Swedish urban developer Atrium Ljungberg has initiated Stockholm Wood City, anticipated to be the world’s largest urban wooden construction project. The project, to be built in Sickla in south-central Stockholm, will extend over 62 acres. The project’s developers indicate that through innovative design and a strong collaborative effort with stakeholders their intent is to create a vibrant urban environment utilizing a mix of workplaces, housing, restaurants and shops. Their goal is to set a new standard for sustainable construction.

Stockholm Wood City
At 62 acres (250,000 square meters) the project is thus the world’s largest known urban construction project in wood. The new area will house 7,000 additional office spaces plus 2,000 additional homes. Groundbreaking is set for 2025 and the first buildings are expected to be completed in 2027.

Why Wood Construction?
The resurgence of wood construction, known as the mass timber movement, has been an emerging trend in recent years. The advantages of wooden buildings are many and tangible, both for the environment and for people’s health and well-being. As shown by various research studies, wooden buildings provide better air quality, reduce stress, increase productivity and store carbon dioxide throughout the time they are in use. Using wood also means quiet construction sites and reduces the number of heavy transports during the construction period.

Sickla Live/Work District
Today there are more than 400 companies located in Sickla – everything from large international companies to smaller start-ups. For those who will work in Stockholm Wood City, there will be the opportunity to be involved in the development and design of an ambitious sustainability project. The developer, Atrium Ljungberg, has spent more than 20 years developing Sickla from an industrial area into a vibrant city neighborhood. Sickla is considered a walkable city, with everything necessary only a 5-minute walk away.

A Sustainable Urban Development
Stockholm Wood City is anticipated to usher in a new era for sustainable architecture and urban development. Aside from timber construction, the project entails a number of additional environmental benefits. The focus on office space is a means of addressing the shortage of workplaces south of Stockholm’s inner city, thus shortening commuting times for more people. The project’s climate impact is also minimised through internally produced, stored and shared energy. Focus is on internally produced, stored and shared energy. This is achieved in part through extensive rooftop solar arrays with battery storage combined with underground borehole thermal energy storage for building heating and cooling.

For Further Reading:
• American Wood Council (AWC) – Mass Timber: The AWC a leading organization focused on wood products and applications have a dedicated section that provides information on mass timber, including design considerations, building codes and standards, fire safety, and environmental benefits at: https://www.awc.org/mass-timber
• Mass Timber Institute (MTI): The MTI is a Canadian organization dedicated to promoting the use of mass timber in construction. Their website offers a variety of resources including case studies, technical guides, and research reports on topics such as design, construction, sustainability, and fire safety: https://www.masstimberinstitute.ca/
• Forest Products Laboratory (FPL): The FPL is a research branch of the U.S. Forest Service focused on wood products and their applications. Their section dedicated to mass timber, providing technical publications, research findings, and resources related to mass timber design, performance, and sustainability is at: https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/research/units/mmu/mass-timber.php