The Pilke House built by Lemminkäinen receives the 2011 wood structure of the year award

LEMMINKÄINEN CORPORATION         PRESS RELEASE 28 OCTOBER 2011 AT 4.00 P.M

THE PILKE HOUSE BUILT BY LEMMINKÄINEN RECEIVES THE 2011 WOOD STRUCTURE OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Pilke House, a Metsähallitus office building and a science centre, built by Lemminkäinen for Metsähallitus in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland, has been awarded with the Wood Structure of the year 2011 reward.  The building was desinged by the Architectural Studio Artto Palo Rossi Tikka Oy. The Pilke House is an example of top expertise in ecological wood construction. The carbon emissions of Pilke are only one-third of those of a steel or concrete building of the same size.

Pilke’s construction schedule was tight; the building that was handed over to Metsähallitus in October 2011 was completed in a year. An unusually harsh winter presented an added challenge to the builders. During construction, particular attention was paid to the protection of the wooden frame, which is subject to seasonal variation. Construction involved demanding structural solutions, which highlighted the importance of a seamless cooperation between the designers and builders. The building has a wooden column-beam structure, made of laminated columns, visible in the interior of the house. The facade of Pilke is assembled of wooden outdoor wall panels, but wood is not limited to the exterior; also the interior of the building shows a generous use of wood.

Pilke functions mainly as an office building, providing work for 135 people. The building has a floor area of 4,800 m², gross area of 5,600 m² a volume of 31,500 m³.

The Wood Structure of the Year Reward, awarded annually by Puuinfo, a Finnish organisation promoting the use wood in construction, to a building, interior design or structure that represents high-quality Finnish wood architecture or uses wood in a way that contributes to the development of construction techniques. The Wood Structure of the Year Reward has been awarded since 1994. Previous Lemminkäinen wood construction sites that have been awarded include the wooden high-rise buildings in Viikki, Helsinki, awarded in 1998, and the Metla House in Joensuu, Eastern Finland, awarded in 2005.

LEMMINKÄINEN CORPORATION
Corporate Communications

MORE INFORMATION:
Taisto Rautio, Site Manager
Lemminkäinen Talo Oy
Tel. 040 547 5030
taisto.rautio@lemminkainen.fi

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Lemminkäinen Group operates in all areas of the construction sector. The Group’s business sectors are Building Construction, Infrastructure Construction and Technical Building Services. A fourth business sector, International Operations, will be introduced at the beginning of 2012. Net sales in 2010 were around EUR 2.0 billion, of which international operations accounted for roughly a quarter. The Group employs 8,000 people on average. Lemminkäinen Corporation’s share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd.
www.lemminkainen.com