Karviaistie School and Karvikka Daycare Centre site in Malmi district is flanked blocks of flats, an old area of detached houses and a park on two sides. The school is for 70 pupils with special needs.

The interior design offers a wide range of spatial experiences by variegating the shapes of the central open space units. The overall impression is enriched with a variety of room heights and the placement and shape of skylights.

Plants, fences, sheds and utility buildings divide the rhythmical exterior outline of the building mass into units that are perceived to be separate spatially.

Natural materials such as clay bricks and wood were used for the exterior. The interior colour scheme is neutral, forming a soothing background for the lively activities of the children.

The large windows and wall surfaces on the first floor give the impression of a public building, while the dimensions of the kindergarten on the ground floor are closer to a small child’s scale.

Text: Finnish Architectural Review 7/1980