Enter. Upper Secondary School and Vocational College. K2S Architects Ltd.

The conical skylight above the central staircase. Photo Marko Huttunen.
 
Museum of Finnish Architecture About the authors

This book is published in conjunction with The Best School in the Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen is an architect
World exhibition hosted by the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki, who works in the Department of
from 8 June to 25 September 2011. Cultural Environment Protection at
‘Schools’, an abridged version of the exhibition, was presented at the the National Board of Antiquities.
Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2010. She is currently preparing her doc-
Exhibition design and selection of schools by Roy Mänttäri toral thesis on school architecture.

Project leader: Juulia Kauste Eriika Johansson, MA, works as a
Project team: Hannu Hellman, Eriika Johansson, Maija Kasvio, Juulia Kauste, researcher at the Museum of Finnish
Roy Mänttäri, Kristiina Nivari, Kristiina Paatero, Elina Standertskjöld Architecture.

Editor: Maija Kasvio Kaisa Nuikkinen, PhD, is Head Archi-

Image editor: Eriika Johansson tect for school design at the Helsinki
Translation and language consultation: Silja Kudel City Education Department.
Graphic design: Salla Bedard
Pasi Sahlberg, PhD, is Director Gen-
© Museum of Finnish Architecture and the authors eral of CIMO, an organisation for
© Photographs: the designers of the schools international mobility and cooperation
under the Finnish Ministry of Educa-
Cover images tion and Culture.
Front: Enter. Upper Secondary School and Vocational College.
K2S Architects Ltd. Photo Marko Huttunen.
Back: Comprehensive School in Joensuu.
Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects. Photo Jussi Tiainen.
Inside: The Large Hand by Stig Baumgartner

Printers: Art-Print Oy, Helsinki 2011

ISBN 978-952-5195-37-8

This work has been published with the financial assistance

of the FILI Finnish Literature Exchange.


 Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Juulia Kauste

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Eriika Johansson

Learning Spaces: How They Meet Evolving Educational Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Kaisa Nuikkinen

Educational Progress in Finland and What We Can Learn from It . . . . . . . . . . 20

Pasi Sahlberg

Schools
Site descriptions by Eriika Johansson

Strömberg School, Helsinki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Kari Järvinen and Merja Nieminen, Architects SAFA

Viikki Teacher Training School, Helsinki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Ark-House Architects

Hiidenkivi School, Helsinki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Häkli Architects

Sakarinmäki School, Östersundom School, Helsinki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Sari Nieminen Architect, FLN Architects

Comprehensive School, Joensuu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects

Enter. Upper Secondary School and Vocational College, Sipoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

K2S Architects Ltd

Kirkkojärvi School, Espoo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Verstas Architects Ltd

Setting the Scene for Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen



 Preface

Juulia Kauste
Director, Museum of Finnish Architecture

The Finnish school system has been highly praised worldwide for the high national
average scores attained by Finnish students in the OECD’s international PISA
surveys. In recent years, Finnish school-aged children have performed well in all
subjects ranging from mathematics to reading skills and sciences. But what makes
Finnish schools such a great success?
In this book, experts on education and architecture seek answers to this
intriguing question by looking at today’s schools from a variety of angles. The book
provides an overview of the Finnish school system and the buildings which serve
as learning environments in contemporary Finnish society. It emphasises the role of
schools as a fundamentally egalitarian institution offering free and equal education
to all through a strong system of public funding both for the design and construction
of schools and for the education offered in them.
Kaisa Nuikkinen, Head Architect at the Helsinki City Education Department,
discusses school buildings as learning environments. Pasi Sahlberg, Director Gen-
eral of the Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation, looks at educational
progress in Finland since the 1970s, analysing the impact of major reforms carried
out in 1972–77. Finally, Sirkka-Liisa Jetsonen, an architect at the National Board
of Antiquities, provides a general outline of the Finnish education system and its
buildings.
The book presents seven examples of contemporary Finnish school buildings.
These were originally selected by the architect Roy Mänttäri for an exhibition at the
Venice Biennale in 2010. Eriika Johansson, a researcher at the Museum of Finnish
Architecture, wrote both the introduction and the descriptions of the buildings,
highlighting the key elements that guide the design of school buildings in Finland
today.
The book was conceived in conjunction with “The Best School in the World”
exhibition presented at the Museum of Finnish Architecture in the summer of 2011.

