New life instead of demolition: the Finnish Association of Architects awards Haiku as a pioneer of sustainable construction
The Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) grants its Sustainable Development Award to the ambitious renovation project of the Haiku office building, located at Kaikukatu 3 in Sörnäinen, Helsinki. The renovation project, designed by Olla, was based on minimizing demolition and making use of existing structures.
The office building, originally designed by Eino Tuompo and completed in 1976, has been given a new life as modern office space. In the extensive renovation designed by Olla, the building’s outdated technical systems were upgraded, energy efficiency was improved, and the spaces were adapted to meet the needs of contemporary office work.
“The project represents the circular economy at its best. It serves as an encouraging example of the architecturally high-quality reuse of a 1970s office building at a time when many buildings of the same age are being demolished,” explains Marja Sopanen, Chair of EKO-SAFA. “The subtle openings and additions to the facades enhance the comfort of the interior spaces and open the building up to its surroundings.”
The property owner Areim wanted to emphasize sustainable construction and the circular economy in the renovation project. At Haiku, the focus was on solutions that would achieve the greatest possible impact with minimal changes.
“The Kaikukatu property represents a very typical example of late-1970s architecture, which ultimately proved to be quite practical for renovation,” says Areim’s Asset Manager, Hanna Koskiahde.
The most visible upgrade to the office building is a two-story extension that houses a new main entrance and lobby. At the same time, the lower floors were opened up, and a restaurant with terraces was created on the ground floor. Surplus materials from the main project were used in the restaurant’s fixed furniture and wall claddings. Haiku thus serves as an excellent example of extending a building’s lifecycle, careful deconstruction, and the reuse of materials and building components.
“The project shows how constraints can act as a driving force for creativity. Features that initially seemed challenging became some of the most valuable elements of the building’s new identity,” describes Haiku’s principal designer, Bratislav Tošković from Olla.
In the transformation design, old windows were innovatively reused: insulating glass units that were about twenty years old were carefully removed from the facade and repurposed as movable glass partitions in the office. This reduced the carbon footprint by half compared to new walls.
“One of the key starting points of the design was to open up the spaces. In the renovation design, we were also inspired by the Japanese philosophy of kintsugi, which emphasizes the beauty of cracks and imperfections. We wanted the renovation to be visible,” says Olla’s interior architect Tea Ellala.
The Sustainable Development Award is presented at the SAFA seminar Arkkitehtipäivä in Oulu on April 17. The purpose of the award, which is presented every two years, is to increase discussion about the state of ecological construction.
Ollan’s project team included Bratislav Tošković (principal design), Laura Vara (project architect), Agneta Huuhtanen (project architect), Tea Ellala (interior architect), Maria Tuokko (architect), Jyri Jernström (3D graphic designer), Terhi Isokuortti (graphic designer and signage designer), Veronika Vanamo (architect), as well as technical modelers Kimmo Kaila, Hannu Kymäläinen, Heidi Penttinen, and Tijana Metsäranta.
Would you like to see more impressive before-and-after images? Explore the project in more detail here!
Inquiries:
Bratislav Tošković, architect
bratislav.toskovic@olla.fi
Tea Ellalla, interior architect
tea.ellala@olla.fi
