Haaga low-rise
Type: building and landscape design
Client: Woodberg Oy
Status: completion 2023
Timeline: 2020–2023
Location: Haaga, Helsinki
Scope: 830 m² (11 dwelling units)
Team: Antti Lehto (principal designer), Hanna Mattila and Emilia Ellilä (project architects), Anni-Mari Anttola (landscape architect), Jovana Lukić, Riku Kuukka
Photography: Mika Huisman / Decopic, Emilia Ellilä (construction)
This low-rise block echoes the area’s existing pitched roofs and plastered architecture from the 1950s and 1960s.
Location
Situated on an infill site within the existing low-rise residential district of Haaga, Helsinki, which was originally laid out in the 1950s and 1960s.
Blending in
Haagan Artturi reinterprets the architectural themes of its surroundings in a contemporary fashion. The timber elevations are both contrasting and harmonious with the plastered facades of its neighbours.
Although the street elevation is apparently simple and uncluttered, its detailing reveals the building’s real architectural character and aesthetic.
Low-carbon design and prefabrication
The project’s carbon footprint has been minimized with massive timber construction and geothermal heating. Building in prefabricated spatial units has reduced the duration of the construction phase and improved on-site logistics.
Wood and light
A majority of the apartments open out in three directions, and large windows introduce an abundance of sunlight to their interiors. There are striking views from the large balconies towards the forested outcrops of the rear yard.
By the compact sizing of the building type and implementation of neutral dimensioning for habitable rooms, we were able to achieve versatile apartments. The structural solution in massive timber units enabled large exposed wooden surfaces for the interiors.
