The new Vantaankoski, year 2030.

A vision for a self-guiding society in 2030.

Life goes on 24/7. Work, leisure and fun are intertwined. Life is an all-inclusive and unique work of art and its blocks can be arranged and rearranged contrary to what is considered customary and traditional today. People will still want to meet each other and spend time together. The work can be done together, face-to-face, but also from distance. The workflow is akin to a project so brand new types of facilities are needed, suitable for different uses and independent from the time of day. The space itself acquires the character of a service.

Service-oriented, 24-hour public transportation handles most of people’s need for mobility as people do not drive cars themselves anymore. Given that robotic cars are always on the move, safety has considerably improved and the need for parking spaces has radically lessened.

Co-creation means that communities and businesses develop themselves from the bottom up and co-care is at the heart of co-creation. A sharing economy, a culture of experimentation, organic development, and responsiveness are all possible when there is no government bureaucracy to deal with and when there is a fundamental trust in other people. The world and the future of the planet is something we all have in common. Multiculturalism must be taken into account in all interactions, as work is global and there is a great cross-border mobility of work force.

The City is all about enabling and guiding; no strict rules or fixed frameworks. Organic growth and development is an impossibility in a rigid system. Smart buildings are needed and so is smart construction control alongside them.

More and more attention is being paid to the use of renewable electricity. Bioeconomy, clean tech and sustainability are important already now; recycling of materials and waste, intelligent logistics, functioning public transport, recycling of the built environment and 24-hour use are all wise methods of being frugal with our ever-dwindling resources.

Technological development requires adaptability and creates opportunities. The digitalisation’s inevitable march forward, the Internet of Things, the Internet of Buildings, 3D printing, robotics, virtual reality and artificial intelligence have changed, and are still constantly changing, the ways we communicate, move, shop, monitor health and well-being and care for the sick.

The business campus of the future will be fashioned after a village

THE CAMPUS OF THE FUTURE is for people and all their endeavours. It is a platform on which businesses and construction will grow organically and be adaptable to the needs of the moment. It is “activity-based working”concept on a campus scale; “activity-based city” where the needs of users, as well as the support for their activities, determine what and where to build.

And when there is no plan on the ready, there is always room for spontaneous things to happen. Community, inclusion and co-creativity are the basic ingredients for activity and ecosystem’s growth.

On Campus, there are no pre-defined sites, road areas, or neighbourhood blocks. The area is served by Campus’ own 24/7 mini-taxis, other public transport services and small single-person transportation devices, such as bicycles and hover boards, which are all included in the Campus service concept.

The role of the City is to planning and implementing links and infrastructure in such a way as to enable and promote the area’s development. The area will grow in a business-driven manner, and the City’s construction guidance will be done gently and will follow the principles of the area.This is the “flexibility scheme” that generates infrastructure as needed and according to the growth of the area, as well as build so-called intermediate and service facilities. Companies and participants in the area also contribute to the costs of intermediate spaces via the Campus Company.

The Campus itself owns or rents the land. Buildings can be privately owned and can also be owned by a space service provider/operator. The Corporate Campus has its own employees to ensure that everyday life flows smoothly. The “mood managers” organise e.g. community events, information, regional development games, competitions and so on. All kinds of voluntary community activities are encouraged.

The Campus has its own internal decision-making system that guides the development of the region, holding surveys and taking care of voting. At the beginning, the Campus selects entrants, participators and service providers in order to ensure that the whole endeavour starts in the right way and is heading in the right direction. Later on, once the preferred ecosystem is formed, a newcomer cannot be rejected without a particularly compelling reason. A particular field, profession or service deemed essential or in demand can allow for special invitation of relevant participants.

Campus development has been set up as a game. Everyone gets to participate and the best and most productive are rewarded. Potential problematic issues are solved by grouping the problem-solving process. Big data collected from people and activities in the area is at everybody’s disposal. Companies in the area develop products, applications and services and test them immediately on-site and the Campus becomes a living laboratory and experimental platform for its participants. It is a “year-round Slush” from which the experience and data can be used to entice an angel investor and prosper, or alternatively hasten a “fail fast” process.

The space itself is a service

The value of a building is created through use. The Campus area is a platform that can be joined by any type of building. All space is flexible; a new concept that considers space not only from the point of view of the need or use, but above all as a resource to be be used effectively. At the same time, buildings must be able to adapt to changes happening around them and to ever-changing needs of usage. If it is deemed desirable or beneficial to the whole, the existing built environment can be redesigned as needs change; roofs can be built on or parts of buildings torn down. The services of the Campus area –  the operating platform, as it were – are the same for everyone, although the diversity of the building pool otherwise enables very different types of activities and price levels. The campus itself is a service.

Flexible spaces

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION is an interesting opportunity that has so far been little used in Finland. It is well suited, for example, for temporary housing and as an affordable workspace for startups. For short-term use, such container constructs can be fashioned from old ship containers; for longer-term use, CLT- or wood composite mobile containers can be developed. These containers can be built quickly and inexpensively close to the services; later on, as the area grows, they can be moved again to the side in order to make room for more permanent construction.

MODULAR CELL is a new structure based on a pillar-beam system, which can be used to create apartments, offices, hotels and the combinations thereof, as well as terraces and outdoor spaces. In larger buildings, the pipelines can run in their own modules, allowing for a flexible and adaptable structure.

The Flexible Urban Plan is guiding, not dictating

“If you plan a city for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan a city for people and events, you get people and events. ” -Fred Kent

The Campus’ Flexible Urban Plan – or Principle Urban Plan – is a pilot project on zoning, construction control and legislation of the same. The area planned and zoned in year 2016 for sure will not be able to serve the needs of users in year 2030. Therefore, zoning must be rethought and transformed into one that is customisable, adjustable and enabling.

The City guides the construction and monitors the adherence to the flexible urban plan, but otherwise the construction is happening organically and is based on current needs. The Campus area planning is taking place from the very beginning through gaming, in a Virtual Campus and/or in an online game. If necessary, the planning principles can be specified later. The organically generated Campus is thus reminiscent of traditional villages and small towns.

The new Vantaankoski, year 2030.

1st place in the competition proposal for the Uusi Vantaankoski idea competition in 2016. Organized by Futurama SRV, Sanoma Media Finland and the City of Vantaa.

Location: Vantaankoski, Vantaa

Size: Conceptual plan for business campus of future.

The L Architects’ multidisciplinary competition team consisted of architects working in cooperation with Elina Hiltunen (futurology research), Suvi Nenonen (worklife research) and Jouni Ikäheimo (traffic planning).

Junatie

1. sija Sörnäinen, Helsinki / 2019

Postipuiston pysäköintitalo

1. sija Pohjois-Pasila, Helsinki / 2019

Asuntoreformi 2018

1. sija Hakunila, Vantaa / 2018

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