Interdisciplinary problemsolving

Building with wood requires the alignment of various crucial factors. Geir Glasø, an expert in timber structures, could not have achieved success without his extensive experience and the support of his colleagues.

Geir is a specialist in timber construction with 14 years of experience from the Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology. Since joining Sweco in 2018, Sweco’s expertise in timber has grown significantly, aiming to be the best in the industry.

Designing a timber building involves unique considerations and conditions that differ from those of steel and concrete structures. Timber as a material has its own characteristics, and there is a significant difference in the properties of different types of timber. Designing with timber therefore requires specialized knowledge combined with solid experience.

“The detailing in timber projects can be resource-intensive, which is why we continuously work on developing good and robust solutions that can be reused”, explains Geir.

When building with timber, we need to work according to the characteristics of the material. Structural considerations and requirements for fire safety, acoustics, and technical installations can sometimes be conflicting. Therefore, we need to work interdisciplinary from the beginning to achieve a robust, efficient, and sustainable building.

“It is precisely these interdisciplinary challenges that make working with timber construction so exciting, and my curiosity about how we can use timber in new ways keeps me motivated every day”, says Geir.

Parallel to solving timber challenges, Geir and his colleagues document their experiences.

“The result is a knowledge bank that all our consultants can easily access for new timber projects. Additionally, we usually pair seniors with juniors to ensure knowledge sharing and further development of expertise”, says Geir.