Good wood
Wood has a long tradition as a building material in Finland. Using more wood can be an effective way of reducing emissions from the building and construction sector.
Like a sauna, only cooler. The design of the Luukku House spans from the concept of a traditional Finnish house, closely linked with nature. (Illustration: SDFinland.com)
Buildings account for about 30 % of Finlands carbon dioxide emissions. But that does not include the emissions involved in the construction of the buildings, which account for five percent of the country's energy use and carbon emissions. According to a report produced for the Finnish forest industries, the best way to reduce the environmental impacts caused by construction and the manufacture of building materials, would be to increase the use of wood in construction whenever possible.
Lighter impact
The environmental impact of wood construction is considerably lighter than that of competing materials. According to the report the effect of wood construction on energy consumption and the carbon dioxide balance is negative. Increasing the use of wood would transform buildings into carbon sinks. Wood accounts for 5% of the overall natural resource and energy consumption caused by construction and the manufacture of building materials, even though about 40% of all building frame structures in Finland are made with wood. Concrete, on the other hand, has a market share of about 43%, but it accounts for around 80% of the environmental impacts of construction, the report says.
Zero-energy house
For the Solar Decathlon 2010 in Madrid a group of students from the Aalto University in Helsinki has designed a zero-energy, prefabricated house made almost entirely from wooden materials. Around 75 % of the materials used are of wood. The students have chosen building materials with a low carbon footprint, such as thick bio-degradable wood fibre insulation elements. The house will also filter its own spill water.
In its life cycle analysis of construction materials, the house shows a total carbon footprint of 15,000 kg and carbon storage capacity of 26,000 kg. The house also have integrated energy efficiency measures such as photovaltic solar panels on the roof, solar collectors and heat pumps. This makes the house a zero-energy house in Finland, but will be an energy plus-house in areas with more sun.
Funded by the government
From design to construction there have been almost 100 people involved in the project from the collaborating schools and business partners. Finnish industries have supported the project by providing knowledge and materials for the house. The project has served the needs of both education and research & development. The main funding partner is the Energy Programme of Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund.
Further reading
Oslo's passive and massive wooden house
The Finnish Skäftkarr zero emission project
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