Stora Enso eyes new head office in Helsinki using wood

In Finland, Stora Enso is partnering with the Finnish pension insurance company Varma in the construction of a new head office in the center of Helsinki. Stora Enso will lease part of the building, which will showcase modern wooden architecture.

Varma will organise an architecture competition for the design of the building and apply for a LEED Platinum environmental certification for it, as the project aims for the highest levels of sustainability. Built with renewable wooden materials from Stora Enso, it will store carbon during its lifecycle.

“As the renewable materials company, we at Stora Enso want our new head office to be located in a modern sustainable wooden office building. This will be a cost-efficient solution for our head office and create savings compared to our current location,” says Seppo Parvi, Stora Enso’s CFO and Country Manager Finland.

“Wood is the only construction material suitable for large-scale construction that is both fully recyclable, renewable and reusable. By using wood, we can help cut carbon emissions by up to 75%. I am happy that the City of Helsinki and Varma want to promote sustainable wooden construction,” says Jari Suominen, Head of Stora Enso’s Wood Products division.