sLender building system
The so-called Lender house is a type of timber rental housing built at the beginning of the 20th century that is unique to Tallinn. A hundred years later our wish is to bring timber housing back to Tallinn in a way suitable for the 21st century.
We are looking for ways to innovate the construction and advance the architectural quality of contemporary housing by using engineered timber – glulam and CLT. The researced sLender building is built out of repetitive timber elements, mass produced on contemporary automated timber manufacturing lines.
All the elements are produced without cut-outs, almost eliminating left-overs that at the moment amount to around 10% off the manufactured material.
Prototype 1:
Shift Lofts
Timber apartment building in Tallinn, Estonia
Ongoing since 2018
This four storey apartment building in central Tallinn proposes a one of a kind CLT structure. The whole building is spirally organised, making all apartments multilevel, high ceiling lofts. The facade of the building is proposed to have built in solar panels, making the energy concept PART of the overall geometry.
Prototype 2:
sLender – lean timber housing
Proposal for a multi-storey cross laminated timber building
Ongoing since 2021
Architects:
Sille Pihlak and Siim Tuksam
Team:
Markus Varki
Gregor Jürna
Photos:
Evert Palmets
“sLender – lean timber housing” at the Museum of Estonian Architecture exhibition “The houses that we need”, curated by Jarmo Kauge
Client:
Museum of Estonian Architecture
Scale:
1600 m2
Function:
housing
