I come from a 

design background, and I am looking at 

the possibility of mass customisation 

so that in the end, architects get more 

flexibility out of my solutions,” said Pan. 

WHAT’S NEXT? 

Currently, the proof of concept and 

prototype for SVES are done, and 

what’s left are the certifications and 

testing. This can be achieved with pilot 

testing. Pan needs to test the SVES 

components in a building, ensuring 

they are safe and ready for use, and 

these tests can only be done in South 

East Asian countries where the pilot 

project will be nearer to the source of 

timber. 

Pan and his studio Produce are also 

looking for Singapore grants to further 

support his tests, and he is also 

exploring alternatives to sprinkler 

technology, such as mist systems 

which can slow the spread of flames on 

mass timber surfaces. However, that 

would require several governmental 

organisations in the water and building 

industries to change current regulations 

and codes, and to change their mindset 

about fire regulations. Otherwise, 

certifications to ascertain the ecofriendliness 

of SVES, such as Singapore 

Green Label Certificate or Forest 

Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, 

or to ascertain the SVES’ durability and 

fire resistance, such as Durability Test 

EN 113-2 (2020) and EN 350 (2016) 

and British Standard – Surface Spread 

of Flame Test Report BS 476: Part 7: 

1997, are still needed before the SVES 

is market ready. WIA 

4 How the flooring 

module of the 

SVES is formed 

using a mould 

5 How the wall 

module of SVES 

is formed 



The Circus 

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN: 

Hitoshi Saruta/CUBO design 

architect 

LOCATION: Chiba, Japan 

PRINCIPAL USE: Vacation house 

COMPLETION: September 2022 

SITE AREA: 988.97m 2 

BUILDING AREA: 280.37m 2 

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: 

Masaki-lab 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Koji Fujii/TOREAL 

‘Spending time with cars’ is the 

concept behind The Circus vacation 

house: It is intended as a fun retreat 

for the car-loving client and their 

friends. In contrast to a typical house 

with a built-in garage, the aim was 

to blur the boundaries between 

people, cars, and rooms in a relaxed 

environment. 

Inspired by a circus tent, the simple 

but bold structure is made up of 

a large 24-sided volume and an 

independent volume inside shaped 

like a large, round table that forms 

the second storey. The core that 

supports the tent has no posts, 

but instead maintains its tension 

through slanted outer walls. 

The client’s desire for a house 

that could easily and flexibly be 

used in various ways gave rise 

to the circular plan. Because the 



1 

2 

3 

1 The entrance into The Circus 

2 The design is inspired by a circus tent 

3 Stairs leading up to the second storey 

design has no dead-ends and 

allows people and cars to move 

freely throughout the first storey, 

it accommodates various layouts 

while providing an extreme version 

of the ‘impracticality’ often sought in 

vacation homes. 

The structure uses conventional 

construction materials to keep costs 

low, while advanced pre-cut timber 

technology and precision steel 

hardware manufacturing technology 

enable the unusual form. The first 

storey is a ‘garage living’ space 

shared by people and cars, with 

functionality concentrated in the core 

and outer rim. The second storey is a 

private space containing the owner’s 

bedroom and a central jacuzzi with a 

waterfall shower. 

Viewed from below, the frame of 

the house evokes an open paper 

umbrella, an intentional reference 

to Japanese design. The client has a 

playful personality and suggested fun 

ideas that the architects incorporated 

throughout the house, and on 

weekends it is filled with car-loving 

friends. Like a grown-up version of the 

secret hide-outs that Japanese people 

built on empty lots as children, the 

project was “as much fun to design 

as it is to inhabit”, as the architects 

declared. WIA 


FLOORING 

Harder than hardwood: 

Woodos presents Woodura 

Solid wood floors at high foot traffic areas 

or areas with high levels of activity are often 

susceptible to indentation. Heels, dropped 

objects, wear and tear marks from running 

are culprits of damaging hardwood floors. 

However beautiful and eco-friendly such 

floors can be, it will not matter if they are not 

resilient to foot traffic. 

Välinge Flooring has therefore developed a 

surface technology that reportedly offers three 

times the impact protection of a traditional 

hardwood floor while being more sustainable. 

Called Woodura, floors applied with this 

surface technology can provide consumers an 

aesthetic, real wood floor with the durability 

and water resistance typically associated only 

with plastic or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) floors. 

