Majamaja is a concept for a prefabricated free-time cabin. The external shape is customisable: the roof angle, the layout of the terrace and the facade material are chosen according to the site where it will be constructed. The type allows the cabins to be grouped into villages, thus sparing untouched nature.

The cabin does not have a sewage system, which allows it to be positioned according to the forms of the natural terrain. It can be set up on pillars without modifications to the terrain or installed on the water’s edge, or even above the water. The minimalistic, iconic shape of the cabin has its roots in the boatsheds of the archipelago. A version for the Mediterranean is under work, where the angle of the sun is different and the solar panels require a differently shaped roof.

The energy self-sufficiency of the Majamaja cabin is mainly achieved with solar panels. For energy storage, the cabins have batteries originally developed for military use. When there are several Majamaja cabins placed together, such as the five at Vuorilahdenniemi, Helsinki, it will be profitable to install one’s own wind-power unit as an energy source for the periods of darkness. Heating and cooking are handled by a gas appliance developed for caravans and boats.

Clean domestic water is produced from rainwater with a house-specific closed-loop water treatment appliance, which also recycles grey water for reuse. Nothing is let back into nature. The number of rainwater tanks can be increased in the space reserved for them in the floor construction. The urine-diverting dry toilet allows easy composting of the toilet waste for soil improvement.

The basis of the thinking behind Majamaja is to increase responsibility and the understanding of the limited resources and impact of one’s own actions upon them by bringing the energy and water supply as close as possible to the end user. This makes it possible to control waste management, as well as water and energy consumption, by changing one’s personal habits. The benefits are motivating because they are personal, immediate and visible.

Source: Architect Pekka Littow’s interview in the Finnish Architectural Review 2/2021

The teaching activities of the vocational college were integrated into the spaces of the upper secondary school. Due to these changes, new staff workspaces and break rooms were needed. The new part was designed to replace the demolished wing along Vuorikatu street – the place where the centre of Kajaani transforms into a low-rise housing area. In addition to the surroundings, the exterior form of the extension was determined by the many phases of the existing building complex, which was previously a business school, and the shape and height of the preserved auditorium.

The courtyard was also regarded important, so the extension was given two distinct faces. Towards the courtyard it seemed natural to have regular fenestration and a massing that complements the outdoor space, while on the Vuorikatu street side, the aim was to make a wooden building with a distinctly public character, albeit adapted to the scale of the surrounding residential buildings. The building consciously leaves some free space in the direction of street so as to maintain the importance of the auditorium in the composition.

The objective was to create an aesthetically and acoustically comfortable work environment, which would also look timeless. The consistent use of natural light and natural materials gave the spaces a sufficient calmness and character to withstand the fixtures inevitably associated with the work environment. Functionally, the task was approached by dividing the room programme into three zones – student services, workspaces and break rooms – the location of which was determined by their use and degree of publicness.

The design of the workspaces came together specifically from the users’ viewpoint, as the project brought together upper secondary school and vocational school staff, and the change was considerable. It was important for them that the building would house a suitably-sized team with a shared culture, which led to the idea of ​​grouping the fixed workstations in units the size of the teaching subject groups operating in the building. In addition, there was a need for an area suitable for joint work or short-term use and a sufficient number of quiet spaces for confidential discussions with, for instance, students and families.

In addition to the nearby-felled and renewable carbon pool, the physical and architectural properties of the solid building frame are the most significant, which will hopefully give the building a long lifecycle. The moderate amount of construction was also a conscious decision; the total area and volume of the building was significantly reduced with the new, smaller wing, and the renovation made the use of the entire building more efficient. Various technical solutions have also been used, such as a geothermal system for heating and cooling.

Source: Architect Ville-Pekka Ikola’s interview in the Finnish Architectural Review 2/2021

The Saukonlaituri parking facility and the recently completed parking facility along Atlantinkaari street (Inaro, 2020) are examples of the City of Helsinki’s investment in architecturally ambitious mobility infrastructure in Jätkäsaari. The developer is the city-owned Jätkäsaaren Pysäköinti Oy. The parking solutions are implied in a variety of other aspects that determine the design and construction of the area: an excavated underground parking facility also functions as a civil defence shelter, and the centrally located parking facilities allow the surrounding residential blocks to have lusher ground-level courtyards instead of raised yard decks. The parking facilities have been justified primarily by cost: they are a cheaper solution than the other available options. At the same time, substantially more than simply financial savings are achieved.

