Finnforest solutions used in The Pilke House, winner of the Finnish Wood Award 2011.
The wooden architecture in Pilke is beautiful and it makes use of the possibilities of wood in many ways both structurally and aesthetically. Also, timber has been combined with other construction materials in a practical way that exudes its beauty. The Pilke office building and science centre was designed by APRT (Architectural Studio Artto Palo Rossi Tikka Architects), which has also designed, for example, Sibelius Hall in Lahti, Finland, the 2001 recipient of the Finnish Wood Award. The main designer in the Pilke project was architect Teemu Palo.
Pilke’s load-bearing construction, which can also be observed inside the building, consists of glulam posts and beams supplied by Finnforest. The load-bearing structures of the intermediate floor and roof are made of Finnforest Kerto® elements. Finnforest develops systems and solutions that enhance the status of wood in construction. Benefits of building with such solutions from Finnforest include speed of construction, flexibility for changes, and ecological sustainability.
Although the Finnish Wood Award is primarily an architecture award, this time the jury wanted to highlight the essential role of the customer in the construction of a building. In addition to good design and implementation, the customer’s will and consistency in realisation of the plans were essential when the goal was high-quality timber architecture.
Pilke is an excellent example of the competitiveness of wood as a construction material in office buildings. The project was carried out in such a way that it was possible to make all parts and deliveries subject to bidding, and it came in 450,000 euros under budget. The carbon dioxide emissions during construction were only one third of those of corresponding buildings of other materials.
Interestingly, every year since 1994, winners of the award have been involved in either a building, interior design, or structure representing Finnish high-quality wood architecture or in which timber has been used in a way that promotes construction technology. This marks the 14th occasion where the award has been granted and it is a part of the ‘Puu on ekoin’ (Wood Is the Most Ecological Material) campaign, financed by the Finnish Forest Foundation. The award is granted by Puuinfo (Finnish Timber Council).
The 2011 jury consisted of Liisa Mäkijärvi, Executive Director of the Finnish Forest Foundation; Pekka Heikkinen, Professor of Wood Architecture at Aalto University; and Mikko Viljakainen, Lic.Sc. (Tech.), Managing Director of Puuinfo.
Further information:
Esa Kosonen, director, Finnforest, Building Products, Nordic countries and Russia, tel. +358 40 598 9562, esa.kosonen@finnforest.com
Johanna Kankkunen, Marketing Communications, tel. +358 50 350 4005, johanna.kankkunen@finnforest.com
Metsähallitus is a state enterprise that administers more than 12 million hectares of state-owned land and water areas.
Finnforest is a leading supplier of eco-efficient wood-based solutions. Its building and furnishing products are energy-efficient throughout their entire lifecycle and enhance the built environment and the quality of living. The products and supply chain are continuously developed in close cooperation with the construction industry, other industrial customers, and the retail sector.
Metsäliitto is an international forest industry group present in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto combines responsible forest economy and innovative technology to produce high-quality products and solutions from renewable Nordic wood in a sustainable way. The Group’s five business areas are Wood Supply, Wood Products, Pulp, Board and Paper, and Tissue and Cooking Papers. Metsäliitto Group’s sales total EUR 5.4 billion and it employs 13,000 persons.