Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Natural Sciences

A new building for the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Natural Sciences will be constructed in the Kumpula Campus of the University of Helsinki. The Kumpula Campus is dedicated to research and teaching in the natural sciences, making it an ideal location for the upper secondary school. Next to the campus is also located the Kumpula Botanic Garden and the Geological Collections which are part of the Finnish Natural History Museum Luomus. The move of the 900-student school from the Käpylä area to Kumpula will take place in August 2023.     

The architectural firm AFKS is behind the project of the new school building. The firm is known for several school and day-care centre projects. In terms of the character and scale, the building will be similar to the other existing building stock in the area. What makes the new building special in the area, is its wood construction.      

The aesthetics of the new high school building represent strictly cubical wooden structured minimalistic architecture. The cubic shape is only broken by a diagonal retraction under the roof ledge.     

The Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Natural Sciences will be Finland’s first five-storey wooden school building. It is an example that a CLT-based solution can also be used in projects where concrete has been previously considered the only possible structure material in light of fire safety regulations.