In December 2023, the first phase of Icy Hot Chalet opened its doors in Kittilä, right next to Levi Ski Resort in northern Finland. It is a new complex housing more than 40 holiday apartments as well as retail and service locations. The crown jewel of the building, which is 7,900 gross square metres in size, is the wooden exterior cladding on the top storeys.
The principal designer of the location was architect Vesa Olkkola, who says that the Levi project opened his eyes to the possibilities of wood construction. In addition to principal design, Olkkola has worked in various roles in real estate for more than 30 years. He has noticed how wood has recently gained a bigger role in construction.
“Up until the 1980s, Finland was a haven for concrete buildings. Fire regulations were created for the needs of the quarrying industry. Wood construction was not seen as important – wood was merely a support material.”
In the Helsinki University of Technology, wood and its use in construction were only briefly touched upon.
“Wood did not have any kind of role in my studies. We just learnt the profiles of various boards, and that was it.”
Promoting wood construction through zoning and building regulations
Wood has become a part of Olkkola's work gradually but with a growing trend. As a material, it comes up quickly when the discussion concerns sustainable development and responsible construction. According to Olkkola, wood is also a top choice when selecting frame and cladding materials, mouldings, doors or furniture.
Olkkola believes that the best years of wood in construction and housing are still ahead of us. He estimates that solid wood construction, as well as the development of wood-based materials and the combining of them with other materials, will steadily increase.
“It’s hard to imagine that the interest in wood use and construction would end; rather, it will increase. Wood has established its place and, for an architect, it’s one of the most interesting and versatile materials of the future,” he says.
Zoning and building regulations are effective ways to promote wood construction. For example, changes to the Finnish fire safety decree have already increased the material neutrality of fire regulations, and more than half of Finnish municipalities have included the promotion of wood construction in their municipal strategies.
“It’s desirable that building regulations continue developing in a direction that supports the use of wood,” Olkkola says.
Wood increases attractiveness and wellbeing
In the 1990s Olkkola was walking in an American residential neighbourhood. From afar, he admired the cladding on the houses; the wide boards with wood fibres. From up close, he saw that they were plastic replicas.
“That immediately killed the atmosphere. It looked real, but didn’t feel like it,” Olkkola remembers.
This experience summarises why the architect trained in concrete construction planning now advocates for wood.
“The use of wood is a matter of the heart. It’s undeniably related to the presence of goodness. A fullness that cannot be measured. Using wood has a positive impact on people’s enjoyment and wellbeing.”
Olkkola has also noticed that investors and financiers like to talk about wood.
“Investors and financiers want responsible, ecologically sustainable construction and architecture that will mitigate climate change. Wood is an intriguing material from their perspective as well.”
The architect encourages active marketing
Olkkola would like people working with wood to market their products and the results of product development more actively than now. A good product can remain unused, if the architect has no previous knowledge or experience of it.
“The moment when we choose products for our projects is usually really brief. Sometimes just a few hours or days. There’s a big risk that a good product goes unnoticed.”
Olkkola says that architects like to listen to product presentations.
“In addition to us, salespeople should actively seek out engineers consulting on structure design and fire regulations – particularly now that products and their features are constantly under development.”
Olkkola sees it as a lucky coincidence that he stumbled upon the heat-treated wood cladding selected for Levi’s Icy Hot Chalet at the exact right moment.
“We found a material that fulfilled our wishes in technical terms and in terms of the facade. The durability and processability of the Finnish heat-treated wood were a positive surprise. The public has also received it very well.”
Image credit
Aapo Lappalainen, Lunawood, architect: Vesa Olkkola
