The Roihan family in Kaarina has made Finnish building history by building the first Swan-labelled private detached house. Siparila's durable exterior cladding panels were chosen to soften the look of the stone house.

Salla, Sami, Edvin and Ellen can admire the scenery of the Turku archipelago by the sea from their new house. Their new home is the first single-family house in Finland to be awarded the Swan label. The Swan label, the Nordic eco-label, is an objective indication of the environmental friendliness of products - not forgetting their safety and quality. It guides people towards responsible, environmentally responsible consumption.

- It has been a long and challenging project, there is no denying that. But we are extremely proud that we got this to the finish line. We are happy to tell anyone interested in green building that our home is indeed the first of its kind.

In practice, obtaining the Swan label means maintaining a strict material log. Construction has required precision and knowledge from both builders and contractors. Each solid building material has had to meet certain standards required by the Swan label. For example, there is no specific product group for exterior cladding panels and interior panels, so it is the manufacturer's responsibility to document the environmental performance of the product. The family has been supported by Swanmark's helpful and professional staff and 40 pages of guidance on the standards.

The softer side of a stone house

The formal language of the two-storey house was softened by Siparila's exterior cladding panels. The fence slats are also from Siparila's range. Stone and wood are elegantly combined.

- From the very beginning, we knew that we also wanted wood as a material for the façade. We wanted to create a more homely atmosphere right from the outside," Salla says.

The house is built of FinnEPS blocks from HEVI Stone Houses and the architect is Eevamaria Timlin from Ark Timlin. The family debated for a long time between the different options, but in the end the advantages of the stone house won out. The easy frame construction suited Salla and Sam's plans. Energy efficiency was also an unbeatable trump card.

Accurately certified

To obtain the Swan label, a family has had to choose wood species for their house that are not on the banned list. In addition, 70% of the timber must be FSC or PEFC certified, with the rest verified. Impregnated wood could not be used. The regulations apply to the roof trusses, frame, subfloor, panels and façade.

- For us, Siparila was an obvious choice. The products are well known and on top of that they met the criteria set by the Swan label. In addition, the certification of wood materials is very well handled at Siparila.

Easy installation

Pre-painted TOPCOAT cladding panels were installed on the walls and ceilings of the terraces.

- It was a great relief to have a finished panel that only needed to be installed. Installation was easy, with the first row of panels being easy to install thanks to the starter hooks. They helped to get the row straight straight away. We also liked the fact that the nails were not visible," Sami explains.

Now the family has been able to enjoy the work of their hands since last summer.

- We enjoy being at home as a family. This house fulfils our dreams of aesthetic and comfortable living and a little bit of cottage living, as the beach is just a few minutes' walk away, Salla says.

Follow the story of Joutsentalo on the family website www.joutsentalo.fi and on Instagram @joutsentalo.

Text Tanja Hakala Photos Johanna Lehtinen