A variety of wooden structures
A whole host of factors determine the value of a building. It has to be fit for purpose, sustainable and attractive. It should be eco-friendly and able to be erected and managed at a reasonable cost. The purpose of this section is to provide a general overview of building in wood and of the benefits of using wood and wood-based products.
Wood continues to represent tradition – but also eco-awareness and sustainability.
Wooden buildings are durable, they age gracefully and they are reasonably easy to maintain and change. Wood may be chosen as a structural or construction material both for sustainability and cost reasons, or to fulfil a design idea that seeks to exploit the interplay between the structure and the architectural expression.
Building in wood has a long tradition in Sweden. Wood continues to represent tradition – but also eco-awareness and sustainability. There is no choice but to make planning and construction sustainable in the long term. Increased use of wood offers an opportunity to cut down on the use of finite raw materials and reduce carbon emissions from construction products.
With modern wood construction techniques it is possible and often advantageous to build even large structures in wood. The Swedish Wood Building Council works to promote the use of wood in construction, with a particular focus on multi-storey buildings, public buildings and large bridges for road traffic.
Car park with glulam and crosslam structural frame, Ekorren, Skellefteå. Photographer: Patrick Degerman
