Eight-storey timber buildings for Finland

Timber buildings up to eight storeys high may be allowed in Finland following completion of a report on the sector by a government working group.

The study was commissioned by housing minister Jan Vapaavuori as part of the government’s efforts to boost “eco- and energy-efficient construction” and to improve the international competitiveness of the Finish timber building industry.

It looked at changes in building regulations that would be required to allow taller buildings to go ahead, focusing, in particular, on fire safety systems.

If the report is approved, it will be possible to build four-storey homes in Finland without automated sprinkler systems, and then go up to eight storeys with fire-extinguishing technology.

It also recommended permitting greater use of exterior wood cladding on concrete-framed buildings and the use of timber-based construction systems to add floors to existing multi-storey buildings.

To allow greater wood use, the report urges harmonisaton of fire safety rules for hall-type buildings. It also recommends greater uniformity in fire safety equipment requirements and reappraisal of mandatory distances between buildings in dense and low-rise housing areas .

Minister Vapaavuori said that changes in the rules could allow the Finnish timber building industry to “create substantial reference locations here at home” to flag up their capabilities to the international market.