Cross-laminated timber

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    Fourteen homes where exposed cross-laminated timber creates cosy interiors

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    Our latest lookbook features cross-laminated timber interiors, including a colourful German vacation home and a tenement-style housing development in Edinburgh, and is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series.

    Architects looking to offset the carbon emissions of a building often choose cross-laminated timber (CLT), a type of mass-timber made from laminated timber sections that can be used as structural building materials.
    The material, which is normally made from larch, spruce or pine, absorbs atmospheric carbon as it grows and subsequently retains it during its life in a building.
    In interiors, CLT can create a luxurious effect even for projects with a tight budget and gives rooms a light, modern feel.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.

    Photo is by Jeremy Bitterman / JBSAOctothorpe House, US, by Mork-Ulnes Architects
    The natural forms, custom furniture and organic colours and textures that appear throughout Octothorpe House were selected by studio Mork-Ulnes Architects for their resemblance to the surrounding Oregon desert landscape.
    The cabin-cum-house was built using American-made CLT for a client that wanted an “environmentally progressive” and flexible design.
    Find out more about Octothorpe House ›
    Photo is by Christian FlatscherBert, Austria, by Precht
    Hidden in the woodland surrounding the Steirereck am Pogusch restaurant in the rural village of Pogusch, this playful tubular guest dwelling was informed by cartoon characters.
    It was designed by Austrian architecture studio Precht to feel dark and cosy inside, with the structural CLT walls providing contrast against the black flooring and dark textiles.
    Find out more about Bert ›
    Photo is by Rasmus NorlanderHaus am Hang, Germany, by AMUNT
    German architecture office AMUNT was drawn in particular to CLT’s sustainability credentials when creating this hillside vacation home in the Black Forest.
    Designed for a client who wanted to promote sustainable travel, the home features surfaces and joinery finished in shades of green inspired by local tree species and its layout was organised to make the most of natural light.
    Find out more about Haus am Hang ›
    Photo is by Marc GoodwinKynttilä, Finland, by Ortraum Architects
    Structural CLT was used to form the floor walls and angled roof of this 15-square-metre cabin on Lake Saimaa in Finland.
    Its gabled form encloses a bedroom and a small kitchen, which feature natural CLT walls. A large bedroom window provides views of the forest outside the cabin.
    Find out more about Kynttilä ›
    Photo is courtesy of Unknown WorksCLT House, UK, by Unknown Works
    Named after its spruce CLT structure, CLT House is a semi-detached house in east London that architecture studio Unknown Works remodelled and extended to open up and improve its connection to the back garden.
    On the ground floor, the timber walls, storage and seating areas create a minimal backdrop for the family’s musical and creative pursuits, parties and family gatherings.
    A combined kitchen and dining space are housed in a bright yellow rear extension that opens onto the garden’s brick-paved patio.
    Find out more about CLT House ›
    Photo is by Jack HobhouseRye Apartments, UK, by Tikari Works
    The four-storey Rye Apartments block in south London was designed by local studio Tikari Works, which used CLT for the structure and left it exposed across the majority of the apartments’ gabled walls and ceilings.
    This was combined with spruce wood kitchen cabinetry, storage units and shelving. Terrazzo-style flooring with amber and cream-coloured flecks was added to compliment the timber finishes.
    Find out more about Rye Appartments ›
    Photo is by Brigida GonzálezR11 loft extension, Germany, by Pool Leber Architekten
    The R11 loft extension is a two-storey CLT extension that Pool Leber Architekten added to a 1980s housing block in Munich, creating a series of loft spaces.
    Inside the lofts, the structural timber was left visible on the walls, ceilings and floors. The material was also used to create sculptural storage cabinets that double as window seating.
    Find out more about Pool Leber Architekten ›
    Photo is by Tim SoarBarretts Grove, UK, Amin Taha Architects
    Amin Taha Architects created this six-storey CLT block, which contains six apartments, between a pair of detached brick buildings in Stoke Newington, London.
    “The ability of the CLT to serve as structure and finish removed the need for plaster-boarded walls, suspended ceilings, cornices, skirtings, tiling and paint; reducing by 15 per cent the embodied carbon of the building, its construction cost and time on site,” the studio said.
    Find out more about Barretts Grove ›
    Photo is by Markus LinderothTwelve Houses, Sweden, by Förstberg Ling
    The CLT structure that forms the foundations of Twelve Houses by Förstberg Ling has been left exposed throughout the walls, floors and ceilings of the interior living areas, giving the space a warm and inviting feel.
    A back bedroom on the first floor overlooks a double-height area of the living room, which has a concrete floor and reddish-brown wall panelling.
    Find out more about Twelve Houses ›
    Photo is by Gabrielle GualdiVilla Korup, Denmark, by Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter
    A CLT structure made from Baltic fir was used to construct this home on the Danish island of Fyn, which features exposed CLT panels throughout the interiors.
    Designers Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter, Marshall Blecher and Einrum Arkitekter treated the material with soap and lye to lighten and protect the timber inside.
    Find out more about Villa Korup ›
    Photo is by Fredrik FrendinSimon Square, UK, by Fraser/Livingstone
    Comprised of six flats set within a mass-timber tenement-style housing development in Edinburgh, Simon Square has a structural timber frame that has been left exposed internally.
    Architecture studio Fraser/Livingstone hoped that the presence of CLT indoors would improve the residents’ well-being. Potted plants and a neutral interior colour scheme provide an added sense of calm.
    “When solid timber is exposed internally, the D-limonene the timber gives out has been shown to produce calm environments, with occupants’ hearts beating slower, and stress reduced,” project architect Ayla Riom told Dezeen.
    Find out more about Simon Square ›
    Photo is by Nancy ZhouBiv Punakaiki, New Zealand, by Fabric
    In an attempt to balance the high carbon levels of the cabin’s concrete floor and aluminium cladding, architecture studio Fabric chose to use CLT for the cabin’s structure, which was left exposed inside.
    From the double-height living room, the residents can look up through large skylights that punctuate the ceiling and gaze at the stars above.
    Find out more about Biv Punakaiki ›
    Photo is by José HeviaMAS JEC, Spain, by Aixopluc
    Catalan architecture office Aixopluc used lightweight materials for this CLT extension, which it added to a traditional Catalan house in the city of Reus.
    The building was prepared off-site and erected in just two weeks. Another advantage of using CLT is that the thermal mass of the exposed CLT interiors helps to ensure a comfortable internal temperature when the afternoon sun hits the building.
    Find out more about MAS JEC ›

