HoutKern Construction Method
Many housing developments are halted or fail to become successful due to restrictions on CO2 and nitrogen emissions and stricter legislation. However, housing demand is huge. Circular construction can break this deadlock. ABT took part in the development of the HoutKern Construction Method, a modular system to build light, fast and sustainably and scale up circular construction.
The HoutKern Construction Method was developed by the Noordereng Group, DP6 and Oosterhoff for The Natural Pavilion, the Dutch national pavilion at Floriade Expo 2022. The Oosterhoff operating companies ABT and Adviesbureau Lüning were involved in the development process. The combination of the modular HoutKern Construction Method, the industrialized construction process and the bio-based materialization meant that The Natural Pavilion served as a model of circular construction.
Wood and steel nodes
The innovation of the method is in its removability and flexibility. The base is a stackable wooden module, which can be connected by a clever steel node. A module consists of a wooden floor and load-bearing wooden columns. The walls are non-bearing, modules can be easily connected together to create larger spaces. The connections between the various components are standardized and can be easily disassembled and reassembled.
Freedom of design
The promoters used The Natural Pavilion to demonstrate to corporations, developers, architects and contractors the versatility of the building system. It offers architects optimal design freedom. The load-bearing construction of the building method allows for flexible floor plans; small and large, wide apartments are possible. By stacking modules, buildings up to 70 meters tall are possible. The Energiehotel, a fully modular building with 124 rooms and 52 meters tall, is being built in Ede.
Urban or rural look
The appearance of HoutKern buildings can be adapted to their surroundings. The inside is formed by the structural base of the wooden module with the steel nodes. Sloping façades, receding side façade and cantilevered balconies are possible. This makes the method suitable for both inner-city and rural environments.
Fast construction time
The manufacture of the modules is a fully industrialized and digitally driven process. This saves an enormous amount of time. The Floriade pavilion was designed, detailed and built in six months.
Circlewood
Circlewood, a joint venture of Noordereng Group and Oosterhoff, is developing the construction method for flexible housing construction at temporary locations, incorporation into large-scale projects and construction of schools and other utility buildings.
Projects with the HoutKern Construction Method
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The Natural Pavilion
The Natural Pavilion
