For many years, timber frames in hospital buildings were considered an impossibility. Yet by challenging established assumptions and pursuing new ways forward, we, ELU and Skanska – commissioned by Region Värmland – have achieved something remarkable. Sweden’s first timber-framed hospital building, once deemed unbuildable, is now close to becoming reality. By using timber for columns and floor slabs, and reclaimed brick for the façade, the building is expected to deliver a substantially lower climate impact than the average for hospital buildings.
White Arkitekter designs Sweden’s first hospital building with a timber frame
Sweden’s first hospital building constructed in timber is now taking shape at the Central Hospital in Karlstad (CSK). The new outpatient building at CSK is an exceptional project, where a structural frame made largely of timber and a façade of reclaimed brick have significantly reduced the building’s climate impact. The project demonstrates that even in the most complex environments, it is possible to find innovative solutions that lower emissions.
Region Värmland has shown real courage. By requesting timber as the first choice, they are driving development forward. Hospitals are the most complex building type we have, and there has long been uncertainty around whether a timber frame could meet all the performance requirements. We have now shown that it is indeed possible.
Cristiana Caira, Lead Architect, White Arkitekter
The façade is built using 200,000 reclaimed bricks.
The achievement is the result of a tailored project strategy in which the outpatient building houses less sensitive functions that are well-suited to a timber structure. The engineers at ELU and architects at our practice have worked in an integrated manner to develop the floor plan and structural frame together – an unusually collaborative approach that has been essential in meeting all requirements and optimising both the layout and the construction. The result is a hybrid solution with timber columns and slabs combined with steel beams and concrete walls.
The project has unique conditions, as the new building must also connect seamlessly with an existing structure. By using the right material in the right place, we solved this challenge while significantly reducing the climate impact of the structural frame.
Arnoud Vink, overall project lead for CSK, ELU
All the timber in the floor slabs comes from forests in Värmland within a radius of approximately 62 miles.
The outpatient building will rise seven storeys and comprise approximately 14,000 square metres. It will accommodate, among other functions, a clinical training centre, a rheumatology clinic, and paediatrics and adolescent medicine. The building is expected to be ready for use in 2027.
It has been truly rewarding to be part of this project from the very beginning, and to see Region Värmland stand firm and not be discouraged by those who doubted it could be done.
Arnoud Vink, overall project lead for CSK, ELU
The structural frame arrives as prefabricated elements that are assembled under a temporary weather enclosure.
The project has attracted considerable attention and has already become a frequently visited case study, illustrating the potential of timber in hospital environments.
Every project has its own answers, but by addressing these questions early we can identify solutions suited to the specific conditions. For example, certain parts of a hospital can be built in timber on top or alongside sections with a concrete frame, and it is important to explore this, as the benefits of using timber wherever possible are considerable.
Cristiana Caira, Lead Architect, White Arkitekter
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