Wooden office building: RMK Tartu office

The office building of the State Forest Management Centre (RMK) is located right next to the their Tartu tree nursery. RMK’s goal was to bring together employees previously housed in two separate buildings into a single, modern, and energy-efficient office space that demonstrates the possibilities of timber architecture. Designed by Allan Pilter from Kauss Arhitektuur, the building is the result of a public architectural competition.

Alongside practical considerations, the RMK office building draws direct inspiration from nature – specifically from hiking trails and forest motifs. The building is constructed predominantly using timber structures, with wood featured throughout both the interior and exterior finishes.

The architect conceptualised the building’s form using the motif of a log or tree stump. With its artificially “cut” corners, the building reduces its perceived size and visual impact on the surrounding environment. The building’s winding corridors evoke forest paths, allowing people moving through the space to experience varying angles and light conditions.

The office building forms a cohesive complex with the adjacent outbuildings used for storing forestry equipment.