PROJECT Ö
Designed by Aleksi Hautamäki and Milla Selkimäki, Project Ö is an ensemble of log-framed cabins that the couple have built for themselves in Finland’s rugged outer archipelago. All surfacing for the buildings, from floor to ceiling, on outer walls and on the terraces, is thermally treated Lunawood, able to withstand the severe marine climate as it turns a natural grey. In spring 2021 Project Ö won the Green Good Design award for sustainable architecture.
A NEW DAWN FOR WOOD
Construction wood is experiencing a renaissance as architects discover its virtues as a sustainable responsible material. Consumers are also making responsible choices, boosting the demand for this natural product.
MARKKU RIMPILÄINEN, photos ARCHITECTURE ATMOSPHERES ATLAS & ALEXANDRA TIMPAU, ALEX SHOOTS BUILDINGS
A new market for new wood products is opening. With further treatment, the fine properties of wood can become even more diverse. “The use of wood keeps growing, and thermally mod- ified products are riding a wave of popularity,” says Maija Masalin , Vice President of Marketing and Prod- uct Management at Lunawood, which makes patented ThermoWood products. “Total production volume by the members of the In- ternational ThermoWood Association doubled in 2010– 2020.” VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland began to study thermal wood treatment in the 1990s. It discovered that thermal treatment changes the properties of timber permanently. Heat and steam remove the resin from soft- wood and give it an even, dark colour. After treatment, the wood absorbs only minimal amounts of water, and its resistance to soft rot increases significantly. The timber’s susceptibility to mould is also greatly reduced. Recent years have seen the introduction of many new ways of treating wood, such as by drying and then acetylis- ing it, i.e., treating it with vinegar. In thermo-mechani- cal modification, fresh wood is dried and then put into a mechanical press. By various different methods, wood modifications gen- erally aim towards the same goal: to improve resistance
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