Rema 3-layer panels bring unified wooden surfaces to Versowood’s modern office spaces

Versowood’s headquarters in Vierumäki is a prime example of modern wood construction. The goal was to utilise as many of Versowood’s own products as possible – particularly glulam. The building has a total floor area of over 3,000 m² and incorporates more than 1,000 m³ of the company’s own glulam. The aim was to create a unified and polished appearance that supports the Versowood brand and offers a pleasant working environment for employees and visitors alike.

 

 

Starting point: the need for a complementary solution

 

The architectural firm Planetary Architecture, responsible for the building’s design, aimed to create an office building with cohesive material choices, appearing almost as if carved from a single block of wood. While glulam was used for the majority of the structures and surfaces, there were several spaces where solid wood solutions were not feasible. Areas such as office room walls, corridors, and passage openings required a material that would continue the unified wooden look while being lighter and easier to shape. The solution needed to be aesthetic, durable, and suitable for the requirements of a public building.

Puumerkki’s expertise supported the project through every phase

Puumerkki’s expert, Sami Karttunen, was involved in the project from the very beginning—from material selection to planning and execution during the construction phase. This role was essential, as using the Rema panel requires precise planning and knowledge gained from similar projects. “Based on previous experience, we recommended the Rema panel for this project, as we believed it would be the best fit for both its properties and appearance. We were involved from the start to ensure that the end result would be technically sound and visually impressive,” Sami summarises the collaboration.

 

Puumerkki brought in-depth product knowledge and an understanding of how the material performs in different applications and how installation on site could be made easier. In addition, Puumerkki’s specialist reviewed all necessary further processing requirements together with the builder. Puumerkki was able to offer customised solutions tailored to the customer’s needs—simplifying and speeding up installation by pre‑processing the panels according to the project’s specifications while ensuring they functioned seamlessly as part of the overall construction.

 

 

Final result: a modern and warm overall look

 

The completed headquarters is a modern and warm space where wood plays a strong and visible role. The Rema panel introduced unified surfaces that echo natural wooden textures and help create a pleasant working environment. The solution demonstrates that the Rema panel is an excellent material choice for public and demanding sites where aesthetics and functionality must go hand in hand.

 

“Rema panel worked extremely well and helped us maintain a consistent overall appearance throughout the building. As this timber building features a large number of exposed wooden surfaces, it was particularly important that all surfaces looked visually coherent—and we were prepared to put in the work to achieve it. The glulam surfaces were treated with oil wax, while the Rema panels required fire‑retardant treatments. We produced a large number of test pieces to match the tone of the oil wax precisely to the colour of the Rema panels. The right solution was found through careful testing,” architect Pekka Pakkanen recalls about the design and construction phases. He adds that the cooperation with Puumerkki throughout the project was smooth and successful.

 

 

 

Photos on this page: Marc Goodwin, Archmospheres

Versowood

Versowood is Finland’s largest privately owned producer and processor of sawn timber. The company manufactures a wide range of products from domestic wood, including planed and pressure‑treated products, glulam products and structures, telephone and electricity poles, wooden bridges, noise barriers, various wooden packaging solutions, and pellets. Versowood is a long‑standing and reliable supplier partner for Puumerkki.

What is the Rema panel?

 

The Rema panel is a three‑layer, cross‑glued spruce multilayer board designed for demanding furniture and interior construction. Its structure makes the panel highly dimensionally stable, with minimal warping or movement in use. The surface is natural, consistent in quality, and easy to finish in various tones and treatments. The panel is easy to work with using both traditional methods and CNC machines, making it a favourite among professionals.

 

Rema panels are manufactured by the Austrian company Rema Holzindustrie, which has been producing high‑quality wood panels since 1989. The cooperation between Rema and Puumerkki spans more than twenty years.