Left: Kirkkojärvi School. Verstas Architects Ltd. The main

entrance stands directly between the two wings designated
for the upper- and lower-level comprehensive schools. It opens
onto a high-ceilinged vestibule and stairs leading down to the
lunch room. The upper-level school is more public by nature,
being fully integrated with the school’s common areas.
Photo Rauno Träskelin.


 Introduction

Eriika Johansson

Tuition provided in Finnish schools is regulated by the Finnish National Board

of Education. The Board drafts the national core curriculum and ensures that all
schools comply with its agreed content and objectives, guaranteeing all pupils their
constitutional right to equal access to uniform standards of education. In autumn
2010 there were 2,800 comprehensive schools in Finland with a combined total of
524,200 pupils. Ninety-seven per cent of all Finnish schools are administered by
local authorities.
The Board of Education also lays down broad guidelines for what it defines as
the ‘learning environment’, which includes everything from the physical setting of
individual classrooms to the school’s natural and communal surroundings. Aesthetic
aspects are subject to special recommendations. The quality of any learning environ-
ment ultimately depends not only on its standard of amenities but the overall func-
tionality of the whole school setting. A school should be a place that is physically,
psychologically and socially safe, promoting the child’s growth, health and learning
as well as their positive interaction with teachers and fellow pupils. A sound learning
environment is founded on good design and the healthy interaction that this fosters.
School architecture is inescapably influenced by the educational philosophies
prevailing at any given period in history. Being the only visible public buildings in
many localities, schools have special local value as an expression of the ethos, aes-
thetic sensibilities and technical expertise of their era. With time, however, schools
must adapt to the changing needs of new generations. They provide a venue not
only for daily lessons, but also for after-school child care, sports clubs, night school
and various recreational activities, calling for a considerable degree of architectural
flexibility. Today’s architects must furthermore think beyond the building’s envis-
aged lifespan as a school. In line with the principles of sustainable development,
longevity is a key aspiration for new schools built in the 2000s. Ensuring that the
building is easy to maintain and repair is important for its ecological sustainability.
It should also be readily adaptable not only for economic reasons, but also for its
cultural sustainability from generation to generation.
Interestingly, most of the schools presented in this publication were originally
designed as entries in architectural competitions. Between 2000 and 2010, a total of
15 competitions were held in Finland for primary and secondary schools in various
parts of the country.
New Finnish schools built in the 2000s are a combination of tried-and-tested
solutions and a variety of innovations rendering them distinct from schools built in
the previous century.


Above: Kymenlaakso University of Applied
Sciences Kasarminmäki Campus, Paja exhibi-
tion and café building, Kouvola 2010. Archi-
tects NRT Ltd. Photo Tuomas Uusheimo.
A popular solution seen in many new schools is a spacious, multipurpose ves-
tibule. The prevalence of these public gathering places marks a conscious strategy
to build a sense of communality. An inspiring, aesthetically pleasing environment
enhances the well-being of all who use it. Added to this, a well-designed school
should also offer private nooks free of visual barriers where pupils can enjoy a
moment of solitude without the need for additional supervision.
Solutions maximising the amount of incoming sunlight form an enduring motif
in Finnish school architecture. There is never enough light during the dark winter
months, yet from June to August – when the sunlight streaming through the large
glass surfaces could overheat the interiors – all Finnish schools are closed for the
summer holidays.

 Learning Spaces: How They Meet
Evolving Educational Needs

Kaisa Nuikkinen

What Makes a Building a School?

