Versowood built a new headquarters on the Vierumäki mill site. The approximately 3,000 m² building has two storeys and is mainly timber construction. The project was designed by architect Pekka Pakkanen of Planetary Architecture, and the main contractor was Varte Lahti Oy.
The pavilion-like headquarters is set in a forest landscape, and its timber column-beam frame presents itself as an abstraction of the forest when viewed both from the outside and within the interior. The building is also a pilot project for Versowood’s glulam structural connections and a flexible timber office concept. An impressive thousand cubic meters of glulam can be found in the structures, as it has also been used in the intermediate and roof structures.
Standard products and tailoring
Peikko’s timber connection components have been used in the building’s column and beam joints. ROOCO® Column Shoes connect the columns between foundations and storeys, and Peikko PCs® concealed corbels were selected as the corbel solution. The deliveries thus included both standard solutions and connections tailored for the project.
“The ROOCO® Column Shoes were our standard products, but the corbel connections were designed together with Peikko, Sweco and Versowood as project-specific, tailored solutions. In these joint assemblies, we were able to utilize Peikko’s standard corbel components and their solutions,” says Peikko’s project manager Vuokko Pussinen.
“The stabilization of the project was implemented with glulam walls and mast columns. ROOCO® Column Shoes were selected as the column shoes and were used in the base connection of the 1st- and 2nd-storey columns. With the column shoes, the moment-resisting joints required for the overall stabilization of the building were achieved,” says Oskari Takala, structural designer at Sweco.
“In cooperation with Peikko, a column cap was developed for the intermediate floor beam connections. It allows the 2nd-storey columns to be fixed rigidly and, depending on the situation, enables PCs® corbels to be suspended for beams in 1–4 different directions. The corbels hang from the column cap via a plate that has the same toothing as standard PCs® corbels for height adjustment of the corbel. At the ends of the beams, connection parts corresponding to PC® Beam Shoes were used; these connect to the timber beam with dowel pins. Peikko’s corbel system enabled the installation tolerances and adjustability required in the column–beam joints, using a concealed connection.
Development work with Peikko went well and was flexible. We received expert support from Peikko especially for the design of the PCs® corbels and for implementing the adjustment and fastening of the corbels,” Oskari continues.
Comfortable and efficient spaces
The building’s carbon handprint will be significant over its life cycle. In addition to extensive use of timber, the office’s energy efficiency is good, and solar energy is used to support electricity generation. The project has also been awarded LEED Platinum certification.
The details of the office building have been designed based on a healthy work environment. The interior surfaces naturally feature timber cladding, and light travels beautifully through the building. In addition to a modern work environment, the premises also serve as a visitor center and Versowood’s new landmark.