    IJburg Townhouse the Netherlands, by MAATworks
    This Amsterdam townhouse was designed to reference wooden Scandinavian homes.
    Architecture studio MAATworks arranged it around an angular staircase made from cross-laminated pine wood, which was also used to create the wall and ceilings of the home.
    Find out more about IJburg Townhouse ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring interiors with split-level living areas, mix-and-match flooring and homes with cleverly hidden lifts.
    Illustration by Yo HosoyamadaTimber Revolution
    This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.

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      Hanna Karits uses wood to create “airy and spacious” interior for Estonian holiday home

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      Interior architect Hanna Karits used natural materials throughout this holiday home in Estonia’s Moonsund archipelago to create a soothing environment that references the surrounding forest.

      Drawing influences from the work of one of her favourite architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, Tallinn-based Karits created an interior that combines clean lines with warm wooden surfaces and carefully crafted cabinetry.
      Hanna Karits has designed the interior for a holiday home in Estonia”I decided to use wood in many different ways but give extra care to the details and connections between different materials,” the designer told Dezeen.
      Karits’ design was guided by a basic brief given by the client, in which she was asked to create an interior for the home by architect Linda Veski and make wood the dominant material.
      It is located in a forest in the Moonsund archipelagoWhile referencing the work of Wright, her design is also informed by mid-century modernist summer houses, which feature bright and minimal wood-lined living spaces.

