Versowood main office is designed as the new entrance to the largest private production area of sawn timber and further processed goods in Finland. The area around the office building is returned into its natural forest like character. The architecture of the building grows from the abstract simplification and appreciation of its natural surrounding. All the spaces open to their surroundings celebrating natural light and forest views. The building and its detailing are designed for a healthy working environment with a long lifespan.

Project team

Chief designer Pekka Pakkanen, project architect Antti Mikola

Client

Versowood

Year

2020- Construction 2024-

The Biodiversity Building project tackles present biodiversity crisis using three different approaches: The research part studies the effects of various construction materials and their production on the biodiversity of their original source. The project is designed to reduce earthworks, replacement of soil and quarrying, thus preserving the biodiversity of the soil during the construction process. The co-creation part of the project builds models for the inhabitants of the building to grow their own food minimizing the effects of agriculture on nature.

Preserving the natural values of the site

The chosen construction and the use of the building are designed to maintain the existing natural values and to add to them during the lifespan of the building. To reach this the project has chosen the following stretegic approaches.

The project utilizes prefabricated spatial timber elements to minimize the footprint of the construction work on site.

The common outdoor areas: recreation, play and outdoor services are located on the wide living corridors and the open attic floor of the building.

The construction site is not filled and flattened for the common reasons of construction logistics, fire engine routes and laying heavy concrete foundations.

Special quality of life in the biodiversity building

The building concept frees the apartment level sidewalks from fire regulation usage restrictions using a unique fire exit organization. Thus the sidewalks can be used as the common space and utilized for multiple functions from growing tomatoes to fixing bicycles.

The open living attic floor offers long views and maximizes natural light both for people and gardening activities. The open spaces between the storages and utility rooms can be organized freely to host the activities desired by the inhabitants. The attic has lift access so it is easily accessed also by wheel chair.

The apartments offer flexible open space that can be organized of divided using light furniture. Most of the solid wooden surfaces are exposed.

Link to project mid report (in Finnish only):

Project team

Pekka Pakkanen, Anna Kontuniemi, Qiubing Liu

in co-operation with Helma Landscape Architects, Timberbros and KK-Palokonsultit

Client

Y-Säätiö

Year

2020-

Villa Puutasku is built for a private customer on the Finnish South coast. The Villa complex includes a main building, guest house, sauna and a boathouse from earlier decades. The main buildings are placed on the border of the rocky shoreside and fertile inland creating various places of shelter from the harsh sea winds. The key architectural elements are the sheltering roofs and a geometry that opens views to two main vistas that dominate the site. The built pieces are located to preserve the special natural values of the site and to hide from the seaside views. The villa is built using simple structures and natural lo-carbon materials including cross-laminated timber to ensure a long and healthy lifespan.

Project team

Chief designer Pekka Pakkanen, Project architect Anna Kontuniemi, Design team Antti Mikola and Ella Kaira

Interior design Ilkka Mälkiäinen

Structural engineer Timber Bros. Built by Emmahus

Client

Private client

Year

2020-23

The City of Espoo organized an architectural competition for the new Center of Leppävaara to connect the southern and northern Leppävaara over an existing railroad line. We teamed Echo Urban Design, Raivo Bumann, SRV and Ramboll to develop a concept that utilizes the existing city structure and creates both a new connection with a transport hub and a human scale to the new center of Leppävaara.

Project team

Echo Urban Design, Planetary Architecture, Raivio Bumann, SRV and Ramboll

Competition organizer

The City of Espoo

Year

2023-24

The City of Kaarina organized an architectural competition for a Cultural Center with an Art Museum, City library, educational facilities and a Cinema. We teamed Mendoza-Partida architects to develop a concept that connects to the scale of the historical city, connects its parks to the waterfront and creates a flexible spacial structure using large scaled timber structures.

Project team

Mendoza-Parida, Planetary Architecture

Competition organizer

The City of Tartu

Year

2022-23

The Town of Kaarina organized an architectural competition for its new center. We teamed with Echo Urban Design, Raivio Bumann and Finchbuildings to develop a concept that integrates the forest biome and social fabric into inner-city development for small and medium-sized cities. This medium-sized city (30,000 inhabitants) is in the Turku agglomeration on the west side of Finland. The center is currently dominated by car usage, parking lots, and infrastructure, giving it an abandoned and undefined impression. The city hall, library, and various supermarkets are lost in space.

By introducing forestation to the flanks of the center and organizing the city further with a strongly branched and connected outdoor space around central areas, we establish connections with the newly planned light rail on the south side and connect with newly introduced parking hubs on the north side. This creates a car-free city center with a human scale, pleasant spaces, and identity-filled locations, providing space for new (collective) and social housing forms, spaces for entrepreneurs, stimulate experiments, and create places for learning and exposing.

The city center can be realized in wood, thereby becoming carbon neutral. By choosing a combination of modular construction and partially traditional construction, any possible form can be realized. By applying a maximum of 5 layers, we ensure the human scale, as well as construction speed and the possibilities of modular and wooden construction. We are looking forward to further developing our concept and taking steps in the coming years to transform other small and medium-sized, automobile-oriented cities into a sustainable, socio-ecological future.

Project team

Echo Urban Design, Planetary Architecture, Raivio Bumann, Finchbuildings

Competition organizer

The City of Kaarina

Year

2022-23

The City of Helsinki organized an international two phase architectural competition for the Makasiiniranta -area on the West Bank of the South Harbour of Helsinki. We teamed with Foster and Partners, Maanlumo, Hines and Ramboll to create a sustainable and flexible multi-use city block structure and to activate the Helsinki shoreline.

The core concept of the proposal was to establish a pedestrian route around the Helsinki peninsula that celebrates the unique views to open sea and activates the historic railway route around the center of the city to Katajanokka.

Project team

Foster + Partners, Planetary Architecture, Maanlumo Landscape Architects, Hines, Ramboll

Competition organizer

The City of Helsinki

Year

2021

Carbon free and Recycled Concrete in new future seminar, Concrete Industry

Biodiversity Building research project seminar, Y-Säätiö and Environmental Ministry

Serlachius Art Sauna has been designed in co-operation with Mendoza Partida Architectural Studio and BAX Studio. The Sauna is built in the national heritage park surrounding the Serlachius Art Museum in Mänttä. This architectural project mixes the sauna experience with exposure to carefully picked pieces of art.

https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12496194

Serlachius Art Sauna has been awarded with the National Concrete Architecture Prize 2022, it was chosen as one of the three candidates for the Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2022, and was chosen as the Travel Industry Innovation of the Year 2022.

https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12594586

https://www.arkkitehtuurinfinlandia.fi

https://yle.fi/a/74-20015905

Project team

Chief designer Pekka Pakkanen, Project architect Anna Kontuniemi, Antti Mikola and Simon Mahringer

in co-operation with Mendoza Partida Architecs / Architects Mara Partida and Hector Mendoza, BAX Studio / Architect Boris Bezan, Landscape Architect Gretel Hemgård, Structural engineer Konsultointi Kekki, HVAC Sweco, Construction Management Siriuspro and Ramboll

Client

Serlachius Art Foundation

Year

2019-22