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Estonia slashes emissions across its energy mix, and well beyond that. In the heart of Tallinn’s Noblessner district, something remarkable is taking shape. Loodusmaja— “nature house” in Estonian — is rising as one of Europe’s most ambitious timber construction projects and Estonia’s largest wooden building.
When completed in the summer of 2026, this 25,000-square-meter complex will house the Estonian Museum of Natural History alongside several environmental agencies. The project consists of three interconnected buildings, all constructed entirely from timber. At its heart lies a 58-meter-long wooden atrium that spans five stories.
According to Estonia’s Ministry of the Environment, Loodusmaja will store approximately 3,900 tons of biogenic carbon—more than double what a comparable concrete building would achieve. Even more impressively, the amount of wood used in the project regrows in Estonian forests within just a few days. After all, over half of the country is covered in forestry, and it boasts the continent’s cleanest air.
Photo: Kaupo Kalda
The building is also up to seven times lighter than traditional stone construction, significantly reducing foundation costs and the overall carbon footprint.
To make this wonder happen, Estonian companies are leading the charge. Nordecon oversees the entire construction process, while Arcwood manufactures and assembles the cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (GLT) components. EstNor contributes around 8,000 square meters of prefabricated facade and roof elements, complete with pre-installed windows.
“Loodusmaja is our largest project to date—both in terms of production complexity and logistics,” explains Peeter Peedomaa, Arcwood’s CEO. The scale is unprecedented, but so is the precision. Digital planning through BIM (Building Information Modeling) and digital twins ensures every piece fits perfectly. Thanks to prefabrication, the building can be assembled quickly and efficiently, with minimal waste and no scaffolding required.
There’s also an economic reasoning behind this. The nearly energy-self-sufficient building is projected to save the Estonian government between €500,000 and €700,000 annually in administrative costs. “The project shows how industrial timber construction in combination with digital tools is setting new standards—not only in terms of aesthetics, but also in terms of resource efficiency,” notes Renee Mikomägi, EstNor’s CEO.