Above and beyond all the usual building recommendations, school architecture
is guided by the national core curriculum and specific pedagogical requirements.
School curricula are based on historical, social, political and economic circum-
stances that reflect the aspirations and educational ideals of their day. The mandate
of education is to pass on our cultural legacy from generation to generation, help
students develop skills of critical assessment, create new cultural capital, introduce
new paradigms of thought and practice, and arm students with the proficiencies for
functioning successfully in work and society.
Learning is a context-dependent exercise that is invariably grounded in the situ-
ation, environment and culture in which new knowledge is acquired and applied.
The mission of every school is to promote learning, and it is the teacher’s task
to make the most of everything in the learning environment that supports this.
Teachers and their teaching strategies, too, are influenced by various environmental
factors such as the surrounding architecture and the pedagogical opportunities
it offers. In other words, learning is inseparable from the physical environment in
which it takes place, and architecture is an integral part of the functional design of
the school environment.
Given the context-dependent nature of learning, a school’s architectural goals
are much the same as its more general aims. Schools should promote physical,
mental and social health and welfare as well as provide an inspirational develop-
mental setting and a work environment that promotes good occupational health
and fitness for work. It should furthermore promote equality and cultural edifica-
tion. It should serve various user groups and cater for the divergent needs of boys
and girls and their developmental differences. The guiding aim of all schools is to
ensure that every day is a good and safe one for all students by providing the best
possible environment for their welfare, personal development and learning.
Contemporary theory emphasises learning as an active, hands-on experi-
ence. First, however, the student must perceive it as being personally meaningful.
Learning is meaningful when the student sees where to apply what they learn and
why it is significant. There are many different ways of learning: by doing, experi-
menting, researching, categorising, comparing, analysing and assessing. Learning
engages all the senses, and there are various techniques for achieving this: autono-
mous study, pair work, group exercises, play and drama. For a good outcome, the
student must also have the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.

10
Above: The Lohipato Unit of Tervaväylä
School, Oulu 2009. Linja Architects Ltd. This
special unit serves as a school and home for
children with multiple disabilities. It is the only
Nordic school to be selected as one of 60
exemplary educational facilities in the OECD
Designing for Education Project. OECD/
CELE Compendium of Exemplary Educa-
tional Facilities 2011. Photo Timo Koljonen.
School Buildings in Former Times
In the past it was not customary to question what teachers taught or what schools
looked like. Learning took place in a standard-type classroom, with the teacher
imparting facts to pupils seated in orderly rows behind their desks. The school
was cordoned off from real life and the classroom door shut as a symbolic gesture
excluding all prior knowledge from the outside world. The shut door also inscribed
the classroom as the teacher’s private domain: they alone were in charge of all
learning that took place within its secluded walls. The closed door furthermore
made clear that student mobility was subject to the teacher’s permission. Seating
the students at separate desks precluded social interaction and represented a view
of learning as an individual accomplishment. Schools were viewed as something
akin to adult establishments such as offices, factories or hospitals, or disciplinary
and custodial institutions such as army barracks, mental hospitals or prisons. Like
these institutions, schools upheld the same demand for unflagging self-discipline
and fortitude, with schoolwork perceived as something comparable to forced wage
labour, instilling in the students an appreciation for the freedom conferred by occa-
sional breaks and recesses. The orderly interiors of old schoolhouses trace back to
the medieval scriptorium, the libraries where monastic scribes worked in neat rows
seated at their writing desks. School architecture has also borrowed elements from
residential buildings and factory halls.
11
 Educational Progress in Finland and
What We Can Learn from It

Pasi Sahlberg

With Finland attracting global attention for its high-performing education system,
it bears asking whether there has been any progress in this performance since the
1980s. If progress can be reliably identified, then the question is: What factors might
underlie successful education reform? The significant feature of the Finnish educa-
tion system is its steady progress over the past three decades within four main
domains: 1 the increased level of educational attainment among the adult popula-
tion; 2 the widespread equity of educational outcomes; 3 a high international level
of student learning; and 4 moderate overall spending, almost solely from public
sources. Good education systems need to perform well in all four of these domains.
How, then, has Finland performed in each of them since the 1970s?

