Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Vasakronan is establishing a new benchmark for sustainability in the construction industry with Lumi in Uppsala. They have converted a concrete structure from the 1970s into contemporary, adaptable, and lucrative office space through creative thinking, circularity, and the usage of CLT. A crucial to success was the use of locally made CLT, which Setra was entrusted to deliver.
One of the most ambitious and successful recycling initiatives in the nation is Lumi, which is situated in the southern regions of central Uppsala. A concrete structure from 1975 has been converted by Vasakronan into a seven-story office space that is light and airy, with obvious recycling features and a minimal carbon footprint. Vasakronan had the existing building structures preserved and the premises updated rather than demolished and replaced.
CLT’s New floors
In 2022, the old concrete building’s transformation project got underway. Adding three more levels without altering the foundation presented one problem in terms of square footage. This was made possible by replacing the extremely heavy concrete facade with lighter materials. A little more weight could be supported by the original foundation, but not by thick concrete.
“Choosing to build in wood was the only solution. Wood is a lightweight material that is an excellent fit for the slim structure we wanted. Two of the three new floors are entirely made of wood, the third consists of recycled lightweight concrete. A floor structure with a hybrid frame of CLT and steel made it possible to create the new square meters we wanted without exceeding the load-bearing capacity of the existing foundation,” elucidates Jonas Wahlström, Project Manager at Vasakronan. Setra supplied the Lumi block with 1,200 cubic meters of locally produced glulam and CLT. The delivery includes glulam for the skylight’s roof structure, a continuous skylight with CLT pathways, and six CLT floors for the new levels on three buildings.
Substantial recycling
The Lumi project, which extensively reuses a concrete frame, is a ground-breaking illustration of sustainable building. Digital technology has been employed to catalog and modify resources, resulting in the reuse of 105 tons of plasterboard, 570 doors, and several other materials. The project demonstrates that high-quality design, contemporary materials, and reuse can all be profitable.
“The construction industry has gone from skepticism to enthusiasm, tenants are queuing up, and Lumi is now being used as inspiration for similar projects. The project has not only minimised its climate impact but also shown the way for future construction,” notes Jonas Wahlström. “We must have suppliers who create security for us as a customer, and that was one of the reasons why we chose Setra”, Jonas Wahlström, Project Manager, Vasakronan.
Read more news on: Setra, Vasakronan, CLT, recycling, carbon footprint, materials, construction industry
Get such updates through the American woodworking industry website: woodandpanel.us
Tags: #1 wood news, #1 woodworking magazine, best construction news, best recycling news, best wood magazine, best wood news, Building Materials, carbon footprint, CLT (cross-laminated timber), European construction industry news, Setra Group, Setra latest update, sustainable building, sustainable construction industry news, Vasakronan, wood, wood and panel, wooden floors, woodworking, woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking and processing, woodworking industry
Comments: