Preserving Trees, Prioritizing People 

Rather than clearing space for a conventional park, the design team embraced the site’s most prominent natural asset: its mature trees. 

“The most valuable part of this site was the existing large trees,” says the project’s lead landscape architect Toomas Põld. “We designed everything around preserving them.” To that end, the park is structured around a raised wooden platform, allowing visitors to move freely through the tree canopy without disturbing the roots below. Installed on screw piles, the Thermory thermo-ash terrace eliminates the need for excavation, preserving the delicate ecosystem beneath. 

“The idea was to create the feeling of a forest hiking trail,” the architect explains. “Somewhere you can escape city stress, even for just a moment.” 

A Park Designed for Working Outdoors 

One of the project’s key goals, set by the client, was to promote the use of outdoor space for work — a growing trend in modern office environments. The result? A variety of seating options: turning chairs, open and enclosed pavilions, and large tables designed for group meetings. The space invites both quiet solo work and collaboration. 

“The proposed vision was bold — even ambitious. But it was also incredibly inspiring,” the architect says. “They didn’t settle for something standard. They wanted something unique in the Estonian and Baltic context, and they made no compromises.”

Natural Layers: Biodiversity as a Design Principle 

Beneath the preserved trees, the team planted multi-layered native vegetation — all of which has now taken root beautifully. The result is a richly varied landscape that encourages biodiversity, replacing the previous lawn-and-trees monotony with shrubs, perennials, and flowering plants. 

Rainwater plays a starring role too. The park integrates natural stormwater infiltration systems like rain gardens and low-lying collection zones, which promote both sustainability and visual interest. In summer, the large canopy trees help mitigate urban heat island effects, offering cooling shade during hot weather — a quality that’s only growing in importance for cities.

Thermory Wood: Durable, Responsible, and Naturally Beautiful 

A key material choice in the project was Thermory thermally modified ash, selected for its durability and low maintenance. 

“The natural greying of the wood is intentional,” says the architect. “We wanted a material that blends in with the natural surroundings and doesn’t require regular upkeep.” The screw-pile foundation and modular design allow the platform to adjust to the terrain, protecting roots and adapting to seasonal changes. 

The use of wood — instead of concrete or steel — also contributes to the park’s tactile, calming atmosphere. It creates warmth and softness underfoot, reinforcing the sense of being in a forest, not a city plaza. 

Urban Landscape Architecture: Where Are We Headed? 

Krulli Park reflects several key trends that are shaping the future of urban landscape architecture — both in Estonia and more broadly. 

“One of the main trends today is increasing biodiversity in terms of both flora and fauna in urban greenery,” the architect explains. “There is also a growing emphasis on environmentally responsible design — minimizing interference with the natural landscape so that people can experience nature in as many ways as possible.” 

This approach isn’t just about sustainability, it’s about improving urban quality of life. “Especially in the urban environment, this helps reduce stress and, more broadly, makes outdoor spaces feel more welcoming.” 

The architects also note that circular design thinking is becoming more central in new developments: “There’s increasing focus on the reuse of demolition and construction waste. The natural infiltration of stormwater, for example through rain gardens, and smart reuse of water in playgrounds or irrigation systems is also a hot topic.” 

As Krulli Park shows, landscape architecture today is not just about beautifying a space — it’s about working with natural systems, enhancing ecological value, and offering people a richer, more restorative relationship with the outdoors. 

Read more about biodesign.

A Park That Works With Nature, Not Against It 

Krulli Park is more than a pleasant green space — it’s a model for sustainable, thoughtful urban design. By respecting the natural character of the site and responding to real human needs, it shows what’s possible when landscape architecture and bold vision come together. Krulli Park invites city dwellers to do something rare: step out of the office, into nature and feel as if they’ve found a forest trail, just around the corner. 

