Stockholm Wood City, currently under construction in the Sickla district of Stockholm, Sweden, is set to become the world’s largest urban development project built entirely from wood. Spanning approximately 250,000 square meters, the project will feature a mixed-use community integrating office spaces, residential housing, and retail areas, all while prioritizing sustainability and biophilic design principles.
Utilizing wood as the primary construction material offers significant environmental benefits. Compared to traditional methods, building with wood can
reduce carbon emissions by up to 60%, as it is lighter and quicker to work with than concrete. Additionally, wood stores carbon throughout its lifecycle, since trees absorb CO₂ as they grow. If a wooden building is no longer needed, it can be more easily disassembled than concrete structures, and the wood can be reused or recycled, further extending its lifecycle.
Beyond the use of timber, Stockholm Wood City incorporates several other sustainability initiatives. The project plans to minimize climate impact through self-produced, stored, and shared energy. Heat and cold will be stored in a large geothermal facility connected to thermal networks that interlink the buildings. The district’s extensive solar panel installations are continuously being expanded for energy storage.
Research indicates that wooden buildings provide better air quality, reduce stress, increase productivity, and store carbon dioxide throughout their use. Building with wood also results in quieter construction sites and reduces the amount of heavy transport during the construction period, which is important for building in dense urban areas.
Construction of Stockholm Wood City began in 2024, with the first residential units expected to be completed by early 2026. The project aims to set a new standard for sustainable urban development and inspire others in the industry to follow suit.
