For many years, the formal reason why multi-storey timber construction did not develop in Latvia was the restrictions included in fire safety regulations. No more than three storeys!
Since the Latvian building code 'Fire Safety of Structures' was amended, it has been permitted to build houses of up to six storeys using timber materials. The economy has been growing for several years, and one might think the number of multi-storey timber houses is increasing. Nothing of the sort! Not many, not a single one. The main reason for this is the prejudice of clients.
Following the amendments to the regulations, the Ministry of Economics began promoting the construction of timber buildings as early as last year, as it is essential for Latvia, as a major forestry power, to use its largest and most accessible construction resource. Not just to export logs, but to create value-added products right here in Latvia. A timber construction forum was organised, where both foreign experts and local pioneers shared their experience in building timber structures. With the support of European Union funds, a test burn experiment was organised, proving that a timber house can be more fire-resistant than a standard block of flats. A year has passed, but there is no news in Latvian construction boards about plans for multi-storey timber buildings.
An example is needed!
At the level of rhetoric, Valmiera was mentioned last year as a potential first location in Latvia where the first multi-storey timber house could be built. The City Council confirms that, in principle, the idea of timber houses seems appealing and suitable for the urban environment of Valmiera. However, concrete plans have not yet been reached.
The State Construction Control Bureau has no new public multi-storey buildings under its supervision that are built from timber materials. Last year, during the annual 'Construction Week' held by the Bureau – the sector's most important public discussion forum – special attention was paid to promoting multi-storey timber construction in Latvia. One of the main conclusions was that a positive example is needed, and the public sector – state and municipal institutions – could play a significant role in this. Not just by praising timber in words, but by being real clients. Because it is precisely the client's choice that is decisive in the work of both the architect and the builder.
New buildings are being built in the old way
As explained by Normunds Grinbergs, President of the Latvian Builders Association, there are three reasons hindering the development of timber construction. Firstly, it is construction traditions, which take time to break. Secondly, costs. In traditional construction, these are well known. Timber construction will be a novelty – new knowledge and skills are needed, to which one must adapt. In the short term, it might be more expensive, although in the long term, using wood pays off handsomely – energy efficiency and a climate friendly to inhabitants. The most important condition for the development of timber construction is the client, who determines at least 90% of the implementation of the design, with the remaining 10% 'shared' between the architect and the builder. 'Abroad, the use of wood in construction is nothing new. They have built, are building, and will continue to build with wood because rational considerations are the deciding factor – such as what the building's energy efficiency will be and how people will feel in it. Meanwhile, here we talk about insulating old buildings, but new ones are still built in the old way. The client, apparently, has not yet evaluated the advantages of timber structures,' argues Normunds Grinbergs. Regarding the future of timber houses, he is optimistic, as the construction of at least one- and two-storey buildings is developing. This will be the first year that the 'Latvian Construction of the Year' competition has a separate category for timber houses. And surely, over time, the number of storeys and the use of wood in the construction of public buildings will increase.
This is not the Moscow suburbs!
The Latvian Timber Construction Cluster, which brings together more than 20 timber house manufacturers, educational and research institutions, and related companies, also hopes for this. Latvian timber builders are capable of building the most beautiful houses and implementing the most complex projects, but for now – for the most part – this happens abroad. The executive director of the association, Gatis Zamurs, reports that in 2018, Latvian timber house manufacturers exported products worth more than 100 million euros. And only just under 10% remains in Latvia. These are rough estimates. This will always be an exporting industry, yet greater recognition and demand in the local market would undoubtedly encourage development. Unfortunately, local recognition is currently lacking, despite the fact that nowadays the term 'timber house' means something quite different from the dilapidated wooden shacks seen in the Moscow suburbs. 'Modern timber houses are significantly more durable, more modern, and built in a different century, both in terms of time and technology,' admits Gatis Zamurs. Timber construction has a number of advantages: unparalleled construction speed – a 100-square-metre house can be built in a week; a significantly lighter structure, which reduces transport costs, and smaller foundations are also required. The ecological and sustainability aspect is also important, as wood is a renewable natural resource. Moreover, in the case of Latvia, it must be particularly emphasised that this is our own – local – resource, which we currently export a lot because there is negligible demand in the local market.
Once built, they delight!
Gatis Zamurs emphasises that prejudice against timber construction is based on emotions and is difficult to diminish with rational arguments. Yes, wood is a combustible material, but that does not mean timber houses are not fire-resistant! Unlike synthetic materials, wood burns at a predictable rate – approximately 0.7 millimetres per minute, slowly losing its properties. In the aforementioned house-burning experiment (it can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-J86Ka9MkQ) – in the traditional house built from blocks, the plastic windows had long since fallen out, and the roof had collapsed due to steel beams warping in the heat. In contrast, the timber house continued to resist the flames much more successfully. Both smoke and open flames broke through to the outside much later. Of course, when using timber in multi-storey construction, a series of specific fire regulations must be followed. For example, smoke-protected stairwells without fire loads must be installed in the building. Load-bearing structures must be covered with fire-resistant protective covering. To prevent the spread of fire in external wall finishing, fire-resistant separating strips must be embedded horizontally at the level of inter-storey partitions. All of this is achievable.
'Engineers and builders have no doubts about the advantages, possibilities, and potential of modern timber construction. On the other hand, the future residents of these houses and often those paying for them live with the feeling that wood is not a reliable method of construction. This is partly understandable, because buying a home is a major purchase, often happening only once in a lifetime, and people are conservative,' concludes Gatis Zamurs. He also admits that breaking prejudices requires positive examples – successfully implemented projects in both the public sector and apartment house segments. Then, emotional arguments will join the rational ones, because 'as long as timber houses are being built – they may perhaps cause doubt. Once timber houses are built, they delight.'