Ecological log forms into an apartment building - Kuusamo Log Houses' log frame adds the final touch to Kuusamo's first log apartment building.

The log frame delivered by Kuusamo Log Houses adds the final touch to the log apartment building currently being built in the city centre of Kuusamo. The log apartment building with a log-concrete composite structure is scheduled to be finished in August 2024. The apartment building is intended for senior housing, and it has 38 apartments with a floor area of ​​more than 2,000 square metres. The first floor of the building is made of concrete, and the remaining three floors are made of laminated logs. Beneath the log-built exterior, the load-bearing structure is a concrete frame.

“Of course, the building has a lot more height than, for example, the detached houses we produce. When it comes to log buildings, we talk about log cycles – in a standard one-story detached house, there are 13 of them, and in this apartment building, there are 45,” explains Business Director of Kuusamo Log Houses Antti Hokkinen.

The local impacts of constructing a log apartment building are significant. We are proud of the skills we have at Kuusamo, says Business Director Antti Hokkinen.

“Since the log wall is tall and wood is a living material, many things had to be considered in the design. For example, the joints between the concrete frame and intermediate foundations have required special solutions from our side.”

At Kuusamo, we wanted to approach the environmentally friendly building as a local project and show that it is possible to implement a public construction project using logs. The developer is Kuusamon Vuokratalot Oy, and the contractor is Tunturirakennus Oy. Saatsi Arkkitehdit Oy carried out the architectural design of the building.

“In addition to being environmentally friendly, one of the biggest advantages of a log house is the speed of construction. Logs work well as exterior walls, and there is no need for any other structure or additional insulation. The exterior and interior surfaces of the log building are practically ready without surface treatment immediately after installation,” says Hokkinen.

Delivery of thousands of log metres

The apartment building project included the delivery of a log frame from Kuusamo Log Houses. Kuusamo Log Houses delivered the logs to the construction site, and the contractor installed them in segments. The order of delivery and installation of the logs was carefully considered to ensure the smooth flow of work.

Kuusamo Log Houses’ non-settling, 268-millimetre-wide and 220-millimetre-high laminated log was used in the log apartment building. The cross-glued log is made of pine. On the other hand, the balconies of the log apartment building are made of non-settling 132-millimeter-wide laminated logs.

Non-settling LHX 268 is primarily designed for demanding professional use. The apartment building’s logs have received more special woodworking solutions than usual.

“The log apartment building site is keeping to the agreed schedule, and we have been satisfied with the cooperation so far. Meetings between the design, production, and construction site teams have been arranged on a quick schedule, and everything has gone well so far. It has been important for us to cooperate locally,” says Managing Director of Tunturirakennus Toni Pätsi.

The cooperation has worked very well, says Tunturirakennus Managing Director Toni Pätsi (right), who went with Production Manager Kari Heikkilä to check the log packages being delivered to the apartment building site.

Towards emission goals with the help of wood construction

The use of logs in public projects has increased nationally and it has been utilised to an increasing extent in, for example, daycare centres and schools. The log apartment building currently under construction is Kuusamo Log Houses’ first major public construction project and one of the largest deliveries in the company’s 25-year-long history. According to Hokkinen, the project has taught them many necessary things and provided them with new ideas for the future and possible similar projects.

“Log has become more familiar in other construction works than just traditional residential and cabin projects. The EU’s tough emission targets and their achievement mean that wood construction must increase considerably. The use of logs in public buildings has been a step in the right direction,” says Hokkinen.

The first floor of the log apartment building will be built with concrete, and the three living floors with logs. The picture shows a visualisation by Saatsi Arkkitehdit with a view from Kitkantie road.