HOW IT WORKS 

According to flooring distributor Woodos, 

Woodura is created by Välinge Flooring’s 

technology that presses the timber’s top and 

bottom layers to a high-density fibreboard 

(HDF) core with heat and pressure-infused 

timber powder. The powder will fill up the 

natural openings of the wood, so there is no 

need for putty filling. Due to the heat and 

pressure fusion of the timber top layer to the 

HDF core at pore level, the surface is denser 

and more durable than untreated timber. 

As a result, floors installed with Woodura 

technology can achieve a Janka hardness 

1 

2 

3 

4 


FLOORING 

FLOORING 

rating of 3,030, whereas solid or engineered 

European oak timber flooring with a wear layer 

of 2mm or more generally achieves a Janka 

hardness of 1,300. 

The top layer is then finished with a 

commercially warranted UV cured coating. 

A complete Woodura floor therefore consists 

of six layers: The UV cured coating is at the 

top, followed by the top real wood veneer, 

the timber powder, the HDF core, the timber 

powder again, and the bottom real wood 

veneer. The veneers can be made using oak, 

ash, and walnut, and in 11 different shades. 

By using a fraction of the hardwood top 

surface, Woodura floors produce up to 10 

times more flooring from the same tree. This 

is because the top and bottom layers of the 

timber are made from real wood veneers 

rather than thickly sawn solid timber, and 

hence more flooring can be sustainably 

extracted from the raw material. 

“Sustainability is all about making more from 

less and Woodura is a perfect example of 

this,” said Tim Hayton, regional manager of 

Woodos. 

Woodura floors are also installed with 

Välinge’s developed 5G Dry fold-down locking 

technology that waterproofs surfaces and 

offers easier installation, and 5G Climb 

technology which allows the floor to be 

installed on walls by adding a small plastic 

clip. WIA 

1 Ash Woodura in Earth 

Grey colour 

2 Ash Woodura in 

Powder White colour 

3 Walnut Woodura in 

Natural colour 

4 Oak Woodura in 

Mineral Grey colour 

5 Oak Woodura in Hard 

Smoked colour 

6 Walnut Woodura in 

Terra Brown colour 

5 6 


FLOORING 

2022: Challenging year 

for global laminate 

flooring sector 

and a 24.5% increase. Belgium, Finland and 

the Netherlands are among the countries that 

suffered the most from the crisis in western 

Europe, with Belgium experiencing a 34.7% 

decrease to 6 million m² sold, Finland with 

a 34.2% decrease to 2 million m², and the 

Netherlands with a 33.5% decrease to 14 

million m². For eastern Europe, the region was 

hit harder than its western counterpart as 

sales volume fell by 24% to 107.7 million m² 

sold compared to 2021. Ukraine, Macedonia 

and Kosovo suffered the most, with Ukraine 

decreasing by 55% to 3.8 million m² sold, 

Macedonia by 48.6% to 235,357m², and Kosovo 

by 47% to 1.26 million m². 

North America was the least impacted 

compared to other regions in the world, with a 

setback of only 2.4% increase of sales volume 

to 29.2 million m². However, the Canadian 

market faced a drop of 37% with 8.09 million 

m² sold in 2022. In contrast, Latin America 

suffered the most as the sales volume was 

halved, clocking a 51% fall compared to 2021 

with 11.2 million m² sold. Chile was the most 

affected market in Latin America, recording a 

67% decrease to 4.46 million m². EPLF’s sales in 

Africa declined by 33% to 3.85 million m² sold 

in 2022. Asia also witnessed a 34% decrease 

to 21.5 million m². The situation is similar in 

Oceania with a drop of 16% to 3 million m². 

The market of laminate floorings declined 

in 2022 after a series of successful years. 

Members of the European Producers of 

Laminate Flooring (EPLF) have experienced 

difficulties which translated to sales volume 

that showed an overall downturn in most 

regions. This is mainly due to the global energy 

crisis that followed after the Russia-Ukraine 

conflict, which has led to inflation. 

The EPLF total sales volume for 2022 

amounted to roughly 367 million m², a 

decrease of 24% compared to 2021. Most 

regions are hit by this trend, with Latin America 

being hit the most with 11 million m², a 51% 

decrease compared to 2021. Asia-Pacific 

witnessed a 32.5% decrease in sales to 

24.5 million m². 

In 2022, sales volume in western Europe 

decreased by 22% to 179 million m² sold. A 

majority of the countries in the region have 

been affected by the international upheaval, 

with the exception of Andorra, who recorded 

a 5% increase, Cyprus with a 4% increase, 

Iceland with a 10% increase, and Monaco 

However, some countries stood out from the 

rest. EPLF members managed to increase their 

sales figures in Salvador with 235.5%, Panama 

with 226%, Brazil with 117%, Cape Verde with 

655%, and Madagascar with 23% in Africa, as 

well as Iraq with 131%, the Philippines with 

49%, and Malaysia with 40%. 

