Olla » Works » Learning » Luovi Vocational College Tampere

A learning environment where everyone can succeed: Luovi Tampere offers accessible and supportive spaces for study

Luovi Vocational College Tampere

Location: Tampere, Finland
Area: 2800 m²
Client: Hengitysliitto, YIT
Completion year: 2025

Photos: Martin Sommerschield, Kuvio

The building’s facades are made of white concrete, while the main entrance is highlighted in Luovi’s signature red. The tall windows offer views over Lake Iidesjärvi and the lush hillside. From the windows facing the railway, one can occasionally catch a glimpse of a passing train.

Luovi is Finland’s largest vocational special education institution, providing education also for students who require special support. Together with YIT, Olla won the design competition for the educational institution located on the shores of Lake Iidesjärvi in Tampere. The Tampere unit provides vocational upper secondary education leading to a qualification, preparatory education for qualification training (TUVA), and preparatory education for work and independent living (TELMA) for approximately 250 students. At Iidesranta, students can study logistics, cleaning and property services, restaurant and catering services, business studies, and media.

Accessibility was given particular consideration in the design of the educational facility. To support this, Olla also developed a signage concept covering all Luovi locations.

The building has a clear and easily comprehensible layout that is repeated consistently from one floor to the next. The teaching spaces are easy to find along a single route, and all classrooms have views of the lush surroundings. Each floor has its own signature colour to help distinguish between the different areas. At the same time, the institution’s overall colour palette is carefully considered and calm, ensuring that the spaces are comfortable also for users with heightened sensory sensitivity. Colour was used to create a cozy atmosphere, reduce the institutional feel of the building, and make the spaces more approachable.

The building, adapted to the sloping site, allows for entrances directly from ground level to two different floors. Space for storing and washing assistive devices has been provided next to the entrances. All spaces have been designed to be accessible, and, for example, the flooring materials were selected in close collaboration with the end user.

In Luovi’s facilities, every sensory experience has been designed to be as calm as possible. The building does not contain high-ceilinged rooms, taking into consideration users who may find large, open environments difficult to approach. The transparency of glazed surfaces can also be adjusted using curtains. The teaching spaces feature continuously adjustable lighting, while particular attention has also been paid to acoustics.

There isa wide range of learning spaces, from informal gathering areas to dedicated special education classrooms.

Accessibility has been carefully considered in the teaching kitchen for restaurant and catering studies, with fixtures and kitchen equipment designed to be used comfortably from a wheelchair.

A people-centred educational institution with a strong focus on signage design

As part of the design of the Tampere unit, Olla developed a signage concept to be implemented across all Luovi locations. Designed together with the client, the guidelines address the visual appearance, placement, and content of signage, as well as other spatial graphic elements such as safety markings on glass walls. Easily adaptable artwork was created for each of the signage elements.

Well-designed signage that meets accessibility criteria helps all users navigate and function within a space. At the same time, it reinforces Luovi’s identity as a people-centred educational institution that recognises different abilities and supports its students in their everyday lives and studies.