A product series developed by Olla’s designers advances in circular economy wood innovation competition
“Our goal is to actively develop solutions for low-carbon and environmentally friendly construction,” say Kaisa Eriksson and Tea Ellala, the interior architects behind a product series for interior construction that utilizes side streams of CLT.
The innovation challenge, organized by the Helsinki Circular Economy Cluster Program, the Finnish Woodworking Industries Federation, and the Viikki Wood & Forest Innovation Hub, seeks new solutions for circularity in wood and wood products. Olla’s interior architects Kaisa Eriksson and Tea Ellala advanced to the competition final with their interior construction product series, developed in collaboration with interior construction expert Inlook Oy, which makes use of side streams from CLT production.
Eriksson and Ellala participated in the competition’s Modify & Shape category. At the start of their design process, the Olla designers identified two key challenges. First, the carbon footprint of interior construction can exceed even that of the building’s structural frame, as interior spaces are renewed on a rapid cycle, sometimes every 2 to 8 years. Second, a single factory produces about 50 cubic meters of side streams per month from CLT production, consisting of window and door openings of various sizes. Currently, these side streams are incinerated.
Eriksson and Ellala’s design brings the visual qualities of cross-laminated timber to the forefront.
“Our solution turns two challenges into an opportunity,” say the Olla designers. “We designed an aesthetically engaging product series for use in surface finishes and space division. The key features of this product series, which uses CLT in a new way, are modularity and reusability, subtle inlaid striping, scalability across multiple products and applications, and suitability for both public buildings and private homes. The products can be used in both renovation and new construction projects. We give new life to leftover materials, which are increasingly abundant as the use of wood grows. At Olla, our goal is to actively develop solutions for low-carbon and environmentally friendly building products.”
Material testing and the production of the first pilot series with Inlook are currently underway. The competition will conclude at the end of November during Puupäivät (Wood Days), where the product series designed by Eriksson and Ellala will also be showcased. Prior to that, the finalists will be presented at the Helsinki Circular Economy Cluster’s morning coffee event on October 1st.
