Stylish residential apartment block in Oslo sets new standard for sustainable construction
A new stylish 7,000 sq/m residential project from developers, Usbl is now complete with the addition of an exceptional and sustainable Kebony façade. Striking the balance between eco-conscious construction and luxury living in Norway, the new apartment blocks are equipped with private roof terraces and open communal spaces. Kebony wood, a global leader in the production of sustainable modified wood was chosen by the architects to clad the buildings, prioritizing eco-luxury in the centre of the bustling built-up area in suburban Oslo.
Designed by alt. arkitektur, the project comprised three phases, with 159 apartments built as part of Phase 1 and 2, and an additional 56 as part of Phase 3, bringing the total number of units to 215.
The state-of-the-art apartment blocks have been completed with Kebony wood, which was favoured by the architects for the material’s award-winning sustainable credentials. The wood was also selected to clad the stylish façades, due to its dimensional strength, durability and unique appearance. Highly resistant to wear and weathering, Kebony requires no maintenance beyond normal cleaning and adopts a beautiful silver-grey patina over time.
Tom Hellesvik, Project Manager in Usbl said, “The team at Usbl is very proud to have completed this ambitious project, which has really positive values for the community and environment at its core. Kebony wood was a great asset, and we would like the opportunity to use the wood in more projects in the near future.”
Developed in Norway, Kebony’s revolutionary technology is an environmentally friendly process, which modifies sustainably sourced softwoods by heating the wood with furfuryl alcohol – an agricultural by-product. By polymerising the wood’s cell wall, the softwoods permanently take on the attributes of tropical hardwood including high durability, hardness and dimensional stability. Kebony’s environmental credentials and enhanced physical properties made it the ideal material for the new apartment building.
Mette Valen, Sales Manager Norway at Kebony added: “We are delighted to see Kebony wood being used so extensively in this stunning apartment building, which really sets a new standard for environmentally-friendly construction on a large scale. It was a pleasure to work with the team to realise the vision for the innovative project.”