Kätilöopisto Competition

Cityscape Starting Points

The new block of the Kätilöopisto (Midwifery College) fits into the surrounding urban structure, taking influences from its immediate surroundings in terms of its massing, colouring and roofscape. The various routes in the immediate surroundings continue naturally from around the existing Midwifery College to the inner courtyard of the new block and through it.

The existing buildings of the historic Midwifery College will be largely preserved, giving the place a worthy continuation in the form of renovation and construction of a new block. The Midwifery School will stand out from the surrounding urban structure with its massing, creating a strong identity for the new block.

The new construction will follow the massing of the rocky Kätilöopistonmäki hill located to the north of the plot, rising towards the green area. The new construction respects and emphasizes the central dominance of the remaining Midwifery College the cityscape and its historical position in the urban skyline of the area. The new building mass related to the Midwifery College on the Sofianlehdonkatu side continues the scale and shape of the part to be replaced and is connected to the Midwifery College in the same way as the building to be demolished. The architecture of the new part continues the roofline of the part of the Midwifery College that is being renovated.

The tallest new buildings continue the scale of the Midwifery College on the northern edge of the block on the park side, lowering towards the southern part of the block, enabling a bright courtyard area. The new buildings located along Isonniitynkatu continue the same eaves line as the buildings in the adjacent residential area, creating a unified, clear-scale, comfortable and safe public street space between the buildings.

Main Design Principles

The low and winding buildings that border the block courtyard increase the luminosity of the courtyard and create a pleasant scale for the living environment. The buildings form an atmospheric urban environment, where the views and openings of the apartments have been carefully studied. The apartments that open into the spaces between the buildings always also open in the other direction – to the courtyard or the street.

The plan follows the goals of Carbon Neutral Helsinki and encourages more sustainable lifestyles. The block’s extensive bicycle storage facilities with high-quality maintenance and workshop facilities encourage residents to cycle instead of driving. Flexible housing concepts create adaptable living by taking into account the changing living preferences and situations of the residents.

The architectural appearance of the part of the Midwifery College that will be preserved will be largely preserved unchanged. The window openings will remain the original width, but their height will be increased to increase the brightness of the apartments. Balconies will be added to the courtyard side and French balconies to the main facade on Sofianlehdonkatu to improve living comfort. The structural problems of the midwifery school will be repaired to make it structurally sound.

Life in the block

Active Street Level

The block offers its residents several different spaces that support community and active everyday life, as well as services for all residents of the surrounding area in the form of an active street-level floor opening onto Isonniitynkatu. The commercial spaces opening onto the green Isonniitynkatu can be used in a variety of flexible ways during their life cycle. The commercial spaces can include, for example, a block café, a small grocery store or postal services.

Community Spaces

A multifunctional space will be located next to the main entrance of the existing Midwifery School on Sofianlehdonkatu, which will serve residents as a comfortable communal space. The space can serve as a block library and a resident space, where it is possible, for example, to recycle books or goods, organize various events or do remote work. The space is also suitable for exhibition activities, for example, and it can also be opened as a space serving the entire neighborhood. A resident café and restaurant with a heating kitchen are also located in the immediate vicinity of the resident’s residence. In addition, large bicycle storage rooms with maintenance and workshop facilities can be found on the first basement floor.

A Bright and Green Courtyard

The lowest buildings in the block are located on the southeast and partly south side of the plot, maximizing sunlight access to the block and forming a sheltered semi-public block courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a block pavilion for common use by residents with various comfortable living spaces. The building can serve as a common sauna and fireplace space for residents, and it can be used to support food preparation and grilling. The block pavilion can be used for various resident parties and private events. The building serves as an important element that enhances the neighborhood spirit of the block.

Architectural Appearance & Material Solutions

Preserving Midwifery School

The architecture of the part of the Midwifery College that will be preserved will preserve the original appearance of the building without compromising energy efficiency. The facades of the Midwifery College will be renovated taking into account energy efficiency and building physical functionality. Careful and environmentally appropriate accents will be explored for the facade colors of the large-scale building, in order to fade the institutional nature of the building and humanize it. The balconies added to the facades will subtly adapt to the facades of the Midwifery College, while also providing joy and light for the residents.

New Buildings

The new building mass, connected to the existing Midwifery College, follows the scale and shape of the part to be replaced – however, with a smaller frame depth, enabling brighter apartments. The architecture of the new part continues the roofline of the part of the Midwifery College that is being saved and renovated, and the yellow facade plaster follows the current material world, creating a counterpart to the residential building mass located opposite the Midwifery College.

The scale and eaves line of the new buildings on Isonniitynkatu follow the existing buildings on the northeast side of the street. The human scale of the new buildings and the living cityscape they create are emphasized by the bending and subdivision of the slats. The roof shapes and the layout of the buildings also make it possible to place solar collectors on the roofs of the residential slats – without them being too disturbingly visible in the yard or street spaces.

Climate-Smart Construction

Sustainable construction is more than just low-energy buildings or low-carbon building materials – with flexibility during design and flexible floor plans, it is possible to extend the service life and lifecycle of a building.

The planned block complex takes into account the use of natural light in both the apartments and the block courtyard with its massing – enabling suitable lighting conditions for the apartments and the courtyard. The building masses lower towards the south and rise towards the north, allowing the block courtyard formed by the building masses to receive extensive light at different times of the day and year. The higher building masses on the northern edge of the plot, in turn, protect the courtyard from cold northern winds, especially in winter.

In the implementation of the area, structures within the framework of sustainable construction will be used as such, reused or recycled elsewhere in the block. In the part of the Midwifery School that will be preserved, the aim is to utilize existing materials and building components where possible. The building being renovated will undergo energy efficiency improvements comparable to new construction. The windows of the part being demolished will be reused in the block, and the demolished bricks will be utilized as surface material on various courtyard paths and in retaining walls.