Project team: Maret Abel, Mai-Mirjam Kuuskme, Khaled Mohamed, Alvin Kanarbik, Toomas Põld
Exterior lighting: OÜ KEHA3  
Outdoor furniture: Extery OÜ  
Signing: Refleks OÜ  
Customer: Invego OÜ  
Builder: OÜ Nobe

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Such planning has allowed all the members of the family to find a place to themselves in the garden and organically separated its functions. Seating and wall elements and plants are also used to delineate different areas within the space. For example, thanks to a wall which is elevated above ground surface, the seating area on the lower level is protected from water splashing from the pool.

Lush vegetation has been planted along the fence line of the property as well as between the garden’s different ‘zones’. Plants characteristic of the countryside as well as those with long blooming periods have been used. For instance, the rhododendrons planted in front of the garden form a protective screen, while trees and shrubs offer privacy from prying eyes.

Thermowood was integrated into the interior and exterior spaces of the building alike. Thermally modified timber covers both the deck and the facade of the house. Thermo-ash cladding and decking with a naturally aged greyish colour blend in seamlessly with the surrounding nature.

Thermowood was chosen for the project because of its resilience and aesthetic appearance. Since thermal modification boosts the wood’s resistance to weather conditions, it was ideal for the demanding Dutch climate. Adding weight to the choice of the material was the long lifespan of thermo-ash, its beautiful colouration and its minimal maintenance requirements.

The design of both the garden house and the garden itself is marked out by clean lines, modern materials and elegant finishing, which in combination with the rich vegetation lend the garden a timeless feel.

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The sauna is akin to a nature observation post, with users enjoying uninterrupted views over the lake and garden from the expansive glass window serving as one whole wall of the steam room. There is plenty to see in the sultry Slovakian summer and the depths of winter alike. The external walls of the sauna are clad with thermo-pine boards in four different widths and thicknesses. Thermory makes it possible to combine different profiles so as to provide any structure with a truly unique appearance. The thicker boards protrude from the thinner ones, giving the facade a three-dimensional feel.

To preserve the colouring of the pine wood, the boards were treated with an oil providing UV protection. The timber will need to be regularly treated in this way to ensure that it continues to look as good as new. Without such treatment, thermally modified wood takes on a natural greyish tone, although it does retain its weather-proof qualities. This tone is held in high regard in Northern Europe, where a degree of fading becomes the aim in itself rather than maintaining the original colour of the wood.

The walls and ceiling of the steam room and the anteroom in front of it feature elegant, light-coloured alder. The fastening points of the panels with STP mouldings are concealed. Alder is a good choice for steam rooms not only for its pleasant texture, but also because it is durable, water-repellent and never gets too hot. Inspired by Auroom Natura saunas and in the interests of comfort and convenience, both wood-fired and electric stoves were installed in the steam room.

“Thermally modified alder is my undisputed favourite material for sauna wall panels and bench boards, because the fragrance it emits as the space heats up is amazing,” says Jančár. “I use it a lot in my projects, and I recommend it to my clients as well.”

Carefully selected materials and installation carried out to the manufacturer’s precise instructions guarantee the sauna a long life. The structure itself is on the smaller side, but the contribution of the architect combined with the high-quality materials used make it worthy of much greater recognition.

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The school building is informed by its central position and does not seek a uniform orientation with either its front or rear facades. All sides of the building are of equal importance, creating a pavilion that sits at the meeting point of the neighbouring park and town square. The higher side of the structure interfaces with the apartment buildings on the adjacent block and hides views of their end walls from the square. The longer sides of the building, which rise and fall in line with the landscape, are open to the square and park. The central part of the complex was designed to be narrow and transparent so that through this interior space a visual connection would form with the square (on the eastern side of the building) and the park (on the western side).

There are no corridors in the school – instead, a unique space has been created flowing through a multi-level interior. Compact classrooms are found at the highest point in the building, on the southern side of the block. The lowest part of the complex is home to computer labs and music classrooms, the school’s cloakroom and bathrooms, while the common area between them houses the canteen, main hall, study area, teachers’ work space, an auditorium and a library.