The parking facility is located in an area of newly completed buildings, ongoing construction sites and vacant plots. The surroundings should be completed by 2025 at the earliest, so the facility will be a key landmark for years to come. The pentagonal multi-storey mass, the size of a small urban block, takes its place in the urban structure bordered by the surrounding streets. The south side of the building mass is stepped with ramps and strips that support shoreline vegetation, creating a sloping route and an area where people can gather, that extends all the way up to the roof level. The artificial slope can be interpreted as a reminder of the island of Utter which existed on this location more than a hundred years ago, though its immediate significance can be found through its use, that is, as an alternative route to the parking floors and even as a place for spending time. The slope also relaxes the parking facility’s relationship with its neighbours, allowing for longer vistas and increased sunlight for the surrounding apartments.

The herringbone-patterned facade cladding comprised of bars of burnt clay gives each side of the building a cohesive and recognisable look. The different shades of the bars, which lighten towards the top floors, also bring a vibrancy to the otherwise restrained decoration of the abstract surfaces. The orientation of the facade bars is in line with the directions of the ramps, and their dimensions and spacing are based on technical requirements: to allow for smoke extraction and to prevent any disturbing headlight glare from the cars circulating in the parking facility.

The various architectural solutions in the parking facility form a seamless whole; the different parts refer to each other, to the location, and to the use of the building through the choices of materials, form, and composition. In terms of its stepped terraces, the Saukonlaituri parking facility is derived from designs that utilise the parking and traffic conditions as tools for the generation of form, as in MVRDV’s Carstadt study (1995) or the Mountain Dwellings (2008) in Ørestad, Copenhagen, designed by PLOT and JDS. The contemporary geometric ornamentation of the facades ties the building to the present moment and, at the same time, is intrinsically connected to the forms of the building. The uniform and systematic impression is delightfully broken by the green heart found unexpectedly in the very core of the facility – at the bottom of the light well is a boulder-filled and lush stormwater retention area with ferns, giving rise to a highly charged experience, especially on a rainy day. The ceramic vessel shelters something more valuable than the vehicles it stores.

Source: Tommy Lindgren’s review published in Finnish Architectural Review 2/2021

Aarne Ervi’s modernist villa in Espoo, Finland has been sensitively refurbished in keeping with its original character. Three new wooden buildings were also added as part of the project.

The project started off with a historic building survey that encompassed Ervi’s drawings as well as the history of the site as a whole. The restoration was carried out in close collaboration with the City of Espoo’s Building Control team and Espoo City Museum. The priority for the client was to ensure that the main building, the caretaker’s home and the furniture within them remained as close to the original as possible and that features that had been changed over the years would be restored to their original state. For example,  materials that had been specified by Ervi himself were used. The project was also an opportunity to update the utilities and other building systems and to replace the insulation that had become worn out over time.

The flooring in the main building’s living area had to be replaced, but the new material chosen for the room forms a pleasing continuum with the other materials present. The kitchen and bathroom were updated but in keeping with the feel of the house. They now add a new layer to the building’s history. The original light fixtures have been restored and retained almost throughout, and they are complemented by a few carefully selected vintage lamps.

Ervi’s design principles were followed in terms of the relationship between the scenery and the buildings. Ervi’s intention was to allow open views of the lake, and he placed the main building in the middle of the site, halfway down the garden as it slopes gently towards the water. As you approach the house by road, the first thing you see is one of the older buildings, originally intended as a caretaker’s home. Then, as the view of the lake emerges, a stone path draws your eyes towards the main house, the real pièce de résistance here. The new buildings have been positioned to assert a new boundary for the site without overwhelming the views across the lake.

Alongside the caretaker’s house, visitors are now greeted by a new wooden car shed, an elegant dark structure topped with a traditional tarred shingle roof. Another new build, known as the writer’s studio, is built on top of an old stone cellar between the main building and the caretaker’s house to provide privacy from the adjacent park. The studio’s glazed walls provide views of both the lake and the park.

