Pre-fab House of the Year contest organized by the Estonian Wooden Houses Cluster and Estonian Woodhouse Association took place for the 8th time. Winner of this year’s contest from among many entries is Kodumaja (KM Element OÜ) with their complex of apartment buildings in Norway.
Pre-Fab House of the Year contest is an annual event, the main aim of which is to recognize the best wooden pre-fab houses and promote wooden construction as a whole. There were 39 participants at this year’s contest, wooden houses produced by Estonian companies that have been built in Norway, Sweden, Faroe Islands, Japan and Estonia.
The winning work, Kodumaja’s (KM Element OÜ) apartment buildings complex consists of three 5-storey buildings, 97 apartments, closed gross area 8606 m2. Houses have been built from pre-fabricated timber-frame modules. Solutions used in the planning of apartments create aesthetic, spacious, filled with light and simple, functional Scandinavian environment. Each apartment has a balcony or terrace that extends the living room.
Kodumaja’s Product Development Manager Elar Vilt said at the award ceremony that positive acknowledgement is always a great honour and joy if people and companies from your own sector appreciate each other’s achievements. “Kodumaja’s and definitely also other producers’ goal is to make quality products and offer customers the best result. If a customer and partners are satisfied then the work has been fruitful and spot on,” said Vilt. Although Kodumaja’s winning work has been built in Norway, it is still important that it is an Estonian house, adds Vilt. “As an exporting house producer, we represent abroad Estonian construction sector and the entire country with our projects. Hopefully, successful projects bring more satisfied customers and help to grow export even more,” he added.
The jury of the contest consisted of the following members: Professor Dr Targo Kalamees, Tallinn University of Technology, Building Engineering Physics; Professor, Dr Jarek Kurnitski, Tallinn University of Technology, Institute of Building Engineering, Director; architects Markus Kaasik and Veronika Valk-Siska and journalist Eva Kiisler.
Best Pre-Fab houses were chosen in 6 main categories:
Additionally, several special prizes were awarded by both the jury and partners:
The award ceremony took place on April 4 as a part of EstBuild construction fair’s opening ceremony and awards were handed out by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications Deputy Secretary-General for Construction Jüri Rass.
Partners of the contest: Akzo Nobel Baltics AS, B&B TOOLS ESTONIA AS/ESSVE, Viking Window AS, Raitwood, Tervemaja OÜ, SIGA Cover AG, ISOVER Saint-Gobain, Monier OÜ, Optimera Estonia AS/Ehituse ABC, Ruukki, Tyvek, Velux.
The contest is supported by European Regional Development Fund within the cluster development program.