Lumon, the Finnish family-owned company, to deliver balcony and balustrade glazing systems for the highest wooden multi-storey building in Germany

14 January 2021

Lumon has, once again, received significant news that relate to its international business operations. The company has been chosen to deliver balcony glazing and balustrade systems for a wooden multi-storey building, that will be located in Hamburg, Germany. The developer and owner of the project is Garbe Immobilien-Projekte GmbH and the project bears the name “Roots”. After completion, the building will be the highest wooden multi-storey building in Germany. The building comprises 18 storeys and 181 apartments, 1.700 m2  office space and 2.000 m2 exhibition space. The order consists of a total of more than 2 kilometres of Lumon products, which makes well over 5,000 sq. metres of glass.

“It was great to note that we have, once again, succeeded in our international business operations, despite the current state of affairs in the world,” says Antti Vänskä, Business Director at Lumon Group, who is responsible for business operations in Central and Eastern Europe countries. Last August, Lumon reported on a significant glazing system deal to Russia. The delivery comprises more than 9 kilometres of Lumon glass products.

“Studies have shown that balcony glazing systems bring in energy savings and lengthen the life cycle of balconies significantly. It is, therefore, great that the Lumon products were chosen as the best facade solution for an ecologically efficient wooden multi-storey building,” states Vänskä. Wood construction has shown a clear growth trend worldwide over the past few years. 

“According to studies, the energy savings that result from balcony glazing installations vary from 5.6% to 12% in Germany, and they are, on average, around 8.2%,” says Kimmo Hilliaho, D.Sc. (Tech), Head of HR Operations at Lumon Oy. “The benefits offered by the glazing are indisputable, when the energy savings resulting from balcony glazing installations are added up with the protective impact caused by the glazing installations on balcony structures. Studies show that an old, unglazed, concrete balcony will last for some 35 years, whereas a new, glazed balcony will last for, as long as, 60 to 130 years, if properly maintained,” says Hilliaho. “As the balcony structures in wooden multi-storey buildings are less protected against severe weather conditions than traditional concrete balconies, the balconies should be provided with balcony glazing, to attain a longer life cycle,” reminds Hilliaho.

Another reason why providing balconies with glazing systems is advantageous to low-carbon construction is that the payback time of the carbon footprint of glazing installations is, on average, only 3 years 4 months. “It is an eco-friendly action to provide balconies with glazing systems. Glass and aluminium are both recyclable raw materials. According to calculations, it takes, on average, somewhat over three years to compensate for the carbon dioxide emissions that result from the glazing, considering the manufacture, transport and installation of the product, as well as its energy-efficiency and protective impact on the structures,” states Hilliaho.

“Some of the glass balustrade systems of the wooden multi-storey building in Germany will benefit from our silk-screen printing technology that we put into use last summer, after completing our latest production investment in Kouvola,” says Vänskä.

The project is scheduled to be ready at the beginning of 2023.