A new sauna was built to replace the original structure which dated back to 1939 and was now beyond repair. The sauna is situated at the foot of a slope, and a retaining wall has been built there to prevent weather-induced soil movement. The wall provides a sheltered spot for an outdoor kitchen and the sauna’s technical facilities. Between them, the dark concrete wall and the sauna’s lighter log wall create a space for a barbecue kitchen and seating area, shaded by vines. Viewed from the garden, the dark sauna building, complete with a sedum roof, effortlessly blends into the surrounding landscape.

What was set out to achieve here was a meaningful dialogue between the old and the new. The new buildings contrast with the straight, horizontal lines and white forms created by Ervi. A series of highly conscious choices were made in terms of both the materials and design language, as the goal was to highlight the characteristic features of Ervi’s designs and to give the new buildings a well-defined and sculptural character. However, the new buildings are subordinate to the existing structures and every care has been taken to ensure that they blend into the landscape.

The new builds’ wooden structures have been complemented with a dark matt steel finish on the window and door frames as well as other details. There are also touches of copper, which we specified for the sauna chimneys. Ervi himself also made use of wood and copper accents. The materials come together to form a continuum of their own, whilst the wood and the traditional building methods contrast with the modernist design language, materials and techniques employed by Ervi. The buildings are now engaged in a dialogue with one another, as Ervi’s 1950s technological optimism meets our present-day, resource-aware approach, paving the way for new generations to come.

Outtakes from OOPEAA Architects Anssi Lassila & Iida Hedberg’s interview in Finnish Architectural Review 2/2021

The housing concept was made to be user-oriented. On the basis of user studies and workshops,  various kinds of resident profiles were defined that helped understand how different kinds of residents and their needs should be considered during the various phases of the project.

Conventionally, sheltered housing has fulfilled people’s basic needs, i.e. physiological and safety needs. However, the architects wanted to study which solutions could be used for satisfying needs that are located higher up in the hierarchy of needs, such as social cohesion, esteem, self-actualisation and self-transcendence. The goal was to to support and encourage communality and bring the feelings of being important and meaningful to the residents’ daily life.

The building is located on a visible spot by an access route to the residential area of Puistonmäki. As the building is quite tall, it is a recognisable landmark in the area. On both sides of the building, there are park areas, making the views verdant and spacious, which affected the design and orientation of the flats.

During the different phases of the design work, the focus was on how to observe the various social needs of the residents. The lobbies located on the floors are a key link between one’s own flat and the shared facilities downstairs. The purpose of the lobby is to make it easier for residents to leave their flats and go and have a cup of coffee and read a newspaper in the lobby. This way, they will also have a chance to get to know their neighbours on the same floor. From this semi-private space, it is much easier to go to the more public space downstairs.

The aim was also to create sheltered places where one can spend time alone or in a smaller group. For instance, there is a lounge next to the restaurant and the entrance hall. It is an atmospheric place for reading a book or watching the television by the fireplace.

Most of the dwellings are fairly small one-room flats that have different areas for different activities, such as cooking, meals, spending time, sleeping and washing. They have been located in different parts of the flat, which allows for short walks in the flat. The same principle has been followed in larger two-room flats. Each flat has a large glazed balcony that also brings nature and plants close to those whose functional capacity has decreased.

The yard and its buildings are very central elements. The premise was to create various kinds of zones and a walking route that connects the zones. An active yard encourages residents to participate in urban gardening, and doing things together promotes communality. In the garden, the residents can enjoy sensory experiences, such as scents and the sound of flowing water.

The wood-burning sauna in the yard offers a place for relaxation, and a shared sauna evening once a week can function as an important social event. The heating of the sauna and the chopping of firewood can be rehabilitating and meaningful activities for residents.

Outtakes from Architect Sampsa Palva’s interview in Finnish Architectural Review 1/2021

The overall concept is based on a proposal that was submitted to the invited competition which ran back in 2012. The idea here was to create four terraced buildings that sweep upwards from the centre, and EduCity represents phase one of this plan.

The aim was to build learning environments for the future, including some that would be open plan and others that are more traditional and enclosed. The spaces that ultimately were created are all highly adaptable and feature operable walls and curtains that can be used to make them bigger and smaller depending on what’s needed. All the spaces intended for quiet working have been fitted with glass walls, while the co-working cafes are located in out-of-the-way areas, close to roof terraces.

The plan was to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of certification available. The rating is calculated using a number of different features: this building has green roofs, for example, and heating is provided by solar panels and geothermal energy. Also, the building itself is used for higher education purposes. For example, the ventilation plant room is bigger than it otherwise would be.

The atrium actually dates back to the Science Park detailed plan. Silk screen printed glass was used for the skylight to control the amount of light entering the space. The office and learning spaces open out into the atrium, and the wooden features, or “dice”, that project into the space create an engaging and visually interesting finish. The dice are built with the building’s acoustics in mind and are designed to reduce the echo here. The Stairway of Skills descend from the foyer into the building’s restaurant.

From the outset, the client was looking for a concrete building. What was created is a design featuring a raised square pattern on the facade, which is what the seemingly random window placement takes its cue from. Following a decision by the city council,  the facade material had to change and opted for the handmade Kolumba tiles, which link EduCity with the brick-built DataCity building next door. The Kolumba tiles were originally created for the Kolumba Museum in Cologne by the architect Peter Zumthor. The brickwork finish allows for an interesting and nuanced articulation. The plant room is clad in an aluminium-magnesium alloy which creates a brilliant visual link with the ICT-City building next door.

The aim was to create a look that would blend academia with a more industrial feel. The finishes are robust and, internally, the concrete is visible as a structural and aesthetic element. The slatted timber walls create a softer, Nordic feel and the colourful floors and textiles add a sense of joy.

Outtakes from Architects Pekka Mäki’s interview in Finnish Architectural Review 1/2021

The plot has been demarcated from the street with a long wall that shelters the yard. The wall consists of the main building and outbuildings. A noise report, which was carried out during the sketching phase, also affected the solution. The sizeable windows that extend to the floor level have been dimensioned according to their principal users – the children. On the street side, the purpose of the large windows is also to create an image of a building that is smaller than it actually is.

Due to the bilingualism,  divided the functional concept was divided into two parts. The Finnish-speaking groups are located at the southern end of the long building, the Swedish-speaking groups at the northern end, and they have shared facilities in the mid-part of the building. An outdoor ramp divides the yard into areas for Finnish- and Swedish-speaking children. The division of such a large number of children into two can also be seen as an advantage.

The daycare centre and the school form a pair of public buildings. This pair can also be perceived as a gate, in terms of the cityscape, between the different parts of Isokaari street. During the sketching phase, the characteristics of the buildings constructed along Isokaari Street in the 1950s and 1960s were studied. The design of the daycare centre reflects the architecture of the time, but, however, brought up to the present day.

It is a work of art that consists of many parts. There is a large textile hanging on the wall of the daycare centre’s hall, lighting fixtures in staircases and carvings in stones in the yard. The so-called percentage financing art project began during the sketching phase of the building, and the art project was carried out together with the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM). According to the percentage financing, approximately one per cent of the construction budget of the city’s major public building projects is allocated to art acquisitions. The architect didn’t steer the location of the artworks but the artist herself made a proposal. The hanging textile is a key part of the artwork: it is like a map. Some parts of the map recur in the other two parts of the artwork. In addition to the architect, the sketch was also commented on by representatives of the future users of the building.

Outtakes from Architect Antti Luutonen’s interview in Finnish Architectural Review 1/2021

Playa Architects’ Bredanportti apartment block is a newcomer that feels effortless, standing at the intersection of the old and new. On the street side it is a dignified townhouse with large ground-level windows, while on the side towards the wooded slope it lowers in height and reives a sort of tail in the form of two-storey terraced houses. The apartment building is designed to be approachable on foot and is of a relatively moderate size. The slight recess from the street line and the square in front of the building provide the gestures typical of a small town, rather than an urban centre, and here they feel appropriate.

In the cold sunshine on a frosty day, the luminous white building seems to take its place with particular confidence, with the roof line lightly puffed up and the awnings giving a celebratory feel to the street level. The white, stripped balconies – and even their open base level with carefully laid out boulders – provide a sufficiently clear yet referential link to the sugar-cube elegance of the 1960s.