Basic educa�on Secondary educa�on Ter�ary educa�on

2005

1990

1975

1960

0% 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 %

20
Figure 1: Level of educational attainment
among the Finnish adult population (15 years
and older) since 1975 (source: Statistics
Finland).
Above: Kalasatama School and Day Nursery,
sketch, Helsinki. JKMM Architects. Code-
name Wigwam in an architectural competi-
tion held in 2010, scheduled for completion
in 2014.
Finland as a Successful Reformer
First, there has been steady growth in participation in all levels of education in
Finland since 1970. This growth has been especially rapid in the upper-secondary
education sector in the 1980s and, subsequently, within higher education and adult
learning from the 1990s up to the present. Education policies and related reform
principles in Finland have focused on creating equal education opportunities for
all and thereby increasing participation in education throughout Finnish society. At
the same time, more than 99% of the age cohort successfully completes compulsory
education and about 95% continue their education in upper secondary schools or
in the optional 10th grade of comprehensive school (some 3%) immediately after
graduation. Of all young Finns, over 90% eventually receive their school leaving
certificate providing access to higher education. Two thirds of those enrol either in
academic universities or professionally oriented polytechnics. Finally, more than
50% of the Finnish adult population participates in adult education programmes.
The rising educational level of Finnish adults is shown in Figure 1.
21
Kari Järvinen and Merja Nieminen, Architects SAFA
Above: The glass partition between the two
homerooms can be opened if desired. Photo
Arno de la Chapelle.
Opposite: Photo Arno de la Chapelle.
30
Strömberg School
Takomotie 11, Helsinki
Invited competition 1996, completed 2000
Kari Järvinen and Merja Nieminen, Architects SAFA
Design team: Jouko Piilola, Heikki Prokkola, Jaakko Haapanen
Courtyard design: MA-arkkitehdit Oy/Marja Mikkola
The school lies in the Helsinki suburb of Pitäjänmäki, on a former industrial estate
now filled with blocks of flats housing 3,000 residents. This former technical college
designed in the 1960s by Risto-Veikko Luukkonen currently serves as a day-care
centre and lower comprehensive school.
The elongated low-rise building mass with horizontal strip windows offers a
typical sample of 1960s school architecture, with classrooms on two floors aligned
along the full length of a long corridor. When the school was modernised, the sepa-
rate machine engineering workshop and classrooms were joined by a new atrium,
or ‘living room’, where an inviting fire crackles in the open fireplace every morning.
Finnish schools were formerly heated with iron stoves, but in the 1980s postmod-
ernism made fireplaces part of the interior decoration.
The formerly cramped central hallway has been opened up with glass parti-
tions and generous skylights. The entire building now has a lighter, brighter colour
scheme. Above the main atrium there is a winter garden and reading loft. The large
windows throughout the building admit ample sunlight. There are also glass parti-
tions between the small homerooms, which are grouped in pairs.
Each homeroom is shared by two classes. Rather than having their own desks,
each pupil has an assigned storage box for their school supplies. The school applies
the pedagogical principles of Célestin Freinet, a proponent of learning by doing. The
pupils accordingly spend half the day outside their homeroom. The former technical
college houses numerous ‘shops’, as they are called, where age-integrated classes
learn by doing, experiencing and experimenting. The school adheres to the official
national curriculum, yet with an underlined hands-on approach.
Each lesson lasts 90 minutes. There are two half-hour recesses during which the
children play in the schoolyard or use the neighbouring sports field. The day-care
centre is at the far end of the classroom wing and has its own fenced outdoor play
area.
 31
 ARK-House Architects
Below: The eastern end and schoolyard
are used by lower-level students and pre-
schoolers. Photo Voitto Niemelä.
Opposite: The school’s western end and
schoolyard are reserved for upper-level stu-
dents. Photo Voitto Niemelä.
36
Viikki Teacher Training School
Kevätkatu 2, Helsinki
Invited competition 1999, completed 2003
ARK-House Architects/Markku Erholtz, Hannu Huttunen,
Jussi Karjalainen, Minna Soukka
Greenery design: Satu Niemelä
Artist: Kaarina Kaikkonen
The Viikki Teacher Training School is one of Finland’s largest schools. It offers edu-
cation of all levels and is attended by pupils of all ages. Finnish children start school
the year they turn seven. Compulsory comprehensive education lasts nine years.
Before starting school they are entitled to one year of optional pre-primary education
at a day-care centre or preschool. The Viikki Teacher Training School comprises a
preschool, upper- and lower-level comprehensive schools and an upper secondary
school. The building serves 940 pupils and about 360 teachers, trainees and other
personnel. Administered by the University of Helsinki’s Department of Teacher Edu-
cation, the school not only educates children but also trains future teachers. There
are twelve other university-run teacher training schools in Finland.
 37
 Häkli Architects

Hiidenkivi Comprehensive School

Rajatie 7, Helsinki
Completed 2004
Häkli Architects/Seppo Häkli
Project architect: Pertti Noponen; design team:
Jaakko Keppo, Pekka Salminen, Kaisa Tynkkynen
Interior and furniture design: Konehuone sisustusarkkitehdit/
Mervi Ala-Luusua, Ari Jääskö, Jorma Valkama
Greenery and environmental design: Soile Heikkinen

