Suvela Surge Competition proposal

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

PEOPLE

PEOPLING SUVELA

ECUMENICAL CENTER AS AN ATTRACTION

“Next weekend we´ll have a big party with lots of relatives around the Helsinki area. Luckily we´ve got the banquet place from Ecumenical Centre and cooking and preparation of decoration we´ve done at the school´s workshops.”

//resident of Suvela

HEART OF SUVELA: URBAN CORE + GREEN BELT

MAIN ARRIVAL TO SUVELA

TO SUVINIITTY

TO ESPOO CENTRAL PARK

TO TUOMARILA RAILWAY STOP

Better pedestrian connection to Centre of Espoo & Entresse

GREEN CONNECTIONSbetter connections to Espoo Central park and nearby Railway Stations

DENSING DIVERSITYKirstintie should be more like a street than a highway!

SHARED SPACE The Lively Heart of Suvela

SLOWER TRAFFIC SPEEDS by curving Kirstintie & shared space

30

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

PEOPLE

PRIVATE

OZ760

OZ760

OZ760

OZ760

OZ760

DIVERSE HOUSING IN HUMAN SCALE

PRIVATE OZ760

“As the image of the area has become better the demand of the apartments has increased rapidly. Suvela has become the cool place to be.”

// real estate agent

COMPETITION PROPOSALTEAM CODE:

TEAM CODE:

TEAM CODE:

PUBLICFRONT SIDE

PRIVATEFRONT SIDE

PEOPLEFRONT SIDE

OZ760

OZ760

OZ760

OZ760

ECUMENICAL CENTRE AS AN ATTRACTION

The cultural centre designed to the capi-tal of Albania is a modern interpretation of a mosque and islamic cultural centre. The curved forms provide shelter from the weather and act as a gathering space for the residents of the neighbooring area.

DIVERSE HOUSING IN HUMAN SCALE

The scale of the blocks is made more human by sculpting the buildings towards the inner yard. this can be funded by building an extra level on the roof.

New sculptural roofs will provide an inter-esting and inviting silhuette to the area

Parking space is provided underneath the yard.

HEART OF SUVELA: URBAN CORE + GREEN BELT

School Workshops can be opened towards the square for more public use.

A Shared Space between different modes of transportation. Bus stops are protected from the weather underneath the connecting bridge.

Open Stage for performances.

The commercial spaces surrounding the square enhance the feeling of social security, as has been done in Rinkeby in Sweden.

New Ecumenical Centre accomodates spaces for the new parish centre, a mosque and a bazar for small entrepreneurs. As for example in Gellerup, Denmark the bazar is an attraction for outsiders to visit Suvela and can turn the multiculturality of Suvela as an asset.

School Gym Hall connects to the sports park.

Section from shared space

Section from green space

Kirstintie will be transformed into a cosy and safe street in which rows of new townhouses and green park views take turns offering interest-ing views to passersby.

The Suvela center will be formed around the Shared Space plaza that will both slow down the traffic and gather the lively activities in to one place.

Kirstintie will have perfect bikelanes and safe sidewalks that lead safely to the heart of Suvela.

The Suvela area needs a heart that will give possibilities for the people living in the area but that will also invite others to the area.

The heart that includes a new Ecumenical Centre, the exisisting school building and a sunny square offers various spaces for commerce, socializing and recreational activities.

OZ760

OZ760

OZ760

OZ760

The effect when entering Suvela will now be positive as the scrappy parking areas have been covered with lovely green yards and the whole quarter mixing the new and old houses has a new look being green and blooming.

The new housing will provide a new mode of ownership and also apartments that can be easily enlarged for the needs of bigger families.

The present situation of the Kirstintie housing block area shows that the housing blocks fail to create well-defined recreational spaces. The housing blocks rather function as “stand-alone pieces” and the space around is spilled, causing people to live among cars.

In the new situation cars have been placed underneath a green slab that provides a base for a pleasant inner courtyard for the inhabitants.

The new scattered balconies provide a unique spot for all apartments - in contrast to the old, monotonous and impersonal copied structure of the 1970´s.

