Isn’t it good, Norwegian wood? Yes it is, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were right, says a Norwegian housing co-operative. So good in fact, that Bergen Region Housing plans to build a 14-storey wooden apartment block overlooking the western coastal city’s famous fjords, claiming it will be the world’s biggest wooden apartment building.
The project seeks to promote sustainable materials while boosting Norway’s vast forestry industry, the agriculture ministry said yesterday. “The biggest challenge in building a 14-story wooden building is preventing big swings amid strong winds,” Bergen said in an earlier statement.
The building, complete with a rooftop terrace, a Japanese garden, an indoor patio, a glass facade and views of the fjord, could be ready for sale by early 2014. It would be constructed from prefabricated modules.