The tradition to award a city the title of World Design Capital started in 2008. Both Turin in Italy and Seoul in South Korea were worthy capitals but neither of them had a special emphasis on sustainability. Helsinki might be a turning point. We’re already getting a green vibe from the capital of Finland and it seems that there’s more to come.
The motto of the World Design Capital 2016 is “Open Helsinki – Design Embedded in People’s Lives” – a design that is aesthetic and function – one that becomes part of the urban setting.
They have planned more than 250 events and we’ll be covering quite a few of them. One that instantly catches the eye is this environmentally friendly wooden structure. It’s the Nature Centre Haltia and is currently being built representing economical and ecological use of timber.
It being a nature centre, there was no other way than for it to be environmentally friendly too. The main structure is made of wood using CLT or cross-laminated massive wood boards. Insulation is already embedded in the CLT and according to the builders, a timber house like the Haltia is healthier – it becomes air-tight without the traditional plastic film used as vapour barrier in conventional insulation.
Unique is the wooden ceiling that is able to bear load, thus it will be possible to hang exhibits from the ceiling.