COMPETITION PROPOSALTEAM CODE:

TEAM CODE:

TEAM CODE:

PUBLICBACK SIDE

PRIVATEBACK SIDE

PEOPLEBACK SIDE

OZ760

CHALLENGE

General challenge for the Suvela area is that the renovation of existing buildings would not pay off

in current situation of relatively low property prices. In order to make renovations and improvements for eco-efficiency feasible, the first thing is to improve the public image of Suvela as a whole and make Suvela desirable place to live and work. The Urban transformation of Kirstintie together with a cultural center should been seen as the primary initial public investments for the future of Suvela. This change will be a positive development process that eventually makes private investments possible.

CENTER FOR ACTION

The heart of Suvela is clearly identified in the crossroads of Kirstintie and Sokinsuontie, where the

main trafific flows on the area meet.

CLEARLY DEFINED STREET SCAPE

A row of new housing on both sides of Kirstintie will update Kirstintie’s appearance from a vague road to a vigorous street that serves delicious appetites of architecture to the passers before letting them to soak to the delicious flavors of Suvela center. The new houses introduce new typologies to the area while moving actual sidewalks closer to the street which improves the feeling of social control. Hints of green is planted on the sidewalks and good quality bike lanes are introduced for pedal commuters on both sides of the street that further makes Kirstintie an ideal and safe place for pedestrians.

BETTER PLACED BUS STOPS

To better rhythm Kirstintie and direct the pedestrian flows to the heart of the Suvela, the bus

stops will be slightly relocated. The main stop will be situated in front of the cultural center to attract people to the center of Suvela. Relocating the bus stops so that the people will be lead straight to the center of the area will guarantee a livable center.

SHARED SPACE

Instead of segregating different modes of transport, having more road space for mixed use will reduce

the speed of the traffic. The amount of the traffic in Kirstintie is around 7 000 vehicles/day as for example in Norrköping where the shared space concept has been used succesfully is around 20 000 vehicles/day. Kirstintie has been curved to slow down traffic and to clearly indicate the beginning of the shared space zone.

GREEN CONNECTIONS

Various recreational connections go through Suvela. As a part of the general facelift of the area we see that recreational connections play great

role in this. Once the jogger or sunday walker enters the feeling of better infrastructure as a whole should be communicated to the visitor. All of the connections will lead to the heart of Suvela which allows people to witness the rebirth of the area.

IMAGE OF THE CITY: ENTRANCES

As there is only one street that crosses the whole Suvela area, the importance of this street and how it is shown for passer-by´s is more relevant. The gate theme formed by new buildings situated at the ends of Kirstintie will make a powerful effect when entering the area. Suvela will be noticed positively.

“The experiments of Shared Space in Kirstintie has been really promising and reduced accidents in Suvela. For sure we´ll use the concept in some other areas in Espoo too!”

//city traffic planner

“There are so many things and activities going on in Suvela nowadays! Yesterday I went to see a local punk band at the square and tomorrow I´ll go learn how to cook South African food. “

//resident of Suvela

“Dull, inert cities, it is true, do contain the seeds of their own destruction and little else. But lively, diverse, intense cities contain the seeds of their own regeneration, with energy enough to carry over for problems and needs outside themselves.”

// Canadian urbanist, 1961

1/3 PUBLIC

TRUE CROWN OF ESPOO

In order to lift Suvela’s public image the transformation of Suvela should be transmitted

not only to the people living and working in the area but also to people visiting and passing the area along Sunantie. Kruunukiinteistöt will become a highlight that catch the eye of the passer-by and make them visit the area. It will also become a symbolic gate that welcomes a visitor entering the area.

UPGRADING THE BUILDINGS

The idea of the block is a round game between the new and the old buildings hiding the

sheltered yard inside them. To make the new buildings as a strong part of the existing block the green roof connects the whole block creating a cozy atmosphere to enjoy the scenery around Suvela. The green roof and new green balconies offer a possibility to grown your own tasty vegetables or just pot some colorful flowers everyone to enjoy.

NEW YARD AS A DEFENSIBLE SPACE

The parking areas will be hidden under a slab that will be covered with green spaces for the residents. Gloomy bushes and shady corners that produce the uncomfortable and unsafe feeling will be replaced with more clear and transparent landscape that communicates warmth and safety of the place. Clearly indicated ownership of space eases the upkeeping of the areas.

DIVERSIFYING THE BLOCK

At the moment the block has only apartment buildings. By introducing new buildings will create

more diversity to housing types will be created. New buildings will provide apartments that can be easily resized for the needs of bigger families. The new buildings also offer apartments with direct access to a private yard and give more flexibility to combining and dividing apartments when needed.