Despite supply issues and higher energy costs 

that the sector has faced, EPLF members 

are confident that they will soon return to 

sales figures similar to those of 2021 when 

consumers’ enthusiasm for remodelling boosted 

the purchase of laminate flooring during the 

pandemic. WIA 


FIT-OUTS 

The sycamore tree 

permeates five storeys 

Sycamore 

tree hung 

in hotel lobby 

PROJECT INFORMATION 

PROJECT: Grand Emily Hotel lobby 

DESIGN: YOD Group 

LOCATION: Vynnyky, Lviv, Ukraine 

AREA: 550m 2 

COMPLETED: 2022 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Yevhenii Avramenko 

Grand Emily Hotel is part of the new Emily Resort 

in Vynnyky town near Lviv, Ukraine. The largescale 

installation with the hung-up sycamore in 

the hotel atrium aims to be the iconic image of the 

whole complex. 

The tree permeates five storeys. Its organic 

silhouette creates a contrast with the rhythmical 

geometry of the walls, horizontal lines of the 

floors, verticals of boards on the wall covering, 

and diagonals of metal banisters on the stairs. 

Hotel guests can lie on a round leather pouf in 

the hall and get a unique emotional experience of 

contemplating the sycamore tree from under its 

roots. 

The designers at YOD Group rejected the idea of 

a massive chandelier in the atrium in favour of a 

meaningful installation. A tree means connection 

with roots and family values, growth, and 

development, strong bar, and flexible branches. It 

connects the earth and space. The sycamore tree 

was carefully cleaned, dried, and stabilised before 

being hung. They scanned its shape in a 3D format 

to have in their visualisations this exact tree. 

They did not create photo zones in their projects 

to avoid excessive decorativeness. Instead, they 

designed some unique elements that support 


FIT-OUTS 

the general concept of a place. Such 

solutions attract eyes and become 

natural photo points: There are five 

different parts of the sycamore tree 

from the different floors of Grand Emily 

Hotel, such that guests can get five 

photo zones at the same time. 

YOD Group also aimed to get visual 

lightness and tell the story about the 

morning breeze that passed on the 

lake surface and combed the reeds. 

They created this experience with the 

structure of the wooden boards, fixed 

by Thermory, that they used for the wall 

covering of the hall. Every board is fixed 

into a movable groove. It is possible 

to change the pattern on the wall by 

moving the first board in the row. 

1 

2 

1 The interior 

reflects the local 

nature and 

surrounding 

landscape 

2 A person can 

feel relaxed and 

natural in such 

a setting, as 

though they are 

part of the entire 

structure 

3 The front desk 

4 Every wooden 

board on the wall 

covering is fixed 

into a movable 

groove 

The designers chose natural pale 

colours, honest materials, and 

touchable surfaces. The interior reflects 

the local nature and surrounding 

landscape, which they named as the 

terroir design. 

Frank Lloyd Wright, the classic of 

American design at the beginning of 

the 20th century, established the idea 

of organic architecture. It proclaims 

that a building should be relevant to 

its natural context and blend in with 

its surroundings. The terroir design is 

the YOD Group’s development of this 

approach into interior design. 

3 4 

Volodymyr Nepiyvoda, designer and 

founder of YOD Group, said: “We 

borrow the term from the wine industry. 

The terroir stands for the complex of 

environmental factors that affect a 

wine’s unique character. It would have 

a different character if this certain 

vine had grown in a different place. It 

is totally like that with our design. It 

reflects a local context and is relevant 

only where it was grown. Such interiors 

resonate with the surroundings and 

extend it. A person feels relaxed and 

natural in such a place as they are also 

the element of an entire structure.” WIA 


FIT-OUTS 

Yamagiwa Osaka 

showroom and office 

The louvres of the showroom 

can be adjusted freely 

PROJECT INFORMATION 

LOCATION: Osaka, Japan 


Yuko Nagayama and Associates 

CLIENT: Yamagiwa 

PRINCIPLE USE: Showroom 

PHOTOGRAPHY: Nobutada Omote 

Architecture firm Yuko Nagayama 

and Associations was commissioned 

to design a new Osaka showroom 

for lighting manufacturer Yamagiwa. 

Drawing inspiration from the company’s 

logo, a symbol of radiating light 

designed by Yusaku Kamekura, the 

architects decided to construct the 

space from assemblages of fine lines. 