The placement of the classrooms maximises views over the park and square. Set on a rolling landscape, the school is surrounded by broad thermo-pine stairs and a variety of trees and plants. The well-planned outdoor area is ideal for open-air lessons and school events.

The facade of the school building sees an interplay of thermo-pine (stained dark with oil) and glass surfaces which gradually increase and then decrease in size. The tall, thermally modified screening panels on the western side of the building limit the amount of afternoon and evening sun in the common areas. Thermo-ash was initially planned to be utilised in the project, but financial considerations meant that pine was chosen instead.

Salto Architects were already familiar with Thermory’s products and thermally modified wood thanks to their work on the Paide State Upper Secondary School project, in which thermo-pine retaining its natural tone was used on the building’s facade and terrace. Thermowood was chosen for both projects because of the material’s excellent resistance to the harsh Estonian climate.

In addition to the school building itself, the project saw the completion of artist Timo Toots’ kinetic piece ‘Tintinnebula’, which is situated by the main entrance and reacts to the weather. Both the school and the artwork are perfectly matched to the urban space of Rakvere, which is well known for its bold architectural solutions.

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The building is characterised by its distinct shapes and clean lines. Fitting in seamlessly with its surroundings, the private residence blurs the lines between interior and exterior, simultaneously offering sheltered and open spaces and, with them, stunning Californian vistas. The house itself acts as a landmark, its dark brick walls offset by a light-coloured render, concrete floors and timber in natural tones, all of which serve to accentuate the nature around it.

Wood is found in all of the building’s architectural elements, maintaining a through-line inside and out. Thermal ash clads the external walls of the structure and is also found in its fences, outdoor shower surround, specially commissioned revolving door, garage door and courtyard bench.

One of the key elements of the building is its flat roof, which is raised above the brick walls and studded with skylights, and the lower part of which is fully clad in light-coloured wood. This uninterrupted timber surface, which lines the living room ceiling and the underside of the soffits, is highly effective. One of the walls of the building is finished with the same material, as is the garage door set into it – creating a visually uniform surface that serves to conceal the door. The colour of the thermal ash used in the living areas fits in perfectly with the walnut elements of the home’s interior design.

The architect was delighted with the multipurpose nature of the thermally modified wood and the quality of Thermory’s products, which he trusted completely in undertaking the project. Other aspects which spoke in favour of the material were its ease of care, its termite- and rot-resistance and the warranty provided by the manufacturer. The decking was able to be quickly and easily installed thanks to the PaCS® Strip fastening system, whose pre-grooved boards were specially milled to the required size. The system ensures an aesthetically pleasing result with no visible screws or screw holes.

“This project has added a new category to the Thermory portfolio – previously it has featured small homes and large public buildings, but this is its first medium-sized private residence.” This elegant and thoughtfully designed home proves that natural materials are central to the creation of sustainable modern architecture and that thermally modified wood is perfectly suited to houses of all sizes.

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Her third micro house came about thanks to an enthusiastic client whose belief in the Minikin model was so great that they encouraged Hunt to come up with an even better design based on the earlier versions. And so the Minikin 1.5-storey micro house was born in the pine forests of Laulasmaa. Its positioning in the midst of this landscape was very deliberate, as the aim was to create a building that would blend in with its surroundings and not require any trees to be cut down.

The house was planned to sit on a 20 m² construction base to avoid unnecessary red tape. Interior and exterior architecture are closely intertwined when planning such a building, which is why the design processes for both took place simultaneously. The overall dimensions of the structure were decided by the sizes of the functional spaces within it. Kitchen furniture, entryway, WC and step placement were designed to an accuracy of millimetres. Interior architect Ines Haak was brought on board due to her feel for materials and choice of interior design elements, which suited the overall concept down to the ground.

