Honka’s structural solution revolutionising log house design

Press Release

Forget the traditional cross-cornered log house − a log structure based on the Fusion concept developed by Honka opens up new possibilities for log house design. A good example of this is a log house built in Brittany in France, which represents beautiful architecture at its best, combining wood and other materials.

It may come as a surprise to many people that this house is actually built of logs. Honka Fusion concept is a high-quality structural solution offering pared-down style and a combination of materials, with a massive-wood frame. The non-settling structures of the Fusion concept are very suitable for modern architecture and urban settings.

Massive wood is used as the load-bearing structure for Honka Fusion homes, but façade walls may also combine many other materials, such as steel, glass or stone. The freedom of design manifests itself in the fact that, in a single house, the logs of some of the walls may be on the inside and, in others, on the outside.

The healthy indoor air that log houses maintain is preserved in a Honka Fusion house. The Fusion structural solution is completely without plastic foils, exploiting the natural properties of massive wood that balance out humidity and improve the quality of indoor air. House in Brittany combines the normal comfort of a log house with exceptional architecture Houses based on the Fusion concept launched a few years ago by Honka have so far mostly been built in France and Switzerland.

A residential house in Brittany in France on the Atlantic coast is an excellent example of the structural possibilities afforded to designers by the Fusion concept. The beautiful cubic architecture combines wood, large glass surfaces and stone in a maritime environment. A piece of exceptional log architecture, this house consists of three cubic parts: the first has the living room and kitchen, the second the bedrooms. The third cube with the staircase rises up from the ground floor between the other two. The main entrance and the utility room are also located here. Under the house, which stands on pillars on a slope, there is also room for a double carport.

The house’s distinctly large windows would not be possible using traditional log structures. This 133-square metre house has been built based on Honka’s Fusion concept. The erection of the log frame is fast, thanks to the precisely factory-manufactured and prefabricated logs. The air-tightness and strength of the Fusion-constructed walls, more than 300mm thick, make the house energy-efficient. The house’s load-bearing walls are made of non-settling logs, 128mm thick. The external surface of the frame has 200mm wood fibre insulation. The façade walls of the house are clad with red-tinted cedar wood and stone.

Honka Fusion – an ecological, modern and energy-efficient construction for building

The idea for Honka Fusion, a new type of structural concept based on non-settling laminated logs, was born when Honka decided that it wanted to develop a log house suitable for an urban environment. Europe’s ever more stringent energy regulations were also putting pressure on the development of more energy-efficient houses. The more air-tight a house is, the more energy-efficient it is.

The load-bearing frame of a Honka Fusion house is made of massive logs. Between the logs is a special, recently-developed HonkaTech sealant. Either the inner or outer sides of the log walls are covered with ecological wood fibre insulation, 120−240mm thick. The log surface may be left visible either as the inner or outer surface of the house, depending on the functional and visual needs of the space.

The façade walls of a Fusion house are coated following the applicable local building requirements, with rendering, brick or panelling, or the log may be left visible as the façade material. In independent tests, Honka Fusion homes have proven to be extremely air-tight and energy-efficient.

The advanced production technology and quality assurance of the world’s leading manufacturer of log houses together with the high-quality work of our professionally-skilled partners make Honka Fusion houses up to twice as air-tight as normal log houses and conformant to all national energy efficiency standards. The energy efficient structures enable building the houses to the low-energy level.

As a renewable natural resource, logs processed from Finnish pine forests also meet the criteria for ecologically sustainable construction. Because Finnish pine is slow-growing, it is hard and durable. Pine can withstand variations in humidity without splitting, and is an excellent material for log houses.

With more than 50 years of experience, Honka is a safe partner. More Honka log houses have been sold worldwide than any other brand – over 100,000 satisfied dwellers globally have chosen Honka.

Building specifications

• Type of building residential house
• Name Fusion Bretagne
• Location The Atlantic coast, Brittany, France
• Living area 133sqm
• Plot area 900sqm
• Number of rooms 4
• Kitchen/living room 56sqm
• Bedrooms 17−9sqm
• Utility room 11sqm
• Bathroom 9sqm
• Year of construction 2010
• Method of heating wood-burning fireplace
• Structure 128mm Honka FusionTM logs, wood fibre insulation 200mm on the outside Façade walls cedar panelling and stone
• Doors and windows wood-aluminium, black
• Terrace boards Massranduba