Bjarke Ingels shows his talent by winning the Kouvola pilot project in Finland

Bjarke Ingels's Danish practice continues to show its talent with a steady run of competition wins. These imposing schemes, which leave nobody indifferent, are marked by low costs and extensive use of concrete. The city of Kouvola in Finland recently launched a competition for sustainable housing that is also prefabricated and built in timber. The competition drew 26 entries, and the practice was named the winner yesterday.

BIG's concept, for E2 (Ecology and Economy), responds to the growing demand for housing in Finland. The project is defined by the modularity of the building: besides being environmentally friendly, it can be adapted to many towns and to programmes of different sizes. The aim of the competition was to devise a solution in industrial timber that would also serve as a showcase for timber construction.

The jury added: "PUU-BO is the only proposal that truly recognises the aspiration of the E2 competition: to look at the building's surroundings and the spaces in between as potential for green development". Timber reduces CO2 emissions during manufacture and, by its nature, offers good thermal performance. Finland is a major timber producer, yet when it comes to apartment buildings, timber is set aside for technical reasons.

BIG's solution relies on a stacking system that overcomes these height limits. The architects went further than simply answering the brief: the project is so flexible that it can be adapted to other configurations, and therefore to other urban programmes, while remaining competitive with other construction systems. The building follows the curve of the site, with the best views given the most storeys, eight in this case. Each block slots into the overall mass, and most of the roofs will be accessible.

"Le Corbusier's Dom-Ino system was developed to industrialise construction with the advances in concrete, and to bring added spatial quality. Decades later, concrete housing has become synonymous with boxes and boredom. By crossing the technology of art with the art of timber construction, PUU-BO offers endless variability and endless renewal", says Bjarke Ingels. A network of paths links the building to the park, and the site will include a play area, sports facilities and a sauna. These amenities will also be open to the residents of Kouvola.