Take a look at this massive new development in Stockholm.
It’s a huge extension of the Swedish capital and while it all seems perfectly nice in these
pictures, you'd be forgiven for thinking there’s nothing really unique about it.
But zoom in closer and you’ll spot something extraordinary.
This entire district — spread across 25 city blocks — is being made from timber.
It sounds crazy, but with large timber buildings already popping up across the region,
and sustainable construction high on the agenda, if anyone can do it, the Swedes can.
We have seen a lot of large projects.
We have been involved in lots of large projects both in Sweden and Denmark.
And yet it’s a project that many will still question.
What about fire? Durability? Where will those trees come from? Is this all a bit … unnecessary?
Let’s get to the root of it, then. Here’s how — and why — Sweden plans to build a timber city.
Now, if you’re familiar with our channels then you’ll know that timber construction
has become quite the trend lately, especially in the Nordic countries.
And these projects have been getting bigger.
There’s this high-rise residential tower in Norway,
a giant new arts centre in Sweden and Finland has even got a Wood City.
Yes, that’s what this new neighbourhood in Helsinki is called.
You’ll find a huge office building and apartment blocks, all built from timber.
It's quite an achievement, but considering it’s
only home to three main buildings it isn’t reeeally much of a ‘city.’
But a few hundred kilometres across the Baltic Sea, Stockholm is planning to build its very own
Wood City, and there can be no arguments about the name with this development.
Extending over 250,000 square metres, it’s believed to be the world’s largest wooden
construction project according to Atrium Ljungberg — the company developing it.
It’ll offer 7,000 office spaces, 2,000 homes,
restaurants, shops and more, along with its own power generation and storage system.
The site for this massive new scheme is in Sickla,
just a few kilometres east of central Stockholm, on land owned by the developer.
Work is set to get underway in 2025, with the first buildings expected to complete in 2027.
So, why have they chosen timber,
and so much of it? Well, there are the environmental benefits to start off with.
Right now, the construction industry and the built
environment it produces is responsible for about 40% of global CO2 emissions,
and that’s because it’s been relying on carbon intensive materials like concrete and steel.
Timber is a much more low-carbon alternative,
and should always be sourced from sustainably managed forests.
By that we mean more than just replanting trees that are cut down.
Sustainable forests are preserved in a way that delivers social,
economic and environmental benefits both for society and the forest itself.
Timber can also lock carbon inside the wood, and it’s lighter than concrete or steel.
On top of that, it can improve air quality, mental health and wellbeing too — both for
the people using the building, and those constructing it — while reducing noise.
It's silent. It smells good! And it's a dry and warm working place for the construction workers.
Urban Blomster is on the Building Systems team at Södra, a Swedish forest association.
It also offers products and services, and promotes the development of timber in construction.
If you compare with prefab concrete,
because of the weight you have quite small walls and slabs that you work with.
But in this case, we can work with two and a half or three times larger panels.
So, with that you have productivity in the construction phase.
That’s important because there’s clearly going to be a need for
vast quantities of timber at Wood City.
Fortunately, the people building the new district won’t have to go far to get it.
About 70% of Sweden is covered by forests and it’s the world’s
third largest exporter of wood-based products.
Then you have the structural qualities. These buildings will be made from a type
of engineered mass timber called CLT, which stands for cross laminated timber.
CLT is specially manufactured in factories to make it super strong,
quick to assemble and well prepared against fire.
Yes, really. This wooden city won’t just burn
down in a matter of minutes if that’s what you’re thinking.
Mass timber panels are designed to char slowly in the event of a fire,
allowing enough time for it to be put out, and for people to be evacuated.
Another big reason why this type of project has been put forward in
this particular location is because it’s what people here want to see.
One survey carried out in early 2023 by Södra revealed that over 70% of Swedes think their
country should invest more in climate-smart construction materials, including wood.
And almost half would prefer their next home to be built mainly with timber.
That’s despite Sweden falling into recession and
timber being more expensive than traditional options.
In Sweden we have quite a long and close history to forests and wood.
If you look into single houses, say, 99% of them are built in wood.
So, it's very close to the people to live in wooden houses. I think
the perception is very much around that.
When there’s a housing shortage to contend with as well,
and demand for more office space in the area, you realise Stockholm
Wood City does appear to make a lot of sense, even though it won’t be easy.
With CO2 emissions accelerating climate change and construction partly to blame, large
sustainable projects like Stockholm Wood City becoming more common can only be a good thing.
Is it an example for other cities to follow? Well, it’s far too early to say,
but as timber buildings continue to get bigger and more widespread,
the benefits of this construction method are becoming clearer all the time.
Whether it goes on to be a success or not,
it’s the sort of idea we’re going to need to see more of — and not just in Scandinavia.
When it comes to climate change, unless construction gets to grips
with these low-carbon materials, we might never get out of the woods.
Don't forget that we’re raising awareness of construction’s mental health crisis and
supporting charities in this space through our Get Construction Talking initiative.
There’s a video series on our channel and you
can find support or donate over at getconstructiontalking.org.
And as always, if you enjoyed this video and you want to learn more
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