The mindset the world needs: a rescued 1970s office building became a prime example of the potential of sustainable thinking

Haiku

Location: Helsinki, Finland
Area: 5400 m²
Client: Areim
Completition year: 2024

Photos: Martin Sommerchield, Kuvio

From bystrander to trendsetter

Every building is inseparable from its context, and the way it resonates with its surroundings determines how special it becomes. But still, a building can also embody certain universal values: principles that transcend the boundaries of the location and can, as a mindset, be transposed into other contexts.

Haiku is a typical office building from the seventies. It is located in Kallio, the vibrant bohemian district of Helsinki. Haiku is the “last survivor” of a decades-long transformation within its neighborhood. Over the past fifty years, the original vision of the 1976 Master Plan has been significantly altered, eventually downgrading Haiku from a constitutive element of a larger urban entity into a solitary bystander.

Initially the building stood apart from its surroundings, disconnected and unnoticed. One of our main objectives was to transform Haiku into an attractive “member of Kallio” without compromising its original essence. Achieving this required a range of conceptual, functional, structural, and technical actions guided by a deep understanding of 1970s architecture, the client’s needs, and environmental consciousness.

Haiku is located at Kaikukatu 3, Helsinki. Before its renovation, the building had become dormant and disconnected, despite being surrounded by lively neighbors such as a busy football field and the University of the Arts.

At Haiku, the focus was on solutions that achieve the greatest impact with the smallest possible changes. Opening up the lower floors was one of these.

There are no ugly boxes

Haiku was a textbook example of the type of building currently being demolished without hesitation. In Helsinki alone, there are many empty and unwanted office buildings from the 1970s. It’s so easy to view them as old in all the wrong ways: they are too old to be desirable, too new to be considered valuable or historic. But this is exactly where the thinking must shift. The entire building industry needs to learn to see and act differently. Demolishing repairable buildings simply because they don’t align with current ideals of desirability can no longer be justified. Value must be recognized even when it’s not immediately obvious. It’s not buildings that should be torn down, but outdated ways of thinking.

Lue lisää

The owner’s determination to save Haiku from demolition and to refurbish it sustainably was the project’s essential starting point. This decision laid the foundation for the project’s values and direction.

Continue the work of the previous designer, show it in the best light
Demolish carefully and as little as possible
Renovate the old or leave it as it is
Allow the old and the new to stand out
Allow age and repairs to be visible
Re-use existing elements
Minimize carbon footprint, maximize impact
Use as few new materials as possible
For new materials, prioritize those that are aesthetically and technically sustainable, carbon-neutral or have a carbon handprint greater than their footprint (e.g., wood)
Design for reuse, repair and modification

Design was inspired by the Japanese kintsugi philosophy, in which cracks are repaired with gold. The repairs become a valuable part of the object, and elevate the old. The new and old elements are allowed to clearly distinguish from each other.

It soon became clear that the goal to preserve the old as much as possible while still creating an architecturally striking, modern office space was not only possible, but genuinely exciting. The challenge became a great source of inspiration.

In Haiku, the focus was placed on changes that make the biggest difference. The most significant changes included a two-storey extension that houses the new main entrance with a spacious, double-height lobby and a restaurant with a terrace as a new function in the ground floor, allowing the building to connect with the street level in a completely new way. The façades of the lower floors were redesigned with new full height glass-glazed elements bringing transparency, visibility and attractiveness to where they are most needed.

The ceilings of the main lobby and floor lobbies were made from slatted panels that were dismantled from the building, repainted, and reinstalled.

New life – also to 600 old windows

Typical feature of architecture from the 70s is modularity. That alone is a strong argument for renovation since it enables various systematic solutions within the same framework. Demolition decisions are also often justified by outdated HVAC, with the claim that old buildings are too cramped for modern building technology requirements. However, the lifespan of HVAC systems is only a fraction of a building’s potential lifespan, which makes justifying demolition on technical grounds short-sighted. This weakness in reasoning is further emphasized by the fact that we cannot yet know what future building technology will look like.

In Kaikukatu 3, the building’s HVAC systems were strategically centralized in the middle of each floor. This approach allowed for lower ceiling heights in spaces like quiet rooms and restrooms without causing any issues. At the same time, in the open office spaces, the ceiling height could be maintained as high as possible.

Following the principles of circular economy we maintained the value of materials as high as possible. We searched for possibilities to re-use building parts instead of demolishing and recycling them. This led to repurposing glass panes of 600 windows that had to be replaced. They were given a new function and became the main components of glass partition walls inside the building.

Structural, acoustic and aesthetic qualities were tested through prototyping which led to implementation. A unique, modular and re-usable glass partition system was created, introducing a new mindset to be applied in future projects.

In architecture, seemingly limiting factors often open the door to innovative solutions. Haiku is a story of turning a bystander into a trendsetter. It shows how constraints can act as catalysts for innovation, and how they hold the seeds of a renewed, distinct identity.

From windows to glass partition walls

The building’s windows were replaced to improve energy efficiency. To avoid wasting the usable glass elements, it was decided to reuse them as partition walls.

The interior glass walls retained the original size of the window glass. With help from partner Inlook, birch plywood frames were made for the glass walls. First, prototypes of the walls were built, followed by a model room set up on site.

The new windows were fitted into the original openings. The existing electrical conduits were covered with birch plywood covers.

The interior glass walls made from reused glass elements achieved a sound insulation rating of Rw 36 dB, making them suitable for both offices and meeting rooms. Their carbon footprint is only 40% of that of comparable new walls.

A minimalist signage concept matching the building’s spirit was designed for Haiku. The implementation partly used leftover materials from the construction site.

The ground floor facade of Haiku features full-height exterior glass walls. This change reconnected Haiku with the surrounding city: the restaurant’s life and light are now visible from outside, and vice versa. Leftover materials from the main project were used in the restaurant’s fixed furniture and wall coverings

Haiku is one of the flagship projects of Helsinki’s circular economy cluster. The city has published an article and a comprehensive report on the implementation of circular economy in the project, which can be read here.