The City of Helsinki stipulates that architects must consult a pedagogical expert in
the design of new schools. Hiidenkivi Comprehensive was designed in collabora-
tion with the school principal and vice principal. Like Strömberg School, Hiidenkivi
Comprehensive applies a pedagogical strategy based on hands-on learning by
doing. Group activities have focal importance as a means of advancing interaction
skills, tolerance and a positive sense of self. Tuition is inclusive; children with spe-
cial needs learn together with non-disabled students.
The school is large, with roughly 800 pupils aged seven to sixteen (Years 1–9).
The lower-level comprehensive pupils live locally, but the upper-level students are
also from neighbouring suburbs.
The floor plan follows a scheme popular in Finnish school architecture since
the 1960s, with small groups of classrooms arranged around a social space, or
‘extended learning area’. The three lower-level homeroom groups are on the first
floor on the north side of the building, each with a dedicated entrance. The upper-
level subject classrooms are on the ground floor. Despite this functional separation,
social interaction is encouraged between pupils of different ages. Art, craft subjects
and information technology are taught in age-integrated classes.
With large desks and plenty of chairs, the ‘extended learning areas’ are used for
daily classes, especially for group activities. The upper-level classrooms are grouped
by subject, forming clusters like mathematics and science, art and craft subjects.
The teachers plan their lessons together and occasionally combine classes. Using
the extended learning areas, they can divide up their classes into appropriate small
groups for various activities. Each teacher chooses the methods best suited to their
particular subject. The furnishings are easy to rearrange for various needs.
The exterior profile is rich in visual variety. There is a functional division
between the separate wings, with sheltered yards and play areas between them.
Pupils aged 7–11 (Years 1–5) spend recess outdoors. Older students can choose
whether they wish to spend recess indoors or outdoors. The school’s inner court-
yard is reserved for upper-level students.

42
 43
tion is clad with light-coloured panels. At right
low-rise residential buildings, the main eleva-

Left: Floor plan. Ground floor (left) and first

Above: Fronting a colourful assortment of

is the arts & crafts wing, at left the upper-

level classrooms. Photo Jussi Tiainen.

floor (right).
PERUSKOULU
IIDENKIVEN PERUSKOULU
TIE
PPA
KUO
39241
15
TIE
PPA
KUO
39241
15
RAJATIE
LKU
RAJAPO
RAJATIE
LKU
RAJAPO
2
2

HIIDENKIVEN
HIIDENKIVEN PERUSKOULU
Hiidenkiven peruskoulu sijoittuu nykyiselle Tapanilan ala-asteen ja
Pohjois-Helsingin yläasteen oppilaaksiottoalueelle. Uuden perus-
koulun tarkoitus on helpottaa tilantarvetta Helsingin koillisessa
suurpiirissä. Alueella on toiminut 58 peruskoulun opetusryhmää
tilapäistiloissa.
Hiidenkiven peruskoulun rakennustyöt aloitettiin helmikuussa 2003.
Rakennuksen runkotyöt valmistuivat kesän alussa ja vesikattotyöt
HIIDENKIVEN
kesän PERUSKOULU
aikana. Aikataulun mukaisesti rakennus valmistui kesäkuun
lopussa 2004 ja koulutyö alkoi syyslukukauden 2004 alussa.
Hiidenkiven peruskoulu sijoittuu nykyiselle Tapanilan ala-asteen ja
Pohjois-Helsingin
Koulun tilaohjelmayläasteen oppilaaksiottoalueelle.
on mitoitettu noin 600 peruskoulunUuden perus-
oppilaalle.
koulun
Koulussatarkoitus on erityisoppilaita,
on myös helpottaa tilantarvetta Helsingin koillisessa
jotka opiskelevat avoimen koulun
suurpiirissä. Alueella on toiminutoppilaiden
58 peruskoulun opetusryhmää

