Tuesday, April 28, 2026
On behalf of Ulricehamn Municipality, construction company RO-Gruppen is developing a new multi-purpose community facility in Gällstad. Södra will supply locally produced cross-laminated timber (CLT) for the building’s structural frame, offering a sustainable solution that helps significantly reduce the project’s climate impact.
The Gällstadgården multi-purpose community facility will be a three-storey development featuring a care and residential home with 60 apartments, along with three preschool units for around 120 children. By integrating multiple functions within a single building, the project enables shared use of key facilities such as a central kitchen, restaurant, and administrative spaces. Construction is planned to start in the second half of 2026, with completion expected by summer 2028.
Södra and RO-ruppen have previously collaborated on several construction projects, including RO-Gruppen’s headquarters at Viared Center in Borås, Arvid Nordquist’s new coffee roastery in Järfälla, and the City of Borås service centre Pantängen. Through close cooperation and by building on previous experience, the project creates the conditions for a cost-efficient and smooth construction process.
“We have a well-stablished partnership with Södra, which gives us confidence in both the process and the delivery. It creates excellent conditions for efficient production with high quality,” says Johan Torén, Project Director at RO-Gruppen.
“We truly appreciate the strong collaboration and open dialogue that have characterised the project so far. By bringing together leading expertise from across the industry, we have jointly created the best possible conditions for high-quality design, with the ambition of delivering an exceptional building for both old and young,” says Daniel Arvidsson, Project Manager at Södra.
Architecture for intergenerational shared spaces
Gällstadgården has been designed by Wahlström & Steijner Architects, with a strong emphasis on natural materials throughout the structure. Timber is used for the structural frame, façade, and interior elements, reinforcing its sustainable design approach. The sloped roof will be topped with sedum planting to enhance biodiversity, while the building’s elliptical form creates a shared inner courtyard designed to encourage interaction between children and elderly residents.
“The idea behind designing a shared building for children and older people entirely in timber was to take advantage of the many positive qualities of wood. Wood is a beautiful natural material, and scientific studies have shown that it has a calming effect on people. It is fossil-free, renewable, and reusable. In addition, wood has a pleasant natural scent and creates a healthy indoor atmosphere, while the timber exterior harmonises with the surrounding natural environment,” says Jürgen Wahlström, Architect at Wahlström & Steijner Architects.
Södra’s value chain contributes to the low climate impact of CLT
Production of CLT takes place in symbiosis with Södra’s pulp mill and sawmill at the facility in Värö, outside Varberg. In this way, we make full use of the entire tree and refine the sustainable forest raw material from responsibly managed family forests into renewable, climate‑smart products and solutions that create value for many people in a more natural society.
Södra was founded in 1938 on the idea that we are stronger together. Today, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest‑owner association, with more than 50,000 family forest owners as members. Together, Södra’s members own a world‑leading industrial operation that refines forest raw material into renewable products in pulp, timber, building systems, liquid bioproducts and energy.
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Tags: CLT, construction, Cross laminated timber, kitchen, Södra, sustainability, sustainable building
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