Townhouse made of CLT log
Attractive homes for those who value healthy and ecological living
The townhouse is an increasingly popular way to build comfortable homes and neighbourhoods. The townhouse built from CLT logs provides a natural combination of a modern wood construction, living comfort, health and ecology for a new way of living.
More and more people prefer to live in city centres, close to jobs and services. At the same time, they want their own house and the benefits it offers, such as a private yard. One solution to this is the Townhouse.
Townhouses are two- or three-storey urban-style residential buildings that share at least one wall with the neighbouring units. The houses can be located each on their own plot, or the townhouse can also be built as a company, in which case the plot is shared by the housing company.
The townhouse offers single-family home type living close to the services and jobs in the city. Narrow-frame, interconnected townhouses facilitate efficient and compact construction. A private yard, protected by a fence, allows for home gardening and outdoor space. The number of houses can be varied flexibly as required, and according to the size of the plot.
CLT Log-structured urban townhouses are suitable for many types of environments
Honka and architect Marko Simsiö have collaborated on the development of a new type of CLT log-structured urban townhouse. The design is based on Marko Simsiö’s proposal that won the shared 1st prize in the Log Structured Dwelling architecture competition.
The street-facing façade is low-key, making it suitable for a variety of urban environments. The non-settling, modern CLT log is left exposed. The minimalist shape and openings, the use of zero corners, and the metal and glass surfaces of the façade give the houses a modern look, ideal for an urban environment. The façade can be varied and the houses given an original look with different log treatments and paints. The townhouses are best suitable for placing next to buildings with 2–5 storeys. Roof forms can be designed to match the adjacent buildings.
I wanted to explore the suitability of the townhouse, which is gaining popularity in Finland as well, as a log structure in an urban environment. I realised that it could enrich the cityscape and bring variety to multi-storey buildings.
Marko Simsiö, Architect, SAFA
Download the manual: CLT Log structured townhouse – Adaptive city dwelling concept
You can download the full thesis here.
Cosy and bright interiors
Indoors, the logs and beams supporting the roof and subfloor are exposed to make the wooden structure more visible. The large glass wall at the end of the house opens onto the balcony and courtyard, allowing a lot of light in, and opens with sliding doors. Privacy and light levels can be adjusted with the sliding wooden lattices on the balcony. The centre of the frame is illuminated by skylights and a light well.
Modifiability of spaces
The number of family or group members living in a house may vary. Moreover, the residents’ needs change, for example as they age. The apartment must be easy to convert to facilitate living in it for as long as possible.
The floors are divided into three zones. Utility rooms, such as bathrooms, are located in the middle of the house’s frame and the actual rooms are at both ends of the house. The intermediate floor can be opened up, allowing for a high ceiling, for example in the living room.
The spaces can be converted for different uses to create a number of personalised combinations. External walls are the load-bearing frame of the house, and spaces can be divided into smaller rooms with lightweight partitions, or alternatively, the whole floor can be left as an open space. For example, when children move out of the home, the partitions can be dismantled and the space can be used as a living area.
The provision for a lift allows elderly residents to live in the building for as long as possible. According to the building regulations, it also allows for a floor of the house to be divided into separate apartments. It is possible to split a part of the first floor into a separate apartment. It can also be used as a working space.
Placement of house modules on different types of plots
Buildings can be placed on blocks and plots in many different ways. This means flexibility for conversion in various settings guided by zoning. Buildings can be placed, for example, in a row, in a cluster on a narrow plot, integrated in the block structure, or as a block in its own right.
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