tapaan yhdessä yleisopetuksen kanssa.
tilapäistiloissa.
Koulun rakenne jakautuu apiloihin
Hiidenkiven peruskoulun rakennustyöt aloitettiin helmikuussa 2003.
Rakennuksen runkotyöt
Rakennus ja toiminta on valmistuivat kesänettä
suunniteltu siten, alussa ja vesikattotyöt
ne tarjoavat hyvät
kesän aikana.
edellytykset Aikataulun
koulun mukaisesti rakennus
toiminta-ajatuksen valmistui
mukaiselle kesäkuun
opetukselle.
lopussa
Opetuksen2004 ja koulutyö alkoi
suunnittelussa syyslukukauden
ja toteutuksessa 2004huomioon
otetaan alussa.
oppilaiden erilaiset valmiudet koulutyöskentelyyn. Keskeistä
Koulun tilaohjelma
opetuksessa on mitoitettu
ovat erilaiset noin 600perustuvat
yhteistyöhön peruskoulun oppilaalle.
menetelmät,
Koulussa on myös
joissa korostuu erityisoppilaita,
oppilaiden jotka opiskelevat
oma aktiivinen työskentely.avoimen koulun
tapaan yhdessä yleisopetuksen oppilaiden kanssa.
Sisäänkäyntipiha ja pääsisäänkäynti avautuvat länteen Rajatien
Koulun rakenne jakautuu apiloihin
suuntaan. Keskeisen pääsisäänkäynnin yhteydessä ovat kahden
kerroksen korkuiset aula, kirjasto ja "teatteriravintola" -tilat. Saliin
Rakennus ja toiminta
liittyvä näyttämötila on suunniteltu
toimii pienempiensiten,
lastenettä ne tarjoavatsamoin
liikuntatilana hyvät kuin
edellytykset koulun
toisen kerroksen toiminta-ajatuksen
monitoimitila. Isommatmukaiselle opetukselle.
oppilaat jakautuvat useiden
Opetuksen
sisäänkäyntiensuunnittelussa ja toteutuksessa
kautta oppilasauloihin, joissaotetaan huomioon
heillä on kotiluokkien
oppilaiden erilaiset
sijasta kotipesät valmiudet koulutyöskentelyyn. Keskeistä
oppilaskaappeineen.
opetuksessa ovat erilaiset yhteistyöhön perustuvat menetelmät,

joissa
Koulunkorostuu
rakenneoppilaiden oma aktiivinen
perustuu apiloihin, joissa työskentely.
on kussakin 4-5 opetustilaa,
opettajan työhuone ja varastotilaa. Koulun 1. kerroksessa sijaitsevat
Sisäänkäyntipiha ja pääsisäänkäynti
historian ja uskonnon, avautuvat länteen
äidinkielen, matematiikan Rajatien
ja luonnontieteen
suuntaan.
apilat sekäKeskeisen pääsisäänkäynnin
teknisen työn, kuvaamataidonyhteydessä ovatopetustilat,
ja tekstiilityön kahden
kerroksen
jotka korkuiset
toimivat aula, kirjasto
myös iltakäytön ja "teatteriravintola"
tiloina. -tilat. Saliin
Toisessa kerroksessa, muusta
liittyvä näyttämötila
koulusta toimii
rauhoitettuina pienempien
ovat pienempien lasten liikuntatilana
oppilaiden samoin kuin
kotiluokka-apilat,
toisenon
joihin kerroksen monitoimitila.
käynti suoraan pihalta.Isommat oppilaat jakautuvat useiden
sisäänkäyntien kautta oppilasauloihin, joissa heillä on kotiluokkien
sijasta kotipesät oppilaskaappeineen.
Hankkeen rakennussuunnittelusta vastasi Arkkitehtitoimisto Häkli Ky,
kalustesuunnittelusta Konehuone sisustusarkkitehdit, piha-
Koulun rakenne
suunnittelusta perustuu
Soile apiloihin,
Heikkinen joissarakennesuunnittelusta
/ Virearc, on kussakin 4-5 opetustilaa,
opettajan työhuone
A-Insinöörit ja varastotilaa. Koulun
Oy, LVI-suunnittelusta 1. kerroksessa
Insinööritoimisto Olof sijaitsevat
Granlund Oy,
historian ja uskonnon,
sähkösuunnittelusta äidinkielen, matematiikan
Insinööritoimisto Stacon Oy,ja luonnontieteen
pohjarakennus-
apilat sekä teknisen
suunnittelusta työn,kaupungin
Helsingin kuvaamataidon ja tekstiilityön
kiinteistöviraston opetustilat,
geotekninen
jotka toimivat
osasto, myös iltakäytönHKR-Arkkitehtuuriosasto,
keittiösuunnittelusta tiloina. Toisessa kerroksessa, muusta
akustisesta

