Architect
Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects
Completion
2020
Gross area
40900 m²
Themes
Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2021
Category
Office buildings
Tags
bim brick green roof offices sustainable
Prizes
Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2021 finalist
Tekla BIM Award 2020 for Finland and the Baltics winner
More

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects website

The building was designed for the Urban Environment Division of the City of Helsinki. It combines new building technology with references to the history of architecture – the designers aimed for the building to appear modern and archaic at the same time. The building is characterised by the rough materiality of brick, concrete, wood and copper, and the rooftop terraces with their distinct pavilions. 

The main facades open towards a new public square in the centre of the block and a pedestrian street. Up to two-story-high brick arches and an arcade, which continues all the way to the main lobby, connect the street space and the interior and communicate about the public nature of the ground floor. Varied mortar joint styles and the use of wood, concrete and copper in details give character to the different parts of the building.

The spaces in the Urban Environment House consist of activity-based work environments and public spaces that invite citizens to utilize city services. The building is mainly used by officials of the built environment. According to the designers, from the point of view of sustainable development, it is essential that a building serves its purpose well into the future and suits different kinds of uses during its life cycle with only minor modifications.

The interiors are a diverse mixture of spaces, where, for example, openings connecting the floors, auditorium-style staircases, and street-like passageways have replaced conventional isolated floors and lobbies that pierce the whole building. Efficient workspaces are the result of combining a deep building frame with higher-than-usual floor height and large windows, which allows daylight far into the building.

The rooftop terraces with pavilions for work and relaxation add to the character of the building. Each terrace is different, which is reflected in the vegetation and the shapes and materials of the pavilions.

In terms of energy efficiency, the Urban Environment House is nearly a zero-energy building. A 5,000-square-meter green roof with more than 22,000 plants, such as herbs and shrubs and decaying wood for fungi and insects, acts as a laboratory for urban nature, contributes to biodiversity and prevents urban floods by delaying stormwater.

Location

Työpajankatu 8, Helsinki
60.1888051, 24.9762112

Images

Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Marc Goodwin)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Marc Goodwin)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Marc Goodwin)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Kuvatoimisto Kuvio Oy)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Marc Goodwin)
Urban Environment House
Urban Environment House (© Marc Goodwin)
Site plan, Urban Environment House
Site plan, Urban Environment House (© Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects)
Ground floor, Urban Environment House
Ground floor, Urban Environment House (© Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects)
1st floor, Urban Environment House
1st floor, Urban Environment House (© Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects)
3rd floor, Urban Environment House
3rd floor, Urban Environment House (© Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects)
Section, Urban Environment House
Section, Urban Environment House (© Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects)

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