      “I have always felt comfort in these buildings,” added Karits. “So my idea was to blend these emotions together and create something airy and spacious but at the same time really human-friendly, safe and relaxing.”
      The home is intended as a relaxing getawayThe house is situated on an island in the archipelago off Estonia’s west coast, where the local landscape consists of limestone cliffs, beaches and dense forests.
      It is intended as a relaxing getaway where its owners can enjoy peace and fresh air in natural surroundings. The interior design aims to immerse them in the woodland setting, creating a place that feels warm and comforting during the long, cold winters.
      Karits designed an “airy and spacious” interior for the homeThe building is constructed from a wooden frame and cross-laminated timber panels, with thermally-treated ash wood chosen to line the internal surfaces.
      Complementing the wooden elements, the other main material used inside the house is Estonian limestone, which is applied on the floors of the kitchen, dining area and circulation spaces.

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      The single-storey building is entered via a central porch that connects with a corridor spanning the full width of the house. This hallway provides access to a row of bedrooms at the front and the living spaces towards the rear.
      A courtyard between the corridor and the lounge area is lined with full-height glazing that allows plenty of daylight to enter the interior.
      Wooden finishes are used throughoutThe open-plan living, dining and kitchen area incorporates large windows that look out onto the forest, with sliding doors providing access to a generous decked terrace.
      A wood-clad ceiling in the living room creates a cosy and intimate feel despite its large volume. Wooden ceilings can also be found in the bedrooms.
      Carpets from the 1930s have been used to add colour and textureBespoke cabinetry developed in collaboration with local craftspeople is integrated throughout the home.
      Careful attention was paid to elements such as the wooden door handles to ensure they are ergonomic and pleasing to touch, while maintaining a simple and minimal aesthetic.
      Carpets originally created in the 1930s by Estonian designers including Adamson Erik, Kaarin Luts and Viida Pääbo are placed throughout to add colour and texture while celebrating the country’s lesser-known design heritage.
      The design aims to connect the interior with the surrounding landscapeKarits has been working as an interior architect in Estonia for more than a decade.
      Her previous projects include a summer retreat on Estonia’s Matsi Beach comprising a pair of gabled black cabins surrounded by old fishing sheds.
      The photography is by Tõnu Tunnel.

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      Caged wooden galleries feature in Puzzle Link apartment by Gheorghe

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      Architecture and research studio Gheorghe has inserted two triangular cross-laminated timber structures into a loft in Vienna as part of its renovation of the apartment.

      Set within a historic building in Vienna’s 13th district, the top level of the apartment was designed to encourage interaction between a couple and their children.
      Two cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures, which dominate each end of the space, were designed to provide the occupants with places to work, play and look down onto the open-plan living and dining area below.
      Made up of 698 planks the structures incorporate shelves, storage space, seating areas and tables. They are both be accessed by a set of timber stairs.
      Puzzle Link is a loft apartment in a historic building in Vienna”Through the wooden structure the built-in attic becomes a place of approach by enabling visual relationships, warmth through used materials and a hybrid zone between different spatial functions,” said Gheorghe co-founder Andrei Gheorghe.

      “We wanted to create an aesthetic and practical connection, to gain additional spatial functions and to make the spacious intermediate space multifunctional and to make it a meeting place,” Gheorghe told Dezeen.
      Two wooden galleries dominate each end of the spaceThe Vienna-based studio redesigned the attic floor for the family who required a “sustainable, unique and functional” space to live. According to Gheorghe, the warm-toned timber was used for its ability to be reused if needed.
      “The inspiration for the design was marked by the fact that it needed to be sustainable, unique and functional,” Gheorghe explained.
      “This is the perfect material for us, on one hand offering the necessary structural strength and dimensions but also the possibility of being reused,” he added.
      “This is a sustainable material because all the leftovers after the milling process could be further processed towards wood pellets.”
      They are made from 698 planks of cross-laminated timberEach two-by-five plank was CNC-milled by a local carpentry company. The planks were then constructed using 3D-modelling techniques and scripting technology to give the structures their unusual, jigsaw-like shape.
      This is also what led the studio to name the project Puzzle Link.