koulusta rauhoitettuina
suunnittelusta ovat pienempien
Insinööritoimisto Akukon Oy oppilaiden kotiluokka-apilat,
ja näyttämöteknisestä
joihin on käyntiIdés
suunnittelusta suoraan
Mikkopihalta.
Hausmann. Koulussa on kaksi taideteosta
joiden suunnittelusta ja toteutuksesta vastasivat kuvataiteilijat
Hankkeen
Stig rakennussuunnittelusta
Baumgartner ja Kari Soinio. vastasi Arkkitehtitoimisto Häkli Ky,
kalustesuunnittelusta Konehuone sisustusarkkitehdit, piha-
suunnittelusta Soile Heikkinen
Hankkeen rakennustöistä / Virearc,
vastasi rakennesuunnittelusta
Rakennusosakeyhtiö Hartela,
A-Insinöörit Oy
sähkötöistä Oy,Hedpro
LVI-suunnittelusta Insinööritoimisto
Ab, putkitöistä Olof Granlund Oy,
Vimare Oy / Putkipale,
sähkösuunnittelusta
ilmanvaihtotöistä Insinööritoimisto
LVI-Juva Stacon Oy, pohjarakennus-
Oy ja taloautomaatiotöistä Aresys Oy.

HÄKLI KY HÄKLI KY
suunnittelusta Helsingin kaupungin kiinteistöviraston geotekninen
osasto, keittiösuunnittelusta HKR-Arkkitehtuuriosasto, akustisesta
suunnittelusta
Lisätietoja Insinööritoimisto
hankkeesta antaa:Akukon Oy ja näyttämöteknisestä
suunnittelusta Idés
Projektiarkkitehti Mikko
Riitta Hausmann.
Söderholm, Koulussa
Helsingin on kaksiopetusvirasto,
kaupungin taideteosta
joiden3108
puh. suunnittelusta
6409 tai 050 ja toteutuksesta
401 3120 vastasivat kuvataiteilijat
Stig Baumgartner ja Kari Soinio.

Hankkeen rakennustöistä vastasi Rakennusosakeyhtiö Hartela,
sähkötöistä Oy Hedpro Ab, putkitöistä Vimare Oy / Putkipale,
ilmanvaihtotöistä LVI-Juva Oy ja taloautomaatiotöistä Aresys Oy.

ARKKITEHTITOIMISTO
Lisätietoja hankkeesta antaa:
Projektiarkkitehti Riitta Söderholm, Helsingin kaupungin opetusvirasto,
puh. 3108 6409 tai 050 401 3120

HTITOIMISTO
1
Sari Nieminen Architect, FLN Architects

Sakarinmäki School, Östersundom School

Knutersintie 924, Helsinki

Invited competition 2002 (FLN Architects/Sari Nieminen,
Esa Laaksonen, Kimmo Friman), completed 2005
Project architect: Jari Frondelius
Furniture design: Konehuone sisustusarkkitehdit/
Mervi Alaluusua (loose furniture)

The school is located in a sparsely populated semi-rural area on a former farming

estate. Formerly part of Sipoo, the area was recently annexed to the City of Helsinki
and has been zoned for a large amount of housing development. The building com-
prises a day-care centre, two schools – one Finnish, the other Swedish-speaking – a
parish centre and a library. Altogether the school has about 350 pupils aged 7–16
(Years 1–9), plus 100 children in day care.
Used throughout the week for both work and recreation, the building serves as a
focal point and multipurpose civic centre for the local community. In the evenings
and on weekends it offers a venue for various recreational groups, associations,
adult classes, music lessons and children’s clubs. Warm and approachable like an
old-fashioned village schoolhouse, the building has been adopted as the new heart
of the community. An imposing, monumental effect was intentionally avoided in its
design. The wooden exteriors are painted in traditional red and yellow ochre com-
bined with a shade of grey evoking the colour of untreated, weather-beaten wood.
The working title of the design used affectionately by the architect and client was
“barn village”.
The layout is designed around five ‘barns’ or wings. The Finnish- and Swedish-
speaking pupils occupy separate buildings, as does the day-care centre. The other
two buildings are for the school gym, kitchen and teachers’ offices. Each wing has
a dedicated entrance, yet all converge on a glass-enclosed ‘piazza’ or atrium, which
serves as a common dining area. Although the ceiling is high, careful acoustic
design prevents echoes. In the middle of the atrium there is an open fireplace
resembling a traditional Finnish sauna stove. The elevations and the walls of the
atrium feature identical wooden panelling. The rhythmically arranged columns
reiterate the effect of the tree trunks in the surrounding forest.

