Habitat 7
Amid the vast steel-and-concrete developments rising at the new Masthuggskajen waterfront in Gothenburg stands Habitat 7, a distinctive nine-storey office building that speaks to the imagination. Swedish wood façade expert bARK supplied timber partition walls and façade systems, and clad them with Reynaers Aluminium profiles. This hybrid project solution has now been systemised to become TimberWall 50.
A green oasis within the city
During the design phase, the architects at Krook & Tjäder drew inspiration from the dark masts of boats that once lined the harbour, and from the industrial character of historic timber dock warehouses. The long sides of the building are more closed, sporting combinations of wooden cladding and dark brick. In contrast, the gables are fully transparent. The timber structure is emphasised with trussed timber framing, which in turn created the open gable ends.
Wood is a key component in the interior layout, too. Spread across 8,000 square metres of modern office space, timber and natural elements are added to enhance the biophilic experience of visitors and employees alike. In the 14-metre-high entrance hall, you are greeted by trees and a spectacular plant wall, basking in natural daylight. On the rooftop terraces as well, you will find wood, luscious greenery, and spectacular views of the Gothenburg harbour area. From every angle, Habitat 7 presents itself as a green oasis within the city.
Sustainable design
NCC Property Development’s ambition was to create an office building with the lowest possible climate impact and to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification. But the brief also centred on softer sustainability values; the building should be an exceptionally good place to work. With regards to mobility, for instance, Habitat 7 is easily accessible via public transport or by bicycle, with train and bus stops only minutes away.
Every choice of system or product is carefully selected, and the building team spared no expense to achieve the project’s ambitious sustainable targets. Looking at the material level, choosing low-carbon building elements such as timber and aluminium is evident. Even the glazing of the façade is made of recycled glass. As a result, the climate impact during the construction phase was reduced with more than 40%.
Technical considerations
For the architects at Krook & Tjäder, the first step was to investigate whether a nine-storey timber-framed building could be realised on the designated site. Given the structural concept, they also assessed aspects such as sound transmission between floors, acoustics and fire safety.
But as the project team explored what it would mean to deliver nine floors with around 140 linear metres of exposed timber per floor – alongside several kilometres of aluminium glazing systems – it became clear the climate footprint would be far too high. NCC Property Development therefore approached bARK, timber façade expert and Reynaers Aluminium partner, to ask whether they could supply what the project required.
The long sides of the Habitat 7 building are more closed, sporting combinations of wooden cladding and dark brick. In contrast, the gable ends are fully transparent.
The strength and versatility of TimberWall 50
To meet Habitat 7’s architectural and sustainable requirements, bARK supplied wood-aluminium unitised façades and stick façades for the outside building envelope, and partitioning elements indoors.
TimberWall 50 is an innovative co-creation between Reynaers Aluminium and bARK that combines the warmth of wood with the strength and versatility of aluminium. The tested and certified solution is made with FSC and PEFC certified wood, comes in multiple lacquering shades, and offers excellent thermal performance. Its EPD certificate is one of the strongest in the market, with accurate and traceable sustainable information. Finally, the hybrid façade system is delivered in ready-made kits, which facilitates swift and worry-free installation.
For Habitat 7, high insulated properties were of paramount importance, not only to face the harsh weather conditions, but also to reduce possible noise pollution coming from nearby traffic. Next, the entire ground floor façade and all partition walls meet RC2 burglarproof requirements, which enhances daily safety and security. And when you add the project’s sustainability targets and organic aesthetics to the equation, TimberWall 50 proved to be the ideal choice to match all project needs.
Closing thoughts
A modern interpretation of a harbour warehouse, Habitat 7 adds a new face to the Gothenburg waterfront. The robust office building might not be the tallest or the biggest building in the neighbourhood, nor does it boast the loudest architectural design; however, it has a subtle presence and daring attitude that is hard to ignore. Habitat 7 introduces a new standard of sustainable construction, and both bARK and Reynaers Aluminium are proud to have contributed to its successful completion.