GOOD QUALITY LIFE EXISTS BETWEEN BUILDINGS

When microclimatic conditions are good and people feel safe, they are more likely to spend more time outdoors and thus have more social contacts to enrich life. The new, more scattered balcony system and the roof-top terraces offers different types of outdoor space where neighbors easily meet.

ALLOTMENT GARDENING FOR MEETING NEIHGBORS

The allotment gardens on the yards give neighbors casual opportunities to meet and greet around their hobbies. Gardening also raises the public image and makes people take care more of their property when things that gives them joy in the summer ends up in one’s plate in the autumn. Each year the harvest of the crop can turn into an event where the whole block can enjoy fresh seasonal flavors.

“ I love our new yard where I can spend time reading books and meeting neighbours. I can’t understand how I was willing to live among the car parks!“

//resident of Suvela

“After renovation all of our apartments have been fully occupied, nobody wants to move away anymore. It’s funny how all vandalism ended when people started to appreciate their surroundings.”

//real estate agent

“The new housing area gives a nice feeling to Kirstintie while introducing interesting housing types to the area. Exactly what we were looking for!” //city planner

“I never thought I could move to Suvela, but the reputation has proved itself wrong. The low prices allowed me to combine two flats for our family of five and you should see how our view from the seventh floor!“

//resident of Suvela

OZ760 2/3 PRIVATE

RIGHT TO THE CITY - NEW CULTURAL AND ECUMENICAL CENTER

The vision for Suvela’s transformation is to develop Suvela around human-oriented services that the entire west-Espoo is lacking at the moment. Human-oriented services are to be targeted to those who can’t find activities suitable for them but are motivated to create new activities and services for themselves and for others.

ACTIVATING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

By opening the former school’s classrooms and the spe cialized equipment for the public and providing reason ably priced commercial space, the heart of Suvela will provide at-tracting facilities for starting entrepreneurs, such as craft stu-dents from Omnia. Presence of entrepreneurs can create syner-gies between business and private people which can create ex tended services for people of Suvela that would not occur with public money while increasing the busy feeling of the place around the day.

ACTIVATING THE INACTIVE

As a consequence of limited free time activities the most frustrated individuals show their dissatisfaction

by mistreating their surroundings. Meanwhile immigrants and the elderly feel left outside of the society. To cut the downward spiral these groups and their huge potential has to be activated by developing their own community by letting them express themselves more freely and create activities for each other.

SUVELA CARD - A KEY FOR NEW CULTURAL SERVICES

People living and working can obtain themselves a personal Suvela card that work with a yearly fee. By this “communal key” school’s and cultural center’s facilities such as sport handicraft, music and cooking facilities would be opened up to the public for their personal interests when the spaces are not used for the educational activity. This allows people to have an access to services and equipment they normally would afford and give the possibility he things they like.

SUVELA 02760 - ROUGH BUT WARM

Suvela’s transformation needs a recognizable brand that engages the feeling of the positive future. A new brand of 02760 will keep Suvela’s existing characteristics being a bit rough but adds lots of

warmth to the mix. 02760 will be a visible brand that passer-byes can see in the benches, bus stops and happenings in the Suvela.

HEART OF THE SUVELA

Suvela’s new vision will materialize in the new heart of Suvela. The existing school building opens up its doors to the public in the evenings and it will be

accompanied with a new cultural center. Together with the school the cultural center, they will provide facilities for daily services, local entrepreneurs and an ecumenical center which is not directed to any religion particular but rather creat-ing room for dialogue between different cultures. The new heart will be the attraction also for those living outside Suvela.

“The new model of ownership for the school has dramatically increased the mixed use of the school permises but still has`t increased the expences. Actually now we can provide extent services for people for less.”

//city traffic planner

Spaces of the new Ecumenical Centre and the School can partly be combined for more

flexible use of the spaces.

OZ760

“In our culture it´s important to do handicrafts and more important is to do them together. Finally we´ve got a place for it and even a corner in a shop in the cultural center to sell our beautiful pieces of handwork.”

//resident of Suvela

“The cultural center and all the other activities around it has made the area more interesting and attractive. There´s a lot of demand for premises in Suvela as the new actors of the area have become convinced of the attraction of the area.”

//real estate agent

3/3 PEOPLE