Ecological architecture in Luxembourg

More and more ecological architecture projects are being developed. We currently have a wood-frame house for sale and we asked the builder naturhome a few questions in order to better understand the advantages of such a construction.

E&V : Can you introduce your company ?

Naturhome is a company that has been building wooden houses for more than 45 years! The company is composed of 56 people and we are in charge of about 40 building sites per year. Our head office is in Troisvierges, where we also have our timber frame production plant.

E&V : What technique do you use for wood construction ?

Since the end of the 90s, our construction technique has been mainly Canadian-style timber framing. We have the particularity of using a maximum of natural materials. Thus, the majority of our insulation is made of wood fibres (blown in, in mats or in panels).

E&V : What is a "Canadian type" wood frame?

The Canadian wooden frame is made up of a set of vertical rafters supported by the lower and upper beams (wooden crossbeams). This frame is closed on both sides by wood chip or wood fibre panels, with specific characteristics, in order to obtain a waterproof and windproof barrier, while remaining permeable to water vapour. This technique provides excellent thermal and acoustic performance.

E&V : What are the main advantages of such a construction?

The wooden frame is particularly ecological. All our structural wood comes from local sawmills, for example. In addition, wooden frames offer highly insulated and airtight constructions. Finally, a strong point of such a construction is obviously the speed of construction. From the time the first shovel is turned to the handing over of the keys, it takes only 180 working days!

E&V : Is this type of construction resistant in time ?

We often give the example of half-timbered houses from the 16th century, which are still there! The half-timbering is the ancestor of the wooden frame.

E&V: In the present construction, the roof is also made of wood. What was the reason for this choice and what are the advantages? Is such a roof as strong as a tiled roof?

Wooden roofing is an idea of the architect in this case, the main advantage is aesthetic. It is as strong as a tiled roof, thanks to the rubber sealing underneath. The cost is higher than for a tiled roof.

E&V : On the projects, the architects are different, is the choice left to the client and what motivates the choice of the architect ?

We leave the choice of architect to the client. All architects are welcome. This explains the architectural diversity in the naturhome portfolio.

E&V : How do you see the future of wood construction in the Luxembourg real estate landscape?

In recent years, we have clearly seen an increase in demand for wooden houses in Luxembourg. The public authorities are well aware of the ecological advantages of such constructions and are promoting them. It is far from being a fashion. It is more of a basic trend. Anyone who has lived in a wooden house no longer wants to live in another type of house.