48
Opposite: East facade.

Below: Finnish-speaking pupils spend recess

in this yard. Photo Arno de la Chapelle.

49
Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects
Below: Section. The red cube mounted above
the central atrium is a private meeting room.
Opposite: Photo Jussi Tiainen
54
Comprehensive school in Joensuu
Koskikatu 10, Joensuu
Invited competition 2003 (Ilmari Lahdelma, Rainer Mahlamäki, Heikki Viiri;
assistants: Samuli Sallinen, Adactive Oy/Arttu Hyttinen), completed 2006
Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects/Ilmari Lahdelma
Project architect: Heikki Viiri; design team: Petri Saarelainen, Paula Julin, Pia
Rantanen, Miguel Silva, Tarja Suvisto, Risto Wikberg, Leila Hyttinen, Hanna
Suomi, Liisa Viljakainen (fixed and loose furniture), Anne Harju (fixed furniture)
Located in the heart of Joensuu, the school forms part of a cluster of important
landmarks flanking the town’s main boulevards, including the city theatre, market
square, art museum, university and main public parks. The architecture underlines
its function as a public building, with exteriors finished in dark copper, glass and
other sophisticated materials fitting its prominent location. Dark copper accents
are repeated in the entrance hall, but the interior colour scheme is otherwise sunny
and exuberant. Designer furniture accentuates the school’s prestigious image. The
school has roughly 400 upper-level comprehensive students and 40 teachers.
The layout is similar to that of Hiidenkivi Comprehensive School, with affiliated
subject classrooms grouped together in discrete ‘learning units’. The windmill-
shaped plan divides the classrooms into four wings connected by a central atrium.
There are no dedicated homerooms; the students migrate between subject class-
rooms throughout the day. Orientation is made easy by each wing and learning unit
having its own identifying colour, which is also reiterated in the décor. The colours
were chosen based on their moods and psychosocial effects.
 55
 K2S Architects Ltd

Enter. Upper Secondary School

and Vocational College

Iso Kylätie 14, Sipoo

Invited competition 2003, completed 2007
K2S Architects Ltd/Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola, Mikko Summanen
Design team: Tuukka Vuori, Matias Manninen, Laura Vara, Antti Lehto, Osma
Lindroos, Ilona Palmunen, Stijn Colpaert, Keigo Masuda, Abel Groenewolt

Unlike the other schools described above, this institution in the Sipoo community
of Nikkilä is attended by slightly older students aged 15–19. The school is relatively
small, with a combined total of about 400 students.
After completing comprehensive school, Finnish students can continue their
studies at an upper secondary school or vocational institution. Upper secondary
schools provide general education normally lasting three years. After passing the
national matriculation examinations, students may apply to study at a tertiary insti-
tution such as a university or polytechnic (university of applied sciences), or alter-
natively choose a vocational college. Vocational colleges are also open to students
who have not matriculated. A vocational diploma usually takes three years to com-
plete, equipping the student with the skills and qualifications for future employment
in their chosen field. The Enter Vocational College offers diplomas in commerce,
information technology and electrical installation. The students are also free to
combine upper-secondary school and vocational courses.
The red-stained pine elevations blend harmoniously with the green blinds in
the expansive windows. The street-front entrance is recessed within a small semi-
circular courtyard. The sunny entrance hall is split-level. Floor-to-ceiling windows in
the entrance hall provide sweeping views of the park-like grounds.

Left, top: The central staircase.

Photo Marko Huttunen.

Opposite: The street-front entrance.

Photo Marko Huttunen.

60
 61
 Verstas Architects Ltd

Kirkkojärvