Mjøstårnet: A Sustainable Pilot Project
Constructing tall buildings in timber has great environmental benefits. “Using timber in the load-bearing structures can reduce emissions from material production by up to 85 percent,” says environmental advisor and architect Bård S. Solem.
He works for Eggen Arkitekter AS, and has extensive experience of sustainable construction projects, greenhouse gas calculations and research. In Moelven’s fifth film about the world record breaking project , Solem talks about the benefits of constructing tall buildings in timber.
“The Mjøstårnet is a pilot project that can pave the way for other sustainable projects that explore new boundary-breaking solutions around the use of materials. The environmental effects of using timber in tall buildings are substantial; this can reduce emissions in the production of materials for the load-bearing structures by 35 to 85 percent,” says Solem.
He has been strongly involved in the use of environmentally friendly building materials for several years. In the film, he praises the courage and enthusiasm behind the construction of the world’s tallest timber building. The contractor is HENT AS and the building was designed by Voll Arkitekter.
“In the longer term, we need changes in our society. We must think completely differently. The Mjøstårnet shows that you can build big, tall buildings in timber, with sustainable materials that release low greenhouse gas emissions during production,” says Solem.
When the final beam was put in place on the Mjøstårnet in September, the building reached a height of 85.4 meters, and is therefore the world’s tallest timber building. The tower, with its 18 floors, is helping to set new standards for both height and construction methods for timber buildings. Moelven has recently noticed a significant shift towards the use of timber in large constructions.
“In recent years, we’ve seen an increasing demand for renewable building materials, with their potential for storing carbon. The international climate agreements have led to a greater focus on choice of materials. We don’t think the Mjøstårnet will be the record holder for very long. But we, and especially the climate, can live with that,” says Rune Abrahamsen, CEO of Moelven Limtre.
