Steel and concrete are shaking as timber construction takes over in architecturally challenging projects in Finland and abroad. Architects around the world are praising wood for its environmental friendliness, quality and speed of construction. New industrial innovations in timber construction are enabling wood to be used in ever taller and larger structures.

The era of wooden skyscrapers is not far away. Andrew Waugh, an architect from the UK, believes that the Timber Age is about to begin. According to Waugh, building with wood is super fast, super precise and can create incredibly beautiful spaces. Timber buildings are comfortable, strong and sturdy," Waugh concludes. The 1600s was the age of stone construction, the 1700s was the age of brick, the 1800s was the age of steel and the 1900s was the age of concrete. It looks very much like the 2000s will be the age of wood.

Climate change will accelerate the use of wood

Climate change requires us to pay attention to emissions. So far, there has been no need to challenge the role of steel or concrete in construction. According to the Finnish Forest Industry Association, wood-based construction consumes less natural resources and energy. If Europe's housing construction were based on wood instead of concrete, the consumption of natural resources would be reduced by up to 70% compared to today. At the same time, energy consumption during the production and construction of building materials would be reduced by 40% and carbon dioxide emissions by 60%. Wood is the most energy-efficient building material because, unlike other materials, the manufacture of wood products produces more energy than they consume.

Low-energy panels for construction from Siparila

Siparila is involved in climate action by developing easy-to-clean and durable exterior cladding panels that are even suitable for skyscraper facades. Puukuokka, built in Jyväskylä, is a good example of skilled wood construction.

In a project carried out in cooperation with Lakea, Stora Enso CLT elements were lined with Siparila TOPCOAT® cladding panels. The panels were pre-painted in the factory and protected with fire retardant paints. The fire-resistant cladding panels enable the construction of fire-safe buildings made of wood. The world now needs low-energy building solutions with a low carbon footprint. As a renewable resource, wood only needs solar energy to grow. All the wood used by Siparila comes from PEFC certified forests, ensuring that the forests remain viable for future generations.

In Finland, we are sitting on huge forest assets. We can sustainably use 72 million cubic metres of wood every year in Finland. Currently, 56 million cubic metres of wood are harvested for industrial use. For example, the amount of wood needed for annual domestic housing production grows in our forests in less than a working day. So even if we build everything from wood, we still have plenty of wood left.

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