The building will be several floors high and, unusually for a property of that size, is being constructed primarily of wood.

The development will include a nature museum, café and conference area, and is due to open in 2027, as well as office space for state environmental agencies.
State real estate agency Riigi Kinnisvara AS (RKAS) announced the tender for the construction, at Vesilennuk 12, currently an open space in the vicinity of the Seaplane Harbor Museum, at the end of 2022.

Designed by the architects Kavakava and being built by Nordecon, the construction will cost an estimated €54.3 million exclusive of VAT.

At the time, construction of what was originally known as the "Environmental House" (Keskkonnamaja) was being planned, the Ministry of Climate was initially also on the list of institutions set to move into the facility, but it emerged last fall that the ministry would not be making that move after all, and the state began looking for a tenant for the vacant space.

Another change has been the name of the building, which is now to be "Taru."

This change cost €4,340; the climate ministry hired PR agency Miltton for this purpose. Karoli Noor, head of the climate ministry's communications department, noted that had the name been chosen via a public tender, the cost would have been a couple of hundred euros more.

"During the strategic creative process, naming practices of similar buildings in Estonia and abroad were mapped, different name options and associations were analyzed and discussed, and ultimately the name Taru was chosen," Noor said.

"The term 'Nature House' is quite generic," Noor went on, referencing existing buildings like the Pernova Hariduskeskus nature house in Pärnu, and a similar development in Tartu. "We needed a new name that was distinctive yet fitting, reflecting the relationship between humans and the environment." Noor added that the name should be internationally recognizable, given the building's potential as a landmark.

The building will have around 570 workplaces, while the planned natural history museum will open its doors in 2027. A café and conference area are also set to be included in the development.

"Taru is an example of coexistence between humans and nature," said director Riina Roosipuu. "It's a smart space for addressing challenges in economy, society, and the environment. The building will be open for visits this autumn."

The plan to build a seaside wooden "environmental house" was on the table for several years before building started. The plan is that the facility will be a showpiece example of Estonian wooden-building know-how and would house state agencies in the relevant fields.

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