PUUKUOKKA HOUSING BLOCK

PUUKUOKKA HOUSING BLOCK

The Finnish architect Anssi Lassila was born in Soini 1973. He graduated with the grade “excellent” and

a special mention from the Department of Architecture, University of Oulu 2002. Anssi Lassila lives and

works in Seinäjoki and in Helsinki, Finland. He is the founder and the principal partner of OOPEAA Office

for Peripheral Architecture. OOPEAA works on a large variety of different types of projects: churches,

office buildings, housing, private residences, interior design and renovations. It has offices in Seinäjoki

and Helsinki, Finland, and it currently employs a staff of 10. The office has been rewarded with significant

awards and nominations and has won several prizes in architecture competitions.

OOPEAA strives for an architecture that finds its inspiration in the state of being in-between – between

urban and rural, but always in relationship to both; between a deep respect for tradition and an

appreciation of the contemporary; rooted in the local and yet part of a larger international context. Our

work is characterized by a strong interest in the way different materials naturally behave. Yet, we are also

fascinated by the possibility of experimenting with new techniques and innovative solutions. The work of

OOPEAA is about venturing into the borderline and finding the edge. It is about identifying possibilities in

the place where an understanding of tradition meets an open attitude towards the new.

OOPEAA OFFICE FOR PERIPHERAL ARCHITECTURE

CONTACTS

Seinäjoki Office

Tiedekatu 2

FI-60320 Seinäjoki

Finland

tel. +358 (0) 6 4141225

Helsinki Office

Tehtaankatu 29A

FI-00150 Helsinki

Finland

tel. +358 (0) 50 3648305

[email protected]

PUUKUOKKA HOUSING BLOCK

location Jyväskylä, FInland

client Lakea Oy

commission direct commission

year 2011 (commission) - 2014 (first apartments ready) - 2015 (completion block 1) - 2016 (2nd and 3rd phase)

size 18,650 m² (floor area, whole construction): 14,000 m² (apartments); 4,650 m² (shared facilities)

architect in charge Anssi Lassila

project architects Juha Pakkala (construction stage), Iida Hedberg (design process stage), Jussi-Pekka Vesala (master

plan stage)

other team members Mia Salonen, Teemu Hirvilammi, Hanna-Kaarina Heikkilä, Santtu Hyvärinen

Completed in 2014 (first apartments ready) / 2015 (final completion), Puukuokka One is the first eight-story high wooden

apartment building in Finland. It explores the potential of modular prefabricated CLT construction to meet the goal

of providing high quality, environmentally responsible and affordable housing. Commissioned and built by Lakea, it

is an energy-efficient and ecological trio of multi-story wood-framed apartment buildings in the Jyväskylä suburb of

Kuokkala, neighbouring the Kuokkala Church also designed by OOPEAA.

The Puukuokka apartment complex is comprised of three 6-8-storey buildings. The first building in the Puukuokka

complex is now complete and the other two buildings will be built over the next two years. The complex offers 150 flats

with a combined floor area of approximately 10,000 m2. Phase 1 includes 58 apartments that range in size from 54m2

one-bedroom units to 76m2 three-bedroom units.

In Puukuokka, the goal was to find a solution that makes the best possible use of the technical and aesthetic qualities

of CLT and to create a wooden building in large scale with a distinct architectonic expression of its own. The goal was

to create a building that combines the sense of warmth and privacy of a single-family dwelling with the semi-public

character of the shared spaces of an apartment building. The vision is to provide the residents with a functional space

rich in experiential qualities.

Puukuokka served as a pilot case to develop and test a CLT based system of volumetric modules. Working with CLT

enabled several important aspects in the project: The use of CLT made it possible to create a spacious hallway and

atrium space with a lot of light realized in an energy efficient manner as a semi-warm space. Thanks to the insulating

qualities of massive wood, the use of CLT allows for controlling the temperature of the individual apartments

independently from that of the shared hallway space. In addition, the use of prefabricated volumetric CLT modules

made it possible to integrate the piping for heat, water, electricity and ventilation in the wall structure in the hallway

making it easily accessible for maintenance and repair. This arrangement also allows for an efficient organization of the

plan and making it possible to maximize the space allotted for each apartment.

The entire load bearing structure and frame is made of massive wood and composed of prefabricated volumetric CLT

modules. The prefabricated modules are made of spruce. Each apartment is composed of two modules, one housing

the living room, the balcony and the bedroom, the other housing the bathroom, the kitchen and the foyer area. The use

of prefabricated modules made it possible to cut the construction time on site down to six months and to reduce the

exposure to weather conditions. That made it possible to achieve a higher quality in the end result. Working with CLT

also made it possible to create a building with a primary load bearing structure and frame fully made of wood. The CLT

modules are prefabricated in a local factory in Hartola less than two hours away from the site of Puukuokka.

Also the facade elements that are prepared separately and brought to site ready for assembly are entirely of wood.

Spruce has been used in the facades facing the street, and untreated larch had been used in the interior courtyard side.

The spruce has been treated with a coat of dark paint and the larch in the interior courtyard will turn silvery grey over

time.

In the interior spaces, the wooden CLT structure has been left exposed in the ceilings and in the floors and staircases

of the hallways. However, the walls have been covered with gypsum board partly to avoid an appearance of too much

wood in the interiors as well as to fulfil the regulations mandated by law for fire safety. The apartments have parquet

flooring. The flooring of the hallway areas is made of bridge-like CLT elements.

The town plan created in collaboration with the City of Jyväskylä has been tailored to meet the needs of the building

complex. That has made it possible to count only part of the shared spaces as part of the permitted building volume. In

order to preserve the naturally hilly landscape of the site, as much of the bedrock has been left untouched as possible.

The building follows the contours of the site in order to minimize disturbance to the underlying bedrock and existing

vegetation. The building complex is built on a concrete foundation with indoor parking spaces offered on the basement

level.

Puukuokka pilots an innovative lease-to-own financing strategy that aims to support social sustainability by promoting

stable communities. A 7% down payment on the purchase price of an apartment allows the purchaser to secure a

state guaranteed loan, and, through rental payments over a period of 20 years, the purchaser gradually acquires full

ownership of the unit. The sales price is negotiated and agreed upon when the lease is signed.

Puukuokka has been awarded the Finlandia Prize for Architecture in 2015 and the Wood Award in 2015 as well as the

Canadian Wood Design and Architecture Award 2015-2016, and the Resident Act of the Year Award in 2015. It has also

been selected as one of the three highlighted projects in the Biannual Review of Finnish Architecture in 2016.

0 5 10 20 m

0 5 10 20 m

building 1

building 2

building 3

access level

basement level and cellars

2

3

4

5

1

1. CLT block (kitchen + bathroom units)2. CLT block (livingroom + bedroom units)3. Facade system with window frames4. corridor5. vertical connections