The Skanska Residential development company intends to build an apartment building made of wood in Radlice, Prague, designed by Jakub Cigler Architekti. And it wants to explore the possibilities of the development. The supporting structure of the building, which will house 76 apartments, will be made of CLT panels. These are wooden panels made from solid sawn timber, which consist of several cross-laminated layers.

The project, which is exceptional for the Czech Republic, fits into the strategy of the Swedish developer, which wants to be carbon neutral by 2045. “We are aware that construction methods and materials are unsustainable in the long term due to the carbon footprint. That’s why we have ambitious targets, but they are achievable,” says Skanska Residential chairman Petr Michálek.

 Skanska’s first wooden project was named Radlický Dřevák and will be one of three apartment buildings that the developer plans to build along Radlická Street. The other two buildings will be made of reinforced concrete. The project will have a total of 177 flats and will cost the developer approximately CZK 1 billion.

Skanska bought the land on the current brownfield behind the aforementioned ČSOB building and the neighbouring Penta Nová Waltrovka project in 2020 and organised an architectural competition for it. Jakub Cigler’s studio stood out in the competition and was the only one to propose the use of wood.

Skanska also emphasises sustainability in other areas of the project. For example, the project will have a grey water recovery system, retention tanks or photothermal panels and green roofs for energy savings. The timber needed for construction will be Czech and processed in the Czech Republic.

JK