Tahvonlahti primary school refurbishment and extention and kindergarten
Tahvonlahti, Helsinki
Year of completion: 2023
Gross floor area: 7 408 sqm
The school building facilitates teaching from 1st to 6th grade as well as early childhood education. The new extension completes the existing three-storey school building, which’s façade is sandblasted lime and is dated back to 1973 (designed by Helvi Mether-Borgström, HKR). The clean shape towards the street and light figure of the new building make the school a welcoming and easily approachable public building. The existing building will be thoroughly repaired. Although the surface of the exterior is renewed, the aim is to maintain its basic character.
The architecture of the new building is based on the functionality and on the characteristics of its surroundings. The daycare spaces and its yard are located at the east end of the building. The yard on the south side of the school is a scenic open bedrock area with pine trees. The aim is to preserve the existing unique nature. For this reason, asphalting and playgrounds are located near the school. Yard areas are also planned to be accessible. The maintenance access to the building is located on the north side while car parks can be found in the eastern part of the plot, with the exception of accessible parking spaces.
Teaching facilities form open classes for teaching that can be flexibly used for different types of teaching. The central hall and the associated multipurpose room with the auditorium combine spaces with each other, but it also serves as a teaching facility. The purpose of the layout is to divide and share spaces. The school building will provide facilities for a variety of leisure activities outside school time. This has been taken into account in the design of passageways and access control. IT installations take into account the requirements of the future learning environment.
 |
 |
Finno School and Day Care Centre
Espoo
Year of completion: 2002
Gross floor area: 6,090 sqm (new building), 737 sqm (refurbishment)
The Finno School and Daycare Centre building consists of two separate units, the rectangular school block and the day-care center with a shell-like floor plan. The massing and material choices are aiming to decrease the scale of the building. The scheme has been influenced by the steepness of the rocky site, need of traffic noise barrier and the existing old school building.
White and colored bag rendered brickwork complemented by pre-patinated sheet copper is the principal facade material. The southern side of the day-care center facade is dominated by stained wood stain cladding referencing to the old school building. The three-storey multi-function hall linking the canteen, library and assembly hall forms the heart of the building. The four units of the day-care center have been organized so that they all have an individual entrance.
|
|
Lehtisaari Day Care and Comprehensive School
Lehtisaari, Helsinki
Year of completion: 2013
Year of completion: 2013
Gross area: 1,550 sqm
Lehtisaari School and Day care centre is situated in Helsinki, as a part of the new Lehtisaari centre. The plot is lush and opens to the shore park. On the west side there is the Chapel of Saint Lauri.
The main spaces are first and second classes of the first grade school and a day care centre for three children groups. The common spaces like multipurpose hall and lobby area, suitable also for dining, serve both units and form the main space of the building. All spaces are on one level and can work independently with own entrances and serve the inhabitants of the area also in evenings.
The scale of the building is highest on the side of Kuusisaari street and the form of the central hall creates the dominant of the building. The winding roof descends towards the courtyard and surrounding parks. The main facade materials are light plastered brick, wood, copper and glass. The bearing structure is mainly wood, bottom floor and high walls of the main hall are reinforced concrete.
|
|
Pukinmäki Comprehensive School
Pukinmäki, Helsinki
Year of completion: 2000
Gross area: 3,684 sqm
The new extension of the Pukinmäki Comprehensive School in Helsinki was built in 2000 and it forms a mediating factor within an environment with a varied character.
The new building gathers aroud the entrance courtyard and demarcates a sheltered outdoor recreational space, which opens up the south. On the west side of the building, in the park-like part of the plot, are the yards and entrances for the youngest pupils. On the ground floor is the focus of the interior, a partly 2-storey high canteen and its auxiliary spaces. The classrooms for the youngest pupils gather around the central 2-storey high multi-purpose space. around the central space on the upper level are general classrooms, and artsclassroom and the staff room.
The facade material of the new part is Cor-Ten steel sheeting and lightly rendered lightweiht conkrete block, which together attempt to give the different parts of the large school their own recognisable character in terms of controlling the scale.
|
|
Kartano Day Care Centre
Sipoo
Year of completion: 2006
Gross floor area: 596 sqm
The design comprised building-, interior- and landscape design. The new building houses spaces for three day care groups with supporting spaces and office, technical and kitchen spaces. The main entrance is located in the center of the building and it opens up to the courtyard via glass walls. The group rooms and play and napping rooms can be connected by sliding doors. Various acoustics needs have been addressed by using absorbing materials on walls and ceilings where needed.
The mainly one storey high structure of the building is wooden and partly prefabricated. Facade materials are translucent treated wood and glass. Landscape design has been used to create natural playground areas to children of different ages. The courtyard has been equipped with canopys, hedges and pergolas that secure sheltered play spaces in different seasons of the year.
|
|