ANCHORED IN STONE: A TIMBER STRUCTURE EMBRACING THE HELSINKI COASTLINE

By embedding concrete footings into the granite, the glulam-bending timber structure can touch the coastline. This idea allows the project to provide a broader view of Helsinki city lines. The thicker glulam-bending timber structure is applied to the museum’s footing because it has to embrace many visitors, museum objects, and natural impact.

INTEGRATING CONCRETE FOOTINGS WITH GLULAM TIMBER STRUCTURES

Thanks to the glulam technique, a sturdy structure can be created. The innovative technology has been applied to both the exterior and roof. Hardwood is used for the high curvature of bending timber structures, and softwood is used for typical straight timber structures. Each footing has a concrete foundation, creating a robust frame.

TIMBER IN TENSION: GLULAM BENDING AS A DESIGN AND STRUCTURAL STRATEGY

All timber bending structures with glulam reclaimed log forms used the glulam technique. Glulam structures provide a significant benefit in terms of their adaptability in shape, enabling the creation of many forms and sizes. Additionally, they possess a visual attractiveness and maintain a sense of gracefulness even while covering significant distances.

Timber performs better when force is applied toward its grain. Therefore, bending wood can be more resource-efficient, durable, and structurally effective than cutting it. By applying the glulam bending structure for both the exterior and roof, it becomes feasible to create a sturdy structure with glulam reclaimed log forms. Furthermore, it can establish a novel connection between the glulam bending structure and the glulam reclaimed log forms.

THE FABRICATED FOREST:
EXPLORING TURNING RECLAIMED TIMBER INTO
STRUCTURAL GLULAM LOG FORMS

Significant quantities of construction and demolition wood waste (CDWW) are produced, most of which are disposed of in landfills; this waste has detrimental environmental effects. Moreover, several pieces of wood that can be reused for structural purposes have been neglected and regarded as timber waste. The circular economy (CE) is considered a feasible solution in this situation, as it involves effectively retrieving resources and minimising waste. Nevertheless, it has seldom been considered or implemented.

Reuse, as opposed to recycling, preserves the maximum value of construction materials while eradicating the need to acquire new ones. Hence, timber can be repurposed into glued-laminated timber (glulam), replacing carbon-intensive materials like steel or concrete. This thesis advocates glulam as an appropriate advanced wood technique for transforming reclaimed timber into glulam and increasing the value of circularity.

This project, as a thesis, aims to increase the value of the wood circulation economy (CE) by converting reclaimed timber to structural glulam log forms. In addition, it will demonstrate that the life of the material can be prolonged by speculating on the possibility of repurposing glulam reclaimed log forms upon dismantling.

RECLAIMING TIMBER: ADVANCING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY THROUGH STRUCTURAL GLULAM FORMS

Timber can be repurposed into engineered wood products (EWPs), such as glulam, which may substitute carbon-intensive materials like concrete or steel. Contrary to recycling, reuse allows for the preservation of building resources at their maximum worth while avoiding the need for new materials. This innovative design aims to increase the value of the wood circular economy (CE) by exploring the turning of reclaimed timber into structural glulam log forms.