According to the scheme’s main architect, Tuukka Vuori, the project, which started through a site allocation competition, proved to be a surprisingly complicated task on a complex plot, despite its relatively small size. The Bredanportti apartments are rental apartments commissioned by the developer A-Kruunu, and follow the state-backed ARA loan criteria. Achieving affordable housing has required making cost-effective and straightforward spatial and material choices, something which the architects, nevertheless, have been able to translate into a clear design solution.

The building’s occasionally cool appearance is counter-balanced by friendly details and cleverly chosen colours. At closer inspection, it turns out that the building’s ethereal glow is created by the silver paint on the concrete surfaces and the warm yellow colour reflected from the balcony ceilings.

All the dwellings, with the exception of those on the ground level, are accessed via a single common stairwell. The combination of a centrally placed stair core and external access balcony, despite the stringency, has enabled a diverse distribution of apartments; the apartments range from single-room to two-room dual-aspect apartments and two-storey terraced houses. The sizes of the dwellings balance on the knife’s edge of affordable spatial economy and sufficient space, so that they usually allow for alternative furnishing solutions, even if the bedrooms end up small. The space formed by the living room, kitchen and dining area can be arranged in alternative ways, and there is a natural place for the dining table, which is nowadays no longer always the case. The spacious balconies, divided into glazed and unglazed zones on all sides of the building, add an extra quality to the dwellings that the architects did not want to compromise on. The corner apartments have a balcony of several tens of square metres and a door leading out to the balcony from both the living room and bedroom.Three of the apartments include a large work or living space on the street level with its own entrance beneath an awning. It brings flexibility to living and working, something that has been put to the test over the past year. The premise behind such a solution is a deviation from the provision for business space indicated in the town plan, which would have been the best solution for local services. The compromise has nevertheless been successful.

Source: Sanna Meriläinen’s review in Finnish Architectural Review 1/2021

The four-apartment terraced house, built in a listed railway station park in Helsinki, is constructed with solid wood structures and has natural ventilation, the use of which is supported by a high attic created by a steep gable roof. Solid structures and natural ventilation are the basis of the architectural firm Livady’s work.

The building’s base is made of natural stone, while the air flues and firewalls separating the apartments are built of brick. The solid wood external walls utilise so called wave layered timber (WLT) elements, which contain no glue and are attached together with steel threaded rods. Inside, the walls are plastered with clay. Sawdust was meant to be used as insulation, but due to availability problems, cellulose wool was used instead.

The roof was made of around 6,000 recycled and reconditioned tiles originally manufactured by Kupittan Savi. The building is envisioned to have a lifespan of 400 years.

The features of the new building were designed to match those of the existing building stock around the plot: the residential buildings, a guardhouse built in the first decade of the 20th century and the Huopalahti Railway Station completed in 1921 and designed by architect Bruno F. Granholm. The design task included the renovation of an old red brick sauna and laundry building, which has now been refurbished to serve the residents.

Kaupunginkallio estate in the Tapiola area of Espoo is part of the core of the nationally significant garden city. Most of the buildings are based on designs of Aarne Ervi from the 1950s and 1960s, with the interactive relationship between nature and the built-up environment used as the main starting point of building design.

Three new apartment buildings have risen in the area. The winning entry of the architectural competition organised for the project was described as a modern interpretation of architecture characteristic of Tapiola. The clean lines make the buildings timeless and straightforward in nature. Balconies protruding as cantilevered structures alternate with white plastered walls on the facades of the buildings. Penthouses with individual terraces are located on the roofs of the point-access buildings as fifth floors.

The ground floor of the buildings is built of units cast of white concrete toned with black in steel formwork. The facade surface of the fifth-floor penthouse apartments, on the other hand, is a shiny black clinker brick surface with joints of concrete toned with black. The facades of floors 1 – 4 consist of an insulated render system. The buildings have a total of 40 apartments ranging from one-bedroom 60-square metre to almost 280-square metre penthouse apartments. The layout plans are versatile allowing modifications according to different life stages. Every apartment has its own mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and a cooling function.