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      While transforming the space, the studio also looked to maintain its original historical features.
      The Viennese tiles that lined the building’s original staircase, which had been saved and stored by the client, were cleaned and reused for the floor of the raised platform that runs inside alongside the terrace.
      Although the apartment has been sparsely decorated, a few key pieces of furniture that the family collected while travelling abroad are placed around the space.
      The apartment is sparsely furnishedA minimalist Shaker hearth by German fireplace manufacturer Skantherm sits underneath the timber stairs while a floor-to-ceiling bookcase can be found inside one of the timber structures.
      A black storage unit made from coated MDF, paper and acrylic resin in the open plan area provides contrast to the otherwise whitewashed wooden furnishings.
      Elsewhere, a skylight punctuates the slanted roof and along with several smaller windows, floods the space with natural light.
      Other Viennese apartments include Beletage Apartment by British architect Alex Graef, an apartment with restored oak flooring and clean white walls.
      Meanwhile, Slovenian architecture studio Kombinat renovated an apartment in the Austrian capital into a hybrid living space with room for both cooking and working.
      The photography is by Frame9.

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      Ortraum Architects builds timber music studio beside house in Helsinki

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      Ortraum Architects has built an asymmetric studio called 12 in the garden of a house in Helsinki, Finland, to provide its owners with space to compose music and make ceramics.The structure was commissioned by a couple who wanted an external space to work from home, beside their existing 1960s home in the Jollas neighbourhood.
      It features two contrasting storeys that Ortraum Architects has set askew, giving rise to a sculptural form and two individual workspaces inside for the couple.

      Ortraum Architects’ 12 studio has two storeys set askew
      The 12 studio, which has been shortlisted in the Dezeen Awards in the small workspace interior category, measures 72-square-metres and is complete with a kitchen and bathroom.

      While providing individual studio space for the couple, it is designed to be easily adapted into a guest house or even become a home for the client’s children in the future.

      The studio is in the garden of a house in Helsinki
      “The client couple needed two main spaces, a ceramics workshop and a music-composing studio,” said the studio. “The massing is visually divided into two levels, reflecting the two different building functions,” it continued.
      “The plan also needed to be flexible enough to function additionally as a guest house and future home for one of the two children in the family, so bathroom and kitchen spaces were included.”

      A ceramic studio is on the ground floor
      The material palette of 12 is deliberately pared-back, with its cross-laminated-timber (CLT) structure left exposed internally and externally. On the exterior, this will turn grey with time to help the structure blend in with its surroundings.
      Its entrance is marked by large glass doors that face the existing home, sheltered by a small cantilevered corner of the second floor.

      A hidden black staircase has storage in its treads
      This entrance opens into the ceramics studio on the ground floor, which is complete with a small bathroom.
      A black wooden staircase that leads to the first floor is concealed behind a wall and features treads that double as storage units.

      The building contains a music studio upstairs
      Above, the first floor contains the music studio. Its angular form was developed to help enhance the acoustics of the space and make it suitable for recording music.
      This space is complete with two large windows that open towards a neighbouring forest, alongside a small balcony and gallery level for use as an extra lounge area.

      The music studio has an angular form to enhance its acoustics
      Ortraum Studio’s goal for 12 was for it to “be a best practice example for environmentally friendly construction and infill projects in a suburban context”.

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      For this reason, its size was dictated by an existing concrete foundation from an old garage, avoiding the need for new and obtrusive groundwork, while its structure was prefabricated using CLT to avoid waste and speed up construction time.
      It has also been developed to facilitate natural ventilation and is powered by solar panels and heated using a ground source heat pump of the main home.

      A small balcony looks out to the neighbouring houses
      As part of the project, Ortraum Architects also built a small playhouse for the client’s children, which is also made of CLT and is tied to a pine tree in the garden.
      Named the Birdhouse, it features heart-shaped windows and is modelled on pictures that the children drew of their “dream house”.

      A playhouse sits next to the studio
      Ortraum architects is a small Finnish design studio headed up by architect Martin Lukasczyk. In 2017, it completed a family home in Finland that has a number of child-friendly features including a trapeze, a climbing wall and a hammock.
      Photography is by Marc Goodwin.

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