Forget wooden skyscrapers – now entire towns are set to be made out of timber, proving that the new wave of wooden architecture is just getting started. Architect C.F. Miller has been selected to design a residential quarter in Örnsro, Sweden consisting of solid timber structures set adjacent to a park. The design was selected for construction after the municipality of Örebro held a competition calling for detailed plans for a vibrant new quarter of the city that enriches the area’s social connections by integrating nature into the urban landscape. The name ‘Örnsro Trästad’ translates to ‘Timber Town.’
Several apartment buildings of varying heights, from four-story structures to a twelve-story building, are arranged around a series of public green spaces offering room for recreation and social get-togethers. A pedestrian path connects the apartment buildings to the existing promenade. The extensive use of wood in the project is lauded for its sustainability, and the plan calls for low energy consumption and a small carbon footprint.
“We wish to create an including urban quarter in which the city’s urban and social qualities interact with the park’s organic structures,” says Ola Johnson, project architect at the firm. “For us, it is an obvious choice to choose solid wood for structure as well as facades of wood. In addition to contributing positively to the environment, wood gives us new opportunities to create innovative and value-creating architecture.”
