Namika Arena presented in the Finnish magazine of concrete construction.
Hyytiälä forestry field station presented in the leading Finnish Architectural Magazine.
Concrete Facade – Architecture prize, 1st prize
Namika Areena is the flagship sports facility of the Helsinki YMCA in Pakila, Helsinki. Situated by the Ring I, the busiest road in Finland, the quality of the building’s architecture was held to an especially high standard. The colour of the concrete façade was accomplished through Umbra colour patination, and it’s shade was inspired by a traditional leather basketball. The building and its façade is split into two sections by a canyon that separates the main sports facilities from each other, while also allowing the indoor spaces to be in touch with the cityscape outside.
Basketball games are televised in the world-class Areena court, while another multi-activity court and a diverse selection of exercise facilities provide for auxiliary training. Despite its main use for YMCA basketball, the sports facilities of Namika Areena are used by neighbourhood schools during daytime, as well as by other associations providing leisure activities in the evenings.
Several street basketball and two padel courts are situated in the grounds. During major events, they provide additional parking space. Some locker rooms can be accessed directly from the outside, serving the local football club’s airdome across the yard. To avoid interfering with the surrounding nature, a resting pole provides a route for flying squirrels to cross the yard safely. The yard has been designed by Nomaji Landscape Architects.
University of Helsinki organised a competition to design and realise a new main building for Hyytiälä forestry field station in 2020. We won the competition in collaboration with Siklatilat. The station hosts year-round facilities for field work and scientific meetings. The new main building is designed to adopt to the scale of the old courtyard: the building is split into four small pavilions under a connecting roof. The main volume with learning spaces and the restaurant is visible from the entrance driveway, wishing visitors welcome and opening up the acitivities of the station to the surroundings. The accommodation rooms are each accessible from the terrace, creating the atmosphere of a single outdoor cabin in the woods. The new building will serve as a living lab for wooden architecture during its lifespan.
awarded for excellent credit rating for 10 consecutive years
Halkosuontie School presented in the Finnish Wood Magazine.
3rd prize
We won the Pakilanpuisto campus alliance competition in collaboration with Architects Frondelius+Keppo+Salmenperä in 2018. The competition was set to decide the locations of schools, kindergartens and sports facilities in the precious natural and cultural environment of Pakilanpuisto. The functions of the school was divided onto two different lots on the area, however a safe route between them was secured. The schools also utilise the facilities of Namika Areena, a sports hall designed by us, also located in the area.
The school at Halkosuontie lot is for children from 3rd to 9th grade. It consists of two buildings: the old Pakila primary school that was refurbished, and an extension that is visually submissive to the existing building. The extension is one of the first schools of wooden construction ordered by the City of Helsinki. The existing school has a pitched roof that inspired the shape of the extension. Although the façade of the extension has a masonry finish to match with the old, wooden finishes are widely visible indoors.
In addition to basic education, the school at Halkosuontie hosts new spaces for youth work and diverse leisure activities. As a specialty, both schools in Pakilanpuisto have the first learning spaces in Helsinki that are specifically directed towards severely disabled children.
On the Elontie lot, the construction of the building for children from kindergarten to 2nd grade has begun in 2022.
We won the mini competition to design Vanhainen Kindergarten in Northern Helsinki in 2020. The kindergarten creates a landmark by the neighborhood’s main road Soittajantie. The kindergarten has learning environments for 224 children, and it also serves the community for gathering and evening activities. Our concept has a playful threefold roof, which slopes towards the courtyard, forming a sheltered terrace area. Wood is used both on the exterior and interior. The project will qualify for Joutsenmerkki environmental certificate.