Finnforest Modular Office foundation stone laid in Tapiola
08/09/2004
Espoo City Mayor Marketta Kokkonen laid the foundation stone of the tallest wooden office building in Europe on September 3rd 2004
Finnforest’s Modular Office project is advancing on schedule. The building site agreement was signed with the City of Espoo 10.6.2004, and work started on the groundwork for the foundations the very same day. Finnforest is responsible for the development as a whole, for delivering and installing the wooden structures, components and facades, and for the overall functionality of the completed building. Peab Seicon is the contractor for the ground and concrete work, and took care of the practicalities in the ceremonious laying of the foundation stone.
One of the Modular Office project’s most important aims is to promote and market the use of wood in building construction, and particularly to demonstrate the competitiveness of wood structures and materials in modern office construction. When the building is completed in summer 2005 it will be the tallest wooden office building in Europe.
“Residential construction accounts for about half of the new building start-ups in Europe and office building for almost one fifth,” says Lauri Palojärvi, Finnforest’s Director of Building and Construction. “Wood is well established as a construction material for single-family houses, but other competing materials dominate the markets where office buildings are concerned. So we need a convincing demonstration of the opportunities wood offers, particularly as a material for structural frames and facades.”
Both in the construction work and in the functioning of the completed building, Finnforest Corporation’s Modular Office project pays particularly close attention to both energy and water economy, waste disposal, air quality, and the life span and sustainability of the building and its component parts.
Two Tapiola Group insurance companies will own the Modular Office
“Tapiola General Mutual Insurance Company and Tapiola Mutual Pension Insurance Company are investing in the Finnforest Corporation office building project that is starting to be realised in autumn 2004,” says Tapiola’s Real Estate Director Asko Salminen. “As well as fulfilling the Tapiola Group’s investment criteria with regard to security and profitability, the project also furthers the Group’s environmental strategy. Just like the wood industry experts who are going to be located in the new building, we believe that the workplace environment being created will offer the office occupants new, enjoyable and healthy frameworks for their activities.”
The office has been designed by Helin & Co Architects, whose “Sydänpuu” (“Heartwood”) proposal won the architects’ competition to design the building in September 2003. The developer is Kiinteistö Oy FMO. Under an investment agreement, the entire share capital will be transferred from Finnforest’s ownership to the Tapiola Group’s indemnity and pension insurance companies when the building is completed. Finnforest Corporation will then become one of the office tenants.