Sweden’s tallest timber building is open for business

Made of solid timber and situated about an hour from Stockholm in the Kajstaden district of Västerås, a recently completed multifamily development has become the tallest timber building Sweden. The walls, beams, balconies, elevators, and stairwells are all made from cross-laminated timber.

Rising 8.5 stories and spanning 7,500 sm, the Kajstaden project features four apartments on each level. Each floor took three craftsmen an average of three days to build. The project uses mechanical joints and screws, which means, if necessary, the building can be taken apart at a later date and the materials reused.

Courtesy C.F. Møller Architects.

See Also: Gensler designs Texas’ first full mass timber building

It is estimated that a building made of solid wood instead of concrete will have a total carbon dioxide savings of 550 tons of CO2 over the building’s life. Use of CNC-milled solid timber and glulam provides an airtight, energy-efficient building without adding other materials to the walls. The low weight of timber also means fewer deliveries to the construction site.

The building was developed in collaboration with Martinsons, Bjerking, and Consto AB, with Slättö Förvaltning as the client.

Courtesy C.F. Møller Architects.