Tree nursery “Zābaki” by MARK Arhitekti

The tree nursery “Zābaki” is located within the Gauja National Park and is one property owned by a Latvian company, AS “Latvijas Finiers”. The new buildings expand on an existing facility with new buildings that transform the complex into a cohesive ensemble inspired by the Latvian rural homestead. The complex integrates new production, storage, and administrative buildings into the terrain using glulam and CLT structures.

Simple, untreated timber cladding continues the tradition of Latvian rural architecture. The experiment and innovation is the warehouse building, conceived as a “timber fridge” for seedling storage. Built with 180mm CLT walls and a ventilated roof without insulation, the structure relies on wood’s inherent thermal and hygroscopic properties to regulate its internal environment. Developed in collaboration with timber specialists and scientists, this high-risk, experimental approach has generated new scientific documentation regarding timber’s performance in construction.