How to CLT 2.0 - CLT & Swedish Forestry

With the generous support of Stockholms Byggnadsförening we have now been able to continue our explorations of CLT and delve deeper in to the often harmful practices of the Swedish forest industry. The conclusion? CLT’s potential environmental benefits depend entirely on where the raw material comes from and how it was extracted.

Building with CLT is often celebrated as a sustainable practice that actively mitigates climate change. While CLT and other wood
construction materials are great ways to keep carbon stored for along time, the forestry industry that provides the raw material should also operate in a sustainable way. In recent years, the dominant forest management methods in Sweden have become the subject of national debate. As a result, the popularity that building with wood has garnered within the construction industry has also been called into question.

In an additonal chapter of our handbook, we present the defining features of standard Swedish forestry practices and summarise the often confusing debate surrounding them. We conclude by highlighting the conditions in which building with CLT can truly be considered sustainable.

Forests play multiple roles that are important to both human and other species' wellbeing. Forest management can, therefore, only be considered truly sustainable if it supports the ecological and social functions of forest lands at multiple scales, and not only the economical function. Organisations with varying agendas from Naturskyddsföreningen to Skogsindustrierna support this view but disagree on which methods should be prioritised to achieve the holistic functionality of forests.

Arkemi's view is that forests are our last viable hope in solving the climate crisis. It is not enough to create new products, services, and energy from the forests to call it sustainable economy. It is equally important to make sure that the forest we use are managed sustainably. Remember: the use of timber or CLT in a project does not automatically make it sustainable architecture.

Best of Luck with your CLT endeavors! // Arkemi

How to CLT 3.0 - Collaborating with CLT

Thanks to funding by ARQ and Stockholms Byggnadsförening, and with support from Svenskt Trä, we have once again made an update to our research project How to CLT! In a new chapter of our CLT handbook, we propose 6 principles for a closer collaboration between the consultants that we believe will foster innovation, architectural quality and efficiency when working with CLT. Furthermore, our Grasshopper definition has been updated with additional functionality and the possibility to work with more complex volumes.

Ndarugu CLT-prototype building raised in Kenya

All the way back in 2019 we were asked by Arvet Trä to explore how a modular CLT-system could be employed to imagine a densely built yet highly qualitative urban fabric for students in Kenya. The result was Ndarugu Student City, a scheme involving everything from the design of the individual module to the urban planning. We are now excited to announce that a prototype building made up of four of the modules has been raised on site in Kenya!

Arkemi co-authors CLT guide in collaboration with Svenskt Trä

How to CLT, our research project concerning the early design of buildings constructed with Cross Laminated Timber, has caught the interest of the Swedish forest industry. In collaboration with Tomas Alsmarker (Svenskt Trä) and with the support of CLT-producers Martinsons, Setra and Södra we have now co-authored a CLT guide for the early stages, to be distributed for free by Svenskt Trä.

Arkaden Coworking

Are you looking for a place to work that is more than just an office hotel? Arkaden is a personal, friendly, and inspiring coworking space located at Hornsgatan 113 in Hornstull. The 110 m² newly renovated office offers a flexible workspace for creative professionals. Currently, it is home to two architectural firms and a film production company. We are looking for new colleagues to build a community of creative and friendly professionals. Curious? Feel free to stop by for a coffee or contact us for a viewing or if you have any questions!

Arkemi takes part in MANI-FEST

In september 2023 the office travelled to Malmö for the launch weekend of MANI-FEST, an exhibition and publication by SPARK, where 15 young Swedish architects were invited to craft their own manifestos. The weekend featured a series of roundtable discussions, including one themed "a rejection of the present age", in which Kayrokh participated.