STOCKHOLM Welcome to 2013 and yet another challenging year. Together with the rest of the construction industry and many responsible politicians, we look forward to helping increase construction. One of the segments seeing ever-increasing need is sheltered housing in its various forms. This is an area on the rise due to longer average life expectancy and relatively large groups of people reaching retirement age over the next few years.
It is important to address this trend in order to help ensure good, safe accommodation for our older people. But also to increase movement in the housing market and create space and conditions for younger people and families. In this issue of Trä magazine we get to meet architect Susanne Ramel, who is developing ideas on the sheltered housing of the future.
In the construction of sheltered accommodation and other buildings, the issue of the climate and environmental impact is critical. Per Westerlund expands on the question of the construction industry’s environmental impact during the construction process and the interesting work currently underway – all to develop support and calculation models from a climate perspective for the use of those involved in the construction process.
It hardly needs pointing out that advanced construction in wood makes a considerable contribution to reducing the load on the climate. Political declarations of intent across Europe, and in other parts of the world, are focusing in on exploring these benefits.
Construction is a generally conservative industry that requires innovation and better competitiveness. Smaller players also have to be given the opportunity to compete in full, in order to bring about the necessary change. The level of industrialisation must also be increased to facilitate an increase in construction and at the same time keep down construction costs.
To promote creative and innovative thinking, the magazine carries a number of interesting features, some of which relate to public buildings, with a focus on the urban environment – an environment where building in wood is helping to produce incredibly exciting and effective solutions.
I wish all our readers a great spring and happy reading.
