LVL Handbook EUROPE

1.3 ARCHITECT AND STRUCTURAL

DESIGNER APPRAISALS OF LVL

Architect’s view of LVL,

Mika Ukkonen

, Finland

From the designer’s point of view, wooden constructions give

a different opportunity to create recognizable and distinctive

architecture that is produced naturally, drawing on the natural

structural properties of wood. I have worked as the principal

designer and architectural designer for several residential mul-

ti-storey wooden building projects delivering 242 apartments

to date. I have also designed around 300 apartments for ar-

chitectural competitions and our office currently has approx-

imately 200 apartments under design for new wooden mul-

ti-storey buildings. As a constructionmaterial wood is ideal for

versatile urban design and provides possibilities for a modern

life cycle approach to living.

Wood is the only 100% renewable construction material

and the use of wood slows climate change. Wooden load-bear-

ing structures create pleasant environments, healthy indoor air

and comfortable acoustics. The high prefabrication rate of off-

site production enables fast construction times on the building

site. As a construction material, wood provides excellent op-

portunities for flexible modifications of the layout of a building

during its whole life cycle.

The structural system in our projects is based on large

timber frame panel elements. Each project involves product

development of various building components, which gives

us the ability to optimize the best solutions and architecture

1. LVL AS A CONSTRUCTIONMATERIAL

Figure 1.10

Renovation applications, left: LVL floor beam reinforcement, right: attic frames for room in roof space with LVL reinforced roof trusses.

Stora Enso

Figure 1.11

Off-site produced wooden volumetric elements,

BoKloK, Vantaa, Finland.

LVL Handbook Europe