UPM Plywood Used in Project to Demonstrate New Construction Methods


Helsinki, Finland, 20 December 2011 -- UPM plywood is being used in a project by the Danish architects Eentileen.dk to create new alternatives for the construction of wooden houses. A wooden villa built in Denmark using UPM’s spruce plywood is showcasing innovative new construction methods, which incorporate sustainable thinking and efficient structural engineering.

What makes the pilot project so special is the fact that Villa Asserbo is designed as a family home and it is constructed primarily of spruce plywood. The project used new ways of working with wood. The modelling was made by computer simulation and the plywood structures needed were made with a computer-controlled (CNC) milling machine. The construction itself required only two persons and no large storage areas or heavy machinery were needed.

One of the design premises for Danish architects Frederik Agdrup and Nicholas Bjørndal was to reduce the environmental impact of construction. Villa Asserbo's natural environment has been preserved largely intact throughout the construction

Agdrup and Bjørndal are confident that "Print a House" projects could be implemented in the future in very different environments, even in disaster areas. "The idea could well turn out to be a socially significant innovation with social-economic importance and considerable international markets," concludes Ole Bjerg, consultant of Eentileen.dk.

During the project, the architects analyzed and considered the whole life cycle of the product. The carbon footprint of the villa is very small. No concrete has been used in the construction and the little waste left over from working the plywood is recycled. Energy efficiency and indoor air quality have been emphasized in the construction.

”The project opens up new opportunities to utilize WISA plywood, a sustainable raw material, in an innovative way. The whole project fits very well with UPM’s Biofore thinking with its innovativeness, sustainability, and recyclable materials," said Robin Wilén, sales manager for UPM Plywood in Denmark.

Agdrup and Bjørndal conducted market research on available wood products before selecting UPM spruce plywood as the raw material for the project. UPM spruce plywood originates from sustainably managed forests and the product is certified according to Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) standards.

UPM products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. UPM consists of three Business Groups: Energy and pulp, Paper, and Engineered materials. The Group employs around 24,500 people and it has production plants in 16 countries. UPM's annual sales exceed EUR 10 billion. UPM's shares are listed on the Helsinki stock exchange. Additional information is available at www.upm.com.

UPM Plywood offers high-quality plywood and veneer products, mainly for construction and transport industries, and for furniture and manufacturing industries. The sales of UPM Plywood in 2010 were EUR 347 million and it has about 2500 employees. UPM has six plywood mills and a veneer mill in Finland, and plywood mills in Russia and Estonia. For additional information, visit www.wisaplywood.com or www.upmgrada.com.