Modellen 4 is the name of the new residential house that will be built in Vasastan, in central Stockholm. Known as the “stone city”, Stockholm’s characteristic buildings are mostly in stone and brick.
Modellen 4 is designed to work in harmony with the existing architecture, but under its façade its wooden frame makes it exceptional in several ways.
“We always strive to minimise our environmental impact. Building large houses in biological materials, such as timber, is an important step towards a more sustainable construction process,” says Per Tunell, Head of Sustainability at Soya Group.
Wood is a renewable material that is energy efficient to produce, and one that stores carbon dioxide in finished buildings. But there is more to it than just its environmental credentials. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a stable and strong material with a high load-bearing capacity. The construction process is also shorter, as the material is dry on delivery, and the lightweight material saves transportation costs.
As wooden apartment buildings in the city centre are rather new, a few preconceptions have been expressed that Wallfast are keen to address.
“There are worries that wood constructions burn more easily, or that they are less soundproof, but these are misconceptions. The same building regulations apply to wooden buildings, so in the end there’s nothing that influences quality or safety,” says Joakim Bejtoft, Head of Project Development at Wallfast.
Modellen 4 consists of 20 rental flats and will be finished in August 2024.