Text summarized from Sirkka Saarinen’s article in Betoni 1/ 2014.

The Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre was built in 1975 on a beautiful rocky island, Hanaholmen, between Helsinki and Espoo. It has been classified as a building of architectural and cultural history value. Designed by architect Veikko Malmio, the building with its exposed-aggregate facade panels represents rational construction of its own time. However, it also respects the unique natural environment and terrain surrounding it.

The renovation was designed by Kirsi Korhonen and Mika Penttinen Architects. The interior facilities to be preserved included the impressive sauna and pool area with sea views, an after-sauna room with an open fireplace and a restaurant, as well as the corridors in the former training centre. The character of the facades was also to be preserved.

The exposed-aggregate panels representing subtle expressivity are the most visible element of the building. The archipelago weather conditions had left them in extremely poor condition and the replacement of these panels was one of the most important tasks in the renovation project. The character of the internal facilities was to remain unchanged, while implementing the technical changes necessary for the current use of the building. An office level lighter in construction and non-clashing with the original expression was created as a new facility. The new exposed-aggregate panels imitate the original panels. The crushed feldspar from Kemiö that was used in them comes from the same region as the material of the original facade panels.

The walls of the new office level with a steel frame are mostly glass walls. The facade is wrapped in a copper net that protects the structures, providing shade and reducing the thermal loads caused by the sun. Many of the protected internal facilities look identical to the original, but the floor in the restaurant and the ceiling in the lobby are new structures. All the building services were replaced, and as a rule, concealed inside the structures.

There is a pleasant 1970s atmosphere in the building which is filled with high-class art. Landscaping carried out in the outdoor areas emphasises the presence of the majestic pines. 

At the southwestern tip of Jätkäsaari, the park ends and the sea begins. The unique location starts to take shape, even though the surrounding city is still being built. As the wind whines overhead and there are knee-high drifts of snow, it is easy to see that we are at the edge of Helsinki, only facing the passenger terminal of the West Harbour and the archipelago scenery.

Kvarteret Isabella, or the Isabella block, is located along Melkinlaituri and can be seen far away, across the Atlantinsilta bridge. According to principal designer Kirsi Korhonen, they focused on the design of the cityscape of the Isabella block and studied its dimensions, colours and materials. 

The idea was to depart from the row of dark brick buildings, and, therefore, light grey bricks were chosen for the facades of the last block. The roughness of the bricks has been highlighted by the briskly spread mortar. A discreet, light-coloured basic part of the building forms a pair with a slender tower that has been clad with anodized aluminium. The material and size of the tower are fairly similar to those of the passenger terminal on the other side of the bridge. The small recesses and the sharp folds in the facade lay the block confidently in its place. 

In this part of Jätkäsaari, the architecture is based on classic urban design elements: the tower serves as an endpoint of the view and there is a small square called Madeiranaukio next to the tower. The square has been enclosed on three of its sides. The location has obvious potential – it would be pleasant to see a restaurant terrace on the ground floor level of the tower, on the edge of the square.

According to Korhonen, the idea of the strongly structured metal cladding of the tower was to bring a feeling of lightness to the prominent location and create a contrast to the rows of brick bulldings. Hence, the sharp-edged and dimly glowing surface of the tower is different from the standard repertoire of housing construction. The windows and balconies have been framed in a handsome manner, facing the sea. 

In the inner courtyard, the temperate, confident architecture becomes, in places, even too cold, as there are not many other colours or materials alongside the light grey and white. The small, homely courtyard continues from one plot to another and manages to tame the sea wind.

The three buildings have dwelling types that have been tailored to various needs. The large windows in the rental flats reach out for the sea, and the spaces connect openly to each other via a living space and an open-plan kitchen. The flats range from two-room flats on the lower floors to luxurious penthouses. As regards the one-room student housing flats with slightly more than twenty square metres, attention was paid to the creation of a sufficient width of the living space, allowing practical furnishing of the flats.

There are separate kitchens in the family homes of the foundation, as this way, there is also a light-filled place for dining in these homes. The recessed balconies play an important role in the balanced organisation of the light-filled spaces.

Summarized from Sanna Meriläinen’s article in Finnish Architectural Review 2/2022