The 17 m² of space on the lower level features not only a high-ceilinged living area but also a kitchenette, a WC and a wardrobe. The upper level comprises a loft-style sleeping space accessed by a sheet-metal staircase. The terrace in front of the house serves as a second living area thanks to its large glass expanses. The corner fireplace in the living area means the client will enjoy an open fire as well as views of the pine trees and blueberry bushes beyond. During the warmer months this terrace space will provide a perfect place to relax on a sofa or do some outdoor cooking.

The exterior of the building and the terrace are lined with thermally modified pine boards. When it came to Thermory’s products, Hunt loved the fact that the materials were able to be installed without any visible screw holes and that the same material could be used on both the facade and terrace. The use of thermally modified boards as a facade covering seemed to the architect to be a dependable choice, since such boards are timeless and durable and will only gain in character as time goes by. Pine was the logical choice for the house given its location in the middle of a pine forest by the sea. At the moment the boards remain a pleasantly woody brown colour, but over the years they will attain a greyer tone that makes them blend into the background even more effectively.

The Laulasmaa micro house is every inch the cosy cabin in the woods, but one which offers all the mod cons and is fully connected to the water, sewerage and electricity networks. Hunt has researched entirely off-grid solutions for a range of projects but feels that a sufficiently good solution for standalone houses is still lacking in regard to the reuse of water: the solutions that have been developed to keep water in circulation require 5-10 similar small houses. Heating could be provided by the fireplace and the minimum amount of electricity needed via wind energy or solar panels.

In summary, Hunt says the micro house is lined with more square metres of thermally modified pine than there are square metres of usable space in it. “An old saying goes that you should let the first house you build be for your enemy, the second for your friend and the third for yourself,” she jokes. “I did it the other way round.”

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The sauna is like a minimalist block, with all the doors and openings discreetly hidden in the façade. Graphic illustrations on the inside of the cupboards turn the sauna into a work of art when you open them. The thermally modified pine cladding boards used in the exterior finish give the sauna a natural look and help the sauna blend into the natural environment. Thermal modification ensures the durability and dimensional stability of the cladding boards, which is essential in the demanding climate of Slovakia. As only heat and water vapour are used during thermal modification, wood treated in this way is an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical treatments.

In contrast to the external minimalism, there are no sharp angles in the steam room, and the sauna bench is designed with a flowing form. The bench boards made of natural aspen with a uniform texture cover both the sauna bench as well as the ceiling and part of the walls of the room. STP-profiled alder cladding boards have been chosen as the finish for the remaining walls. Alder is a sensible choice for saunas, as it is durable, water-repellent and does not get too hot.

The sauna on wheels offers the chance to find an exciting place to enjoy the sauna without compromising on comfort. This is an elegantly crafted, bold and inspiring project.

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The interior is designed with muted shades of colour and rich textures, set against the backdrop of the thermowood of the Thermory Drift range. Luxuriously wide cladding boards are used throughout the building – in hotel rooms, restaurants, spas and corridors, all designed with a minimalist approach to form. With a worn look and natural shades of colour, the thermo-spruce gives the hotel walls and ceilings a modern rustic look. The wood in the Drift series is first thermally modified and then painted, so that it acquires the look of driftwood.

Presenting Ukrainian culture in a modern way is even more important than before, now that the war has started. The mission of the architects of the building is to study, showcase and promote Ukrainian cultural traditions through their projects in order to help ensure their continuity and prosperity in the future. Contemporary interpretations of traditional crafts can also be found as decorative elements in this project – in the hotel lobby, restaurants and rooms.

The hotel’s interior is decorated with studio Morgental’s textiles bearing the national symbols of Ukraine, armchairs by Noom and lambswool rugs by Litvinenko Design. The unique tables in the rooms, with their massive oak tabletops attached to the anvil-shaped cast iron base, are a tribute to the local forging traditions. All these design elements together with the walls covered with thermowood form a harmonious whole.