Wooden louvres are used on the ceiling 

while vertical louvres reminiscent of 

paper shoji screens serve as partitions 

that let in soft light. Polished brass rods 

embedded in the flooring and stucco 

walls catch the light from fixtures and 

glimmer like gold threads in Japanese 

brocade, representing light beams. As 

Yamagiwa expands its reach as a global 

brand from Japan to the world, this 

new showroom expresses exquisite 

craftsmanship and the play of light and 

shadow in an ambiance that is both 

neutral and distinctly Japanese. 

Because the showroom displays 

lifestyle products focused on lighting, 

the architects used several strategies 

to create a homelike, human feel. 


FIT-OUTS 

1 

1 The ceiling can 

be flattened to 

create a large 

public area 

2 The office 

3 Wooden louvres 

in closer view 

2 

For instance, both the angle of the 

wooden ceiling louvres and the 

position of the vertical blinds can be 

freely adjusted, softly segmenting 

the space and allowing each area to 

have a different atmosphere. During 

events, the ceiling can be flattened 

to create a large public area, and by 

adjusting the display areas frequently, 

the showroom can provide a fresh 

experience to customers each time 

they visit. 

3 

To the rear of the showroom is an 

office. Because Yamagiwa also sells 

office lighting and furniture, this office 

sometimes functions as a showroom. 

Part of the office ceiling is visible 

from the main showroom, allowing 

customers to see the office lighting 

while also making the showroom feel 

larger because the ceiling extends 

past its boundaries. The ambient office 

lighting is programmed such that the 

colour temperature changes according 

to the time of day, and is designed 

to harmonise with the showroom 

lighting for a pleasant overall light 

environment. Features such as booths 

for video conferencing and counter 

tables that flexibly accommodate 

shifting staff numbers come together 

in an office design that can adapt to 

diverse work styles. WIA 


SHOW PREVIEW 

Workspace Design 

Show 2023: 

The future of 

workspaces 

One of the event highlights includes 

Workspace Design Talks, a series of 

discussions for attendees to learn 

from a diverse group of speakers on 

topics such as workplace strategy, 

wellness, and sustainability. 

The line-up consists of architects, 

designers, and workplace 

specialists who have worked 

with influential companies and 

organisations around the world, 

including MVRDV, Fokkema & 

Partners, UNStudio, Powerhouse, 

D/DOCK, HofmanDujardin, MVSA, 

de Architekten Cie, Tetris, and Ditt 

Officemakers. A number of real 

estate professionals from end-user 

occupiers will also share their 

insights, featuring companies such 

as Booking.com, ING, Ernst & Young, 

Rabobank, Ericsson, Just Eat, Miro, 

Philips, CBRE and Cushman & 

Wakefield. 

In addition to the conference, the 

show will also feature several brands 

from the Netherlands and across 

Europe, including Vitra, Interface, 

Interstuhl, Vepa, Expormim, Kettal, 

1 Workspace Design 

Talks hosts a series 

of discussions about 

workplace strategy, 

wellness, and 

sustainability 

2 The 2021 edition 

gathered architects, 

interior designers, 

workplace 

consultants, and 

facility managers 

2 

1 

From 11-12 Oct 2023 at the RAI 

Amsterdam Convention Centre in 

Amsterdam, the Workspace Design 

Show 2023 is catered for professionals 

in commercial interiors and anyone 

passionate about workspace design. 

Workspace Design Show is a trade 

exhibition in the UK and Benelux region 

where architects, interior designers, 

workplace consultants, and facility 

managers come together to exchange 

ideas, insights, and innovations in 

workplace design. This event will offer 

opportunities to meet and network with 

industry professionals, get inspired by 

the latest trends and ideas, and explore 

new products and services from 

industry brands. 

Mute, Girsberger, Tarkett, OCS+, 

Rockwool, Occony and De Blick, who 

will transform the show floor into an 

array of feature spaces that allows 

visitors to interact, touch, feel and 

experience design. 

“At Workspace Design Show, we are 

passionate about creating a platform 

for professionals to discover the 

latest trends, network with peers, 

and learn from experts in the field. 

With our exciting line-up of speakers, 

workshops, and participating brands, 

we are confident that attendees will 

leave the event feeling inspired and 

equipped with new knowledge and 

ideas,” said Esha Bark-Jones, show 

director for Workspace Design Show 

in London and Amsterdam. WIA 

Images: Marek Sikora 


SHOW PREVIEW 

BEX Asia 2023 

timber, prefabricated mechanical 

electrical and plumbing (Prefab MEP), 

prefabricated prefinished volumetric 

construction (PPVC), modular 

construction and other tools that 

improve construction productivity will 

also be showcased. 

