A new office and warehouse building on the outskirts of Gothenburg, Sweden, made entirely of wood, has completed construction.
The building offers 18,836 sf of space for Sjöklint Agenturer – a Nordic fashion agency. Early in the design process Exli and Sjöklint Agenturer decided to use wood for the building to creating a striking aesthetic as well as to embody the drive for environmentally-friendly architecture and design in Europe. Kebony wood was used for the exterior facades.
Kebony uses an environmentally friendly process that modifies sustainably sourced softwoods by heating the wood with furfural alcohol. By polymerizing the wood’s cell wall, the softwoods permanently take on the attributes of tropical hardwood, including high durability, hardness, and dimensional stability.
“Constructing one of Europe’s largest office and warehouse buildings in solid wood has required commitment and innovation, and the results are utterly unique,” said Johann Johannson, a contractor with Exli.
Related Stories
Wood | Feb 8, 2016
BEST IN WOOD: WoodWorks announces 2016 design award winners
The Aspen Art Museum, Scott Family Amazeum, and Whitetail Woods Regional Park Camper Cabins are among the projects honored by this year’s awards.
Wood | Feb 3, 2016
American Wood Council releases guide to wood construction in high wind areas
The guide is directed toward ensuring structural integrity to resist wind loads.
Wood | Jan 4, 2016
Concerns over new wood-frame, mid-rise residential building construction in Charlotte
Cheaper construction material may increase risk for firefighters.
Sponsored | Wood | Dec 7, 2015
Compelling conversations about wood: Engineered wood as expressive design
This installment features a wide-ranging discussion that reveals how a mix of engineered wood products lend themselves to expressive design — and what’s blocking today’s designers from fully embracing this aesthetic.
Wood | Nov 24, 2015
2015 Code Conforming Wood Design publication now available
Summarizes provisions in the 2015 International Building Code.
Sponsored | | Nov 20, 2015
Schooling the visitor
Exposed glulam and other engineered wood products help WSU tell its technology story
Architects | Oct 20, 2015
Four building material innovations from the Chicago Architecture Biennial
From lightweight wooden pallets to the largest lengths of CLT-slabs that can be shipped across North America
Multifamily Housing | Oct 15, 2015
Montreal apartment is world’s largest residential cross-laminated timber project
Its 434 condo, townhouse, and rental units in three eight-story buildings are made from sustainably harvested wood turned into panels by Canadian company Nordic Wood Structures together with the Cree Nation in Chibougamau.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 7, 2015
BIG designs lush, terraced mixed-use building in Sweden
Cascading glass and wooden cubes create a form similar to Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway rock formation.
Sponsored | Wood | Sep 17, 2015
Compelling conversations about wood: coastal environments
Architect Greg Mella and APA’s Karyn Beebe have a frank and far-reaching discussion about the tangibles and intangibles of using wood in corrosive environments—and beyond.
