A new office and warehouse building on the outskirts of Gothenburg, Sweden, made entirely of wood, has completed construction.
The building offers 18,836 sf of space for Sjöklint Agenturer – a Nordic fashion agency. Early in the design process Exli and Sjöklint Agenturer decided to use wood for the building to creating a striking aesthetic as well as to embody the drive for environmentally-friendly architecture and design in Europe. Kebony wood was used for the exterior facades.
Kebony uses an environmentally friendly process that modifies sustainably sourced softwoods by heating the wood with furfural alcohol. By polymerizing the wood’s cell wall, the softwoods permanently take on the attributes of tropical hardwood, including high durability, hardness, and dimensional stability.
“Constructing one of Europe’s largest office and warehouse buildings in solid wood has required commitment and innovation, and the results are utterly unique,” said Johann Johannson, a contractor with Exli.
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