The linchpin of the event is dedicated 

to the latest sustainable built 

environment products. There will 

be a series of technical seminars 

by exhibitors which aim to impart 

knowledge not just about their 

products and applications, but also 

to educate attendees on how they 

should approach the complex equation 

of building better and greener while 

maintaining profitability. 

BEX Asia is also launching the Built 

Environment Leaders’ Summit, a 

new conference format that gathers 

between 150-200 decision-makers 

from built environment firms and aims 

to inspire cross-industry and interdisciplinary 

innovation. Specifically, it 

BEX Asia 2022 

gathered over 9,000 

visitors and 168 

participating brands 

from 48 countries or 

regions 

The global construction and 

architecture sector is expected to 

record an annual average growth of 

4.5% from 2023-2026, with South East 

Asia expected to hit a market value of 

US$343,905 in 2026. 

In South East Asia, the built 

environment is complex and diverse 

with each country facing its own 

unique challenges. However, there 

are a few common issues. For 

instance, COVID-19 has increased 

the importance of healthy buildings, 

leading to research and innovations on 

indoor air quality and intelligent facility 

management. Cost pressure from 

supply chain disruptions, increasing 

energy costs and labour shortages 

means that the industry needs to find 

ways to increase productivity, such 

as building information modelling 

(BIM) and robotics. Also, with South 

East Asia’s rapid urbanisation and 

governments’ commitment to COP 

targets, the built environment industry 

is also under a lot of scrutiny to build 

better and greener. 

To support the transformation of the 

built environment industry in South East 

Asia and solve these challenges, BEX 

Asia 2023, a built environment trade 

show set to take place from 6-8 Sep 

2023 at the Sands Expo & Convention 

Centre in Singapore, will focus on 

three areas: digital technologies, 

advanced construction, manufacturing 

and assembly technologies, and 

sustainability. 

From 6D BIM and photogrammetry 

to Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D 

scanning, visitors can expect digital 

technologies that allow every part 

of the built environment value chain 

to collaborate more effectively 

from planning and construction 

to maintenance. Products such as 

construction robots, mass engineered 

will bring key thinkers and speakers 

from outside the built environment 

industry to share how they have solved 

challenges that are similar to what 

the industry is facing currently — for 

example, using case studies from the 

automotive industry for challenges in 

modular construction and advanced 

manufacturing. More details will be 

released in the coming months. 

Visitors can also expect wood-based 

exhibitors and solutions. BEX Asia 

2022 featured several wood-related 

exhibitors such as Eurasia Architectural 

Products which carried a range of 

timber acoustics panel, and Coast 

Fraser Enterprises which is an export 

and distribution firm of softwood and 

hardwood lumber and logs. This year, 

BEX Asia 2023 aims to explore more 

companies engaged in the business of 

reclaimed timber, hoping to inspire the 

industry to make greater use of this 

under-served market. WIA 


EVENTS CALENDAR 

2023 

MARCH 

Interzum Guangzhou 

28 – 31 

Guangzhou, China 

Salone del Mobile 

18 – 23 

Milan, Italy 

Architect’23 

25 – 30 

Bangkok, Thailand 

APRIL 

MAY 

Interzum Cologne 

09 – 12 

Cologne, Germany 

INDEX Dubai 

23 - 25 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Project Qatar 

29 – 01 June 

Doha, Qatar 

JUNE 

Design Shanghai 

08 – 11 

Shanghai, China 

Malaysian Wood Expo 

18 – 20 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

South China International Industry Fair 

27 – 29 

Shenzhen, China 

JULY 

Archidex 

26 – 29 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

AUGUST 

China Architectural Design Expo 

03 – 06 


FENESTRATION BAU China 

03 – 06 


SEPTEMBER 

52nd CIFF Shanghai 2023 

05 – 08 


2024 

OCTOBER 

Workspace Design Show 2023 

11 – 12 

Amsterdam, Netherlands 

NOVEMBER 

China Yiwu International 

Forest Products Fair 

01 – 04 

Zhejiang, China 

DECEMBER 

The Big 5 Global 

04 – 07 

Dubai, UAE 

Cairo Woodshow 2023 

07 – 10 

Cairo, Egypt 

The Big 5 Saudi 

03 – 06 

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

MARCH 

BEX Asia 

06 – 08 

Singapore 

FIND Design Fair Asia 

21 – 23 

Singapore 


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Scan to download 

WIA Issue 1, 2023 ebook 

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Wood In Architecture Issue 1, 2023

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