Competition for architecture students in renovation and updating of suburban buildings

A competition was organised to architecture students at universities and universities of applied sciences for plans and ideas on renovation projects of seven four-storey apartment buildings built towards the end of the 1970s. The buildings on 3 Saniaistie Street (HEKA) in Tapanila area of Helsinki had concrete frames and brick facades.

In their comments, the jury particularly paid attention on the architectural quality of the entries and on the entity created by the buildings and the outdoor areas. They also reviewed the functionality as well as the structural and energy solutions of the entries. The Jury found the overall standard of the entries to be good. The best entries presented successful comprehensive solutions for the new architecture of the facades and improvement of energy efficiency, with more lifts and additional storeys, enlivening courtyards and providing answers to issues related to construction engineering and building science.

The objective of the competition, which is organised every year, is to produce versatile and feasible ideas that are of a high standard for projects carried out on suburban apartment buildings built in the 1960s–1980s to develop their functionality, carry out energy-oriented renovations of facades, provide lifts and build additional storeys. The competition was organised for the first time in 2002.

Read the entire article in Finnish and see the images >>

For more information on the competition (in Finnish) >>