The residents of Werfen, near Salzburg, Austria know first hand how long wood can last when well maintained. The larch wood at Hohenwerfen Fortress, which watches over their town, is over 900 years old and going strong.

It's no wonder, then, when the local municipality decided to build a new pool with future generations in mind, they chose to build with sustainable and durable Sylva™ by Stora Enso.

Unlike medieval builders who spent years lifting heavy construction materials up from the River Salzach, this build was completed in just eight quick months. It took only one delivery of prefabricated wood, and by May 2023, they were opening the pool house doors for bathers to dive on in.

This pool house is not just a gorgeous place to take a slice off summer, though. It's also a low-carbon architectural wonder. The exposed wood invites and calms. There is also an extensive photovoltaic system and terrace roofing with PV modules, so the pool can generate enough energy to run itself at 68 kWpeak.