Finnish Multi-Story Timber-Framed Apartment Buildings : Tampere Residents’ Perspectives

Abstract

This study aims to understand the views and experiences of Tampere residents in Finland about multi-story timber-framed apartments and wooden structures through a questionnaire. The 151 responses highlighted two main issues: (1) multi-story timber-framed apartments were rated as a good product in terms of user satisfaction, which was based on the following findings: (1a) for most of the respondents, the apartment had fresh air and a suitable temperature on cold winter days; (1b) the majority felt safe living in a multi-story timber-framed apartment; (1c) respondents generally were satisfied with the soundproofing, except for the disturbing noises from the upper floor and the stairwells; (1d) residents’ opinions were mainly positive regarding most of the functional features such as storage facilities, the location and access roads of the building, exterior facade, and wood visibility level; (2) there exists a demand for multi-story timber-framed residential buildings in the market, especially in the customer segment, which is defined as ‘environmentalist’. This was based on the following findings: (2a) living in an environmentally friendly, low-carbon, natural-material apartment, cozier living in a timber-framed apartment, and meaningful use of wood in interiors were notably more important for the extremely satisfied residents; (2b) building facades, and floors and ceilings inside the apartment were the places where the use of wood was most desired in the apartment. This article is intended to be a guide for key construction experts, e.g., architectural designers and developers to better understand and meet the demands and needs of timber-framed apartment residents in Finland.