! TECHNOLOGY
36
ICONIC
A natural protective layer In timber construction, your building is protected from fire by the natural layer that trees also have. It will char, but the core remains intact!
Finch Buildings loves
sustainability Sustainable, modular and constructed
— 8 modules per day
rapidly: it almost sounds too good to be
Jurrian: “The advantages of modular con-
true. With modular timber construction,
struction? We make our standard compo-
Jurrian Knijtijzer, founder of Dutch
nents in a factory and then put the building
company Finch Buildings, is shaking up the
together on the site. Under these controlled
real estate sector. Since it was established
conditions, we can work very quickly. We
in 2014, Finch Buildings has produced more
manufacture 8 modules per day, and can set
than 8,500 modules made of wood and
up 10 modules per day on location. In order to
stored more than 10,000 tonnes of CO2.
make this whole process flawless, we work together with a large number of partners.
— Wood is hot
Architects, entrepreneurs and manufactur-
Jurrian: “Finch Buildings stands for fast, flexi-
ers all help to make our projects a success.”
ble and carbon-positive construction. I encoun-
'We are not a competitor but a partner of traditional. — Jurrian Knijtijzer
tered modular building during my studies, but
— Competition?
for me, quality and sustainability was missing
Jurrian: “Gradually, we discovered that, con-
from the story – especially when you know
trary to our initial expectations, we are a
that about 36% of all CO2 emissions come
partner and not a competitor of traditional
from the built environment... The big culprit
constructors. After the perhaps some-
in the real estate story is concrete. If it were a
what difficult start in terms of cooperation,
country, it would be the third-largest polluter
our partners can quickly see the benefits.
in the world after the U.S. and China! It was
Cooperation means we can work perfectly
vital to make a switch and opt for timber con-
within our margin and twice as fast for the
struction. Like plants, wood photosynthesizes
same price. Of course, it requires a certain
and therefore stores CO2. In addition, we also
amount of flexibility and adaptation, but so
manage our raw material in a sustainable way:
far we've been able to complete every project
in our certified production forest in Austria, we
with smooth cooperation!”
plant 5 new trees for every 3 trees used!”