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The living module cantilevers four and a half metres above ground. This approach offers expansive views of nature and creates a covered terrace beneath the building’s volume. A discreet entrance door to the side provides access inside. The ‘leg’ of the building contains a staircase and a sports equipment store.

Upstairs, the main module contains the living room, kitchenette, bed, top-lit shower, ample concealed storage, two areas for remote work as well as a large hammock on the mezzanine level. The interplay of levels allows horizontal surfaces to be used informally as tables, seats or display spaces. The module feels particularly spacious due to the huge window / skylight spanning the front elevation.

The steel truss structure supporting the building is partially exposed in the ‘leg’. While the load-bearing structure is made of steel, the main material of the building is wood. The steel elements are painted black to fade them in the background and bring the various types and uses of wood to the fore.

The interior walls, stair and built-in furniture is finished in white-washed oak veneer, giving the space a carved and monolithic appearance. Externally, the building is clad in Thermory thermo-pine battens. The rain-screen cladding battens are thermally modified, yet otherwise untreated. Over time, the material will therefore weather gracefully to a silver-grey, helping the building blend in with its pine tree context. Thermal treatment makes the normally soft pine wood more durable and emphasises its warm tone and characteristic grain. The directionality of the hit-and-miss cladding further emphasises the building form. The use of battens with a square cross-section adds visual depth, filters light and air into the building while giving it a monolithic appearance. Finally, this approach shades the openable window.

The roof is finished in Thermory’s Benchmark thermo pine, which is very durable in the Estonian climate due to the extremely low thermal and moisture expansion of the wood, thanks to its chemical-free thermal treatment. Thermory’s thermo ash specified for the terrace has an exotic deep brown colour, is tactile and highly resistant to heavy use, making it an exceptionally practical and cosy terrace material.

The objective of Studio Arsenit was to minimise damage to the natural environment and respect the existing greenery, so a 3D point-cloud model of the site was created from the outset and all the building elements were manufactured off-site before being assembled in situ. Choosing the pre-fabrication approach helped reduce waste, minimise costs and construction time.

The internal area of the building measures just 19 square metres and continues the recent trend of offering visitors a chance to stay in a tiny house amidst nature, without giving up the familiar comfort.

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Wood has been used in a wide and varied range of ways in the school building project and is beautifully displayed. Wood is used for acoustic panels and triangular sound reflecting profiles; the cross-laminated timber wall, partition and roof panels; the cassette ceilings, façade cladding and the frame of the double façade. The finishing materials are light wood with a greyish undertone, giving the building a natural overall appearance.

The thermo-treated pine frame on the façade is the building’s calling card. A wooden braiding, nearly a metre deep, helps to break down the strict boundaries between the inside and outside of the schoolhouse. The frame is designed not to restrict views from the interior, but to block as much sunlight as possible from above and from the sides. School rooms need plenty of daylight, but on sunny days its intensity needs to be controlled. In addition, external safety curtains, which are activated by sunlight, were used on the large glass façades.

The frame covering the façade of the schoolhouse is made of a single cross-section profile, and the complexity of this braiding comes from the repetition of a single element – the wooden profile is installed in a fixed rhythm horizontally and vertically. In addition to covering the entire façade of the building, the laminated timber frame continues as a 300-metre-long bench around the school building.

As timber has to last for at least 25-30 years, a complex and three-dimensional façade poses a challenge for products and materials. In the case of the double façade, the emphasis is on ensuring maximum weather resistance. The required lifetime is given to the timber by the fire retardant applied in vacuum chambers using the high-pressure method. Threaded spacers have been used for the connections of wooden profiles in order to achieve a minimum contact surface. All façade fixings are made of stainless steel and the upper ends of the wooden profiles are covered with composite board caps.

The architects say that the Pelgulinna State Upper Secondary School has been designed using what they have learnt from experimenting with previous public building projects and bringing together proven solutions.

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