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Scandinavian Wood

The magic of living in wooden homes

Why log homes

Wooden houses offer a harmonious blend of natural beauty and practicality. One of the most significant advantages of a wooden house lies in its exceptional thermal insulation; the inherent properties of wood ensure that your home remains cosy during the chill of winter while keeping refreshingly cool in the summer months, often resulting in lower energy costs.

With proper construction and maintenance, wooden houses exhibit remarkable durability, standing resilient against the elements and pests, which enhances their appeal as a long-term investment. The aesthetic charm of wooden homes cannot be overstated; their rustic elegance fosters a warm and inviting atmosphere, allowing them to seamlessly blend with their natural surroundings.

In addition to their aesthetic and functional benefits, wooden homes can be sourced sustainably, particularly when timber is harvested from responsibly managed forests, thus minimising their environmental footprint.

The natural density of timber provides excellent sound insulation, creating a tranquil indoor environment that many families cherish. A wooden house fosters a deeper connection to nature and one’s surroundings, making it an appealing option for those seeking a distinctive and sustainable living environment while enjoying the comforts of home.

Non-settling logs

Your logmodernist estate residence is crafted using logs supplied by the renowned Scandinavian company, Honka, who has pioneered an innovative solution: a non-settling log system.

The impact of natural light on well-being, happiness, and productivity cannot be overstated. Large windows serve a dual purpose: they invite the nurturing glow of natural daylight indoors and offer breathtaking views of the surrounding nature.

This innovative structure stands resolute against all weather conditions — be it rain, storms, frost, or heat. Engineered to withstand the most relentless forces of nature, it offers the assurance that your home is not only a haven of beauty but also a strong and reliable sanctuary.

Scandinavian logs:

breathable and beneficial

15% more energy-efficient for running costs

Wooden houses are much more energy efficient, with natural thermoregulation that reduces cooling costs in summer and heating in winter.

50% more energy-efficient in production

The industrial production of wood requires just 50% of the energy required for cement production and 20% of that required in brick production.

60% less emissions

Replacing concrete with wood in construction can decrease the total emissions from material production and construction by up to 60%

97% waste-efficient

Of all the by-products and raw material left over after wood production, 97% of it is used for bioenergy so that nothing goes to waste.

Why Scandinavian wood makes for better living

01

A natural soundproofing material

The sound you hear, the noise you don’t

Pinewood from the Nordic region has exceptional soundproofing abilities, absorbing and dampening sound waves.

This keeps the homes quiet and peaceful against outdoor noises, and even keeps each room relatively soundproofed, so that there is reduced bleeding of sound from room to room, and better acoustics.

02

A natural air purifier

Antimicrobial properties

Pinewood is breathable with natural antibacterial properties. It filters the air and removes pollutants, microbes, and even some amount of carbon dioxide from the spaces within.

39% percent of people reported they could breathe better once they moved into a house built of wood.

03

Natural pest control

Built to be pest-resistant

Pinewood is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial, which goes a long way towards keeping your home clean and hygienic.

Moreover, before being fabricated into components of a home, each log is treated with natural oils and water-based preservatives to make them resistant to all pests, from termites to mosquitoes.

04

A durable, long-lasting material

Your home for many generations

Scandinavian wood is lightweight, flexible, and extremely sturdy. It naturally has a low moisture content and high density and is hence resistant to strong winds, earthquakes, and severe weather. When treated with natural water-based stainers, it becomes more water-resistant, preventing leakage and dampness.

Where traditional buildings last from 70–100 years, wooden homes can last for hundreds of years, withstanding all elements and the test of time.

05

Good for the heart and mind

Enhances mental health

Being within wooden walls makes you calmer.

It has a measurable impact on your mood, steadies your heart rate, and even improves the quality of your sleep, as shown in studies by various international psychological associations. In tests carried out in an Austrian school built with solid wood, it was seen that children in its classrooms showed improved concentration and lower levels of stress.

Based on these findings, we introduce Logmodernism — built to equally benefit the planet, and you, the inhabitant.

06

A regulator of temperature

Regulates indoor temperatures

Wood regulates indoor air temperatures and humidity, maintaining an even temperature no matter the weather conditions outdoors.

In the peak of summer, wooden walls naturally balance heat fluctuations and in the depths of winter, they insulate the indoors, reducing the need for air conditioning or heaters. Pinewood also regulates moisture levels with each season, ensuring that it never gets too dry or humid indoors.

From harvest to heritage with Finland wood

>70%

of Finland is covered by forests.

>40%

of all forests in Finland are pine.

Retrace estate residences are made of pinewood grown in Finland, in monoculture forests that follow the principles of circular forestry.

All land
in Finland

All forests
in Finland

Pine trees

The green gold of Finland

Finland’s forests are being replenished at an astonishing rate, with more wood growing than is being harvested.

These pines grow for more than 60 years, slowly creeping towards the sky. Lots of sunlight over sustained periods of time and a slow growth-rate result in an exceptionally hard wood, especially at its core. The densest coniferous wood on earth — perfect for building homes that last.

Forged in the land of the midnight sun

Finnish Pune, aka Pinus Sylvestris, is a survivor. While it does not require plenty of sunlight, it can thrive in the harshest conditions including fierce frost, sweltering heat, and a prolonged lack of nutrients. How fortunate it is, then, that Finland is the land of the midnight sun.

60+

years of capturing carbon

Over a 60-year span, these trees trap carbon from the environment and sequester them within their wood. After this, the tree can continue growing but its carbon-sequestration ability reduces. The time to harvest arrives.

From trunk to log

Once the select trees are felled, they’re transported to a sawmill located in the middle of Finland, strategically chosen for short transportation distances and smaller carbon footprints.

Repeating the cycle

These are then tended to and left to grow for another 60 years, to start a new cycle of carbon capture.

Finland’s forests are regulated by advanced legislation that ensures responsible harvesting and assured reforestation. Hence, its 2.9 million hectares of forest are among the most ecologically sustainable sources of wood in the world.

Cutting and treating

Meanwhile, the felled logs are cut and treated using special Nordic sawing methods, where internal stressors are removed by splitting the heart of the wood, increasing the stability of the log.

Efforts are made to use all scraps of wood that is obtained from harvest. Leftover material, if any, is burned to season the wood used for building.

Surrounded by what nature created

Being within wooden walls feels different — more natural, more wholesome, more peaceful — than homes made of any other material. From nature we came, and within nature we stay.

Harvesting these trees and replanting them at the right time continues the cycle of carbon sequestration.

As these trees grow over 60 glorious years, they trap carbon from the atmosphere and nourish the areas around them. But after that time, growth stops and the trees naturally die. If not felled and used, they release all the absorbed carbon back into the atmosphere.

One cubic metre of wood
grown in Scandinavia has

Source: Tampere University of Applied Sciences

1 ton

of carbon dioxide sequestered within

750

kg of oxygen released within its lifetime

500

kg of weight

50%

of which is atmospheric carbon

Finnish log houses are already a part of history

While these logs are used to build a home oceans away from the land it grew on, they are still the Finnish pines that swayed in the breeze under a midnight sun.

Homes around the world built with Scandinavian pinewood

Log houses have a centuries-old legacy. Built across the globe in wide range of weather conditions and temperatures, they are known to last for decades on end, getting stronger and hardier with the passage of time.

Talvinen Tupa

Ruka, Finland

Pines Chalet

Telemark, Norway

Forest Lodge

Kainuu, Finland

TESTIMONIALS

“A healthy and sensory-friendly environment is good for the daycare centre children and staff alike."

Minna Martikainen

Director of Public Affairs, Pilke Päiväkodit