On August 23rd, during the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the Estonian Woodhouse Association, the winners of the “Prefab House of the Year 2024” competition were announced. The 1st prize was awarded to the modular kindergarten produced by Timbeco Woodhouse OÜ.
This year’s overall winner and also the best public building category winner, along with a special prize for the most energy-efficient building by Isover, was the kindergarten building by Timbeco in Kiili (Estonia), constructed using modular technology. “The emphasis in construction today is on reducing the carbon footprint and more efficient building processes. The winning project highlights the best advantages of modular technology and sets a good example for applying factory-built house technology in the construction of other public buildings,” commented Annika Kadaja, CEO of the Estonian Woodhouse Association.
The competition jury praised the winning project for the successful curved placement of the kindergarten group rooms around an inner courtyard, which helps to connect the indoor with the outdoor area. The architecture and layout allow the project to be easily expanded while maintaining its original concept. “The kindergarten building produced by Timbeco had the best energy efficiency in the competition, with well-insulated external walls. The building achieved notably good airtightness and used modern technical systems, including solar shading and a solarpower system. Although the single-story building, designed according to the needs of the kindergarten, has quite a large external wall area and is not so architecturally compact, it still achieves impressive energy efficiency indicators, highlighting the technical quality of the modular construction,” commented Jarek Kurnitski, chairman of the jury.
“We are very pleased that the Vaela kindergarten project won the 1st prize at the 2024 competition. We are especially proud that the jury highlighted our modular solution, which combines energy efficiency and architectural design. It is encouraging to see that modular construction is becoming increasingly popular in Estonia – it is a fast, cost-effective, and flexible construction method that meets modern needs,” said Siim Leisalu, board member of Timbeco Woodhouse.
“We would like to acknowledge the Kiili municipality, who dared to choose a modern modular solution on such a large scale right from the design phase. We also want to thank the design bureau Projekt O2, who authored this well-functioning architectural solution, which allowed us to maintain a consistent construction speed throughout the year – a significant advantage in today’s construction industry. A big thanks also to our entire team, whose dedication and professionalism made this achievement possible. We also want to thank all the subcontractors whose contributions were invaluable in completing the project,” expressed Leisalu, acknowledging the partners and team members involved in the project.
The Prefab House of the Year competition is organized by the Estonian Woodhouse Association with the aim of highlighting projects completed in Estonian house factories and promoting the possibilities of wooden construction and factory-built houses. The title, which recognizes wooden houses, has been awarded for the 14th time. A total of 20 wooden factory-built houses or facade element projects qualified for the competition. Unlike previous years, the share of projects completed in Estonia was significant among the competition entries. The primary export markets for the wooden house sector, such as Norway and Finland, were also represented.
The best projects were determined by a jury consisting of Dr. Targo Kalamees, Professor of Building Physics at TalTech, Dr. Jarek Kurnitski, Director of the TalTech Institute of Building and Architecture, Architect Markus Kaasik, Architect Veronika Valk-Siska, Journalist Irmeli Karja, and Development Advisor of the Estonian Woodhouse Association, Elar Vilt. Special prizes were also awarded by the competition’s sponsors, including through a vote by Delfi moodnekodu.ee readers.
Results of the Prefab House of the Year 2024:
Main categories:
- Overall Winner and Best Public Building – Timbeco Woodhouse OÜ, kindergarten in Kiili (Estonia)
- Best Apartment Building – Kodumaja AS, apartment Buildings in Norway
- Best Real Estate Development – Timbeco Woodhouse OÜ, residential development in Norway
- Best Private House – Soome Maja OÜ, element house in Tallinn (Estonia)
- Best Small Construction – Nord Homes OÜ, summer cottage in Kuusalu (Estonia)
- Best Facade Element Project – Welement AS, facade elements for an office Buildings in Tartu (Estonia)
Additional awards presented by the jury and sponsors:
- Special Prize “Implementation of Circular Economy Principles” and Nordic Render Special Award – EstNor OÜ, Elektrilevi training center in Kiili (Estonia)
- Special Prize “Special Style” – Finnlog OÜ, summer home in Finland
- Timber Construction Special Prize and Raitwood Special Award – EstHus OÜ, service building at Aidu Water Sports Center
- The Most Energy-Efficient Building Special Award and ISOVER Special Award – Timbeco Woodhouse OÜ, kindergarten in Kiili (Estonia)
- AkzoNobel Special Award “Best Colour Solution” – Matek AS, kindergarten in Vääna-Jõesuu (Estonia)
- Puumarket, SENCO and Kero Trading Special Awards – Hobbiton OÜ, handcrafted log house in Paldiski (Estonia)
- Tervemaja OÜ Special Award – Welement AS, facade elements for an office Buildings in Tartu (Estonia)
- VELUX Special Award “Best Lighting Solution”, ESSVE Special Award, and ITW Construction Products Special Award – Finnlog OÜ, CLT house in Finland
- BMI Monier Special Award “Best Tile Roof on a Factory-Built House” – Finnlog OÜ, machined log house in Kuusalu (Estonia)
- Delfi moodnekodu.ee Readers’ Favorite – Nord Homes OÜ, element house in Tallinn
Competition was supported by:
