Best Use of Certified Timber Prize: a cultural centre and a stadium choose timber for its durability and sustainability

25 October 2022 Sustainable construction

In December, PEFC and the World Architecture Festival will award the Best Use of Certified Timber Prize for the fourth time.

This week, we present two more shortlisted projects: a cultural centre with the world's second-tallest wooden tower, and a stadium that brings people together.

Sara Cultural Centre – White Arkitekter AB

The Sara Cultural Centre is a timber development that includes a theatre, gallery, library, museum, and hotel, and features the world's second-tallest wooden tower. Built from a combination of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam), the project stands 75 metres tall, and offers dramatic views over the city of Skellefteå, Sweden.

The regional forest industry and construction knowledge play an important role in the project and are complemented by recent developments in CLT technology. The high rise, which houses the hotel, comprises premanufactured CLT modules, stacked between two elevator cores.

The timber construction is designed to endure the harsh weather conditions of northern Sweden, while remaining energy efficient. The green roof contributes to thermal insulation, as well as absorbing noise pollution, enhancing biodiversity and delaying rainwater run-off.

The wood used within the building is locally grown and sequesters twice as much carbon as was emitted during the building's construction, helping to make the building carbon negative over its lifetime.

Eric Tweedale Stadium – dwp | design worldwide partnership

The design of the Eric Tweedale Stadium is driven by its connection to the local environment. Located within a once widely forested area in Sydney, Australia, its form and materiality respond to the site’s heritage.

The flexibility of design allows for different community and sports activities throughout the building. The stadium includes a grandstand for 760 spectators, changing rooms, a commercial kitchen, an outdoor viewing deck, and function space for community events and well-being classes.

Sustainability was an important objective of the project. The use of PEFC-certified timber, supplied by Rubner Holzbau, was key to achieving this, and to demonstrating that a building of this scale could still be can be low carbon, low waste, and highly energy efficient.

An east-west orientation allows for natural cross-ventilation, and the timber roof overhangs for passive solar shading. There is a rainwater tank for irrigation of the landscape and rugby pitch and toilet flushing, and provision for the installation of photovoltaics over the entire roof surface.

The stadium is the first of its type in Australia to use glulam timber, representing an impressive achievement in timber engineering.

The Best Use of Certified Timber Prize, supported by PEFC

The World Architecture Festival and PEFC are awarding the Best Use of Certified Timber Prize for the fourth time. The Festival will take place as a hybrid event from 30 November until 2 December in Lisbon, Portugal.

Photo credits: Jonas Westling, Brett Boardmann