Healthy and sustainable living in Europe's largest timber construction project

On the corner of the Zuidtangent and Westtangent in Heerhugowaard, Bouwbedrijf M.J. de Nijs en Zonen B.V. will start construction in April 2023 of the largest housing project in solid wood in Europe: Woodstone. In anticipation of this project, a test set-up for this ambitious building project was first realized; a two-story 'pie slice' with three housing types, which forms one of the corners of the future residential towers. The 'lessons learned' during the construction of the test stand should take the realization of Woodstone and other residential buildings in wood to an even higher level.

Building in wood is the future, according to De Nijs. "De Nijs is a family business. We have an eye for the long term and our environment and feel responsible for future generations," says developer Niek Schaap of De Nijs Projectontwikkeling. "To leave behind a better world for them, we are highly committed to sustainability. Also when it comes to our construction methods."

'Build in wood unless....' 

"Building in wood is a clean alternative to building in concrete," Schaap emphasizes. "Also, this construction method responds to the scarcity of raw materials. For example, sand and gravel - important raw materials for concrete production - are currently hard to come by. Moreover, the supply of raw materials, transport to the construction site and the production of concrete cause excessive CO₂-emissions. In the future, we certainly won't go without concrete, but building in wood is taking over. It will be 'build in wood unless....'. After all, wood is renewable, relatively strong and lightweight, so the environmental impact and transport are more favorable. Lighter equipment is sufficient for building in wood. Wood projects can also be carried out with a smaller crew, which also responds to the shortage of skilled workers."

From the inside out

What is important for building in wood is that from the first pencil mark, this construction method is resolutely chosen. "The pattern plan must match the dimensions and (span) possibilities of wood," Schaap said. "Whereas traditional projects often think from the outside in, building in wood requires thinking and working from the inside out. Only when the shell is in place can the house plans and facades be fleshed out. An important lesson that we learned while making the trial set-up, in which we also gained experience with fitting installations, floor construction, dealing with sight ceilings and connection details, et cetera." During the design and construction of the trial setup, De Nijs was confronted with numerous innovations. "A lot of things had not been figured out, made or tested before. That's why we involved many consultants. We also worked actively with students as well as with TNO and put our ear to the ground with specialists." Curious about what insights this led to? Your contact at De Nijs will be happy to inform you, so that timber construction can be even better supported by the market.

204 apartments in seven housing types

The trial design is now complete. In the coming months, De Nijs will incorporate all leassons learned into the technical and execution design for Woodstone. This project includes the construction of five residential buildings, with a total area of 18,700 m². Three buildings were designed by Boparai Associates Architects and two by Mecanoo. For the structural design of the wooden shell, De Nijs was supported by Hamlet Design+Build Technology. "All the buildings have a fixed perimeter," says Schaap. "Four buildings will be six stories high, while the fifth building will have 12 stories. Together, the buildings will accommodate 204 apartments for starters, seniors and families, in just seven housing types. The project has a high repetitive nature, which allows us to put the project down in a relatively short period of time. The use of prefabricated modules for the bathrooms, toilets and sidings for pipe shafts and installation cabinets also contributes to this."

18.500 m² wood

Woodstone will have a solid wood core with wood walls, floors, stairwells and elevator cores. A total of approximately 18,500 m² wood incorporated, sourced from sustainably managed forests. By building in wood instead of concrete, approximately 4,900 tons of CO₂ saved, Schaap said. "Among other things, the wood remains visible in the ceilings of the living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms. In the hall, a suspended ceiling was chosen, above which the installation techniques are fitted. From the outside, Woodstone will have a modern, sturdy and quirky look, while inside, residents can enjoy all the comfort benefits of wood, such as a comfortable and healthy indoor climate and pleasant acoustics."

Construction of Woodstone will start in April 2023. De Nijs expects the first apartments to be delivered fourteen months later. The complete project will take about two years to complete.