Attractive multi-family residential buildings erected with solid timber construction

In Gehrden near Hanover in the German state of Lower Saxony, an ensemble of 43-story multi-family residential buildings has sprouted. The investor has a strong affinity for nature and wood, so it’s no wonder that the property is beautifully located right at the edge of a forest far from heavily trafficked roads. Idyllic living is possible at this extraordinarily attractive location.

Owing to the investor’s preference for eco-friendly construction and his wish to complete the project as rapidly as possible so as to avoid bothering nearby residents any more than necessary, he opted for the SWISS KRONO MAGNUMBOARD® OSB solid timber construction system. Its benefits are obvious: it’s a flexible system involving highly prefabricated modules which boasts a favourable ecological footprint and excellent building physics. With good planning, rapid assembly can significantly reduce the required time and expenditures.

Another factor which slashes both costs and effort is the fact that the interior OSB surfaces can be directly coated. In other words, there is no need to laboriously cover them with gypsum fireboard or plasterboard beforehand. Instead, paint, plaster, wallpaper or tiles can be directly applied.

One challenge at the selected location was the rough terrain. Fortunately, however, those responsible for transport and assembly found good solutions for getting the large-format modules to the construction site via narrow roads.

With these four buildings, the investor has created valuable properties: the cleverly planned nestled flats with very thin MAGNUMBOARD® OSB walls optimally take advantage of the available space.

Although this project with SWISS KRONO MAGNUMBOARD® OSB was actually an experiment, it has been a resounding success. Most of the flats have already been rented out. All of the tenants are very pleased with the use of wood as the construction material. The result is so convincing, in fact, that the next such projects are already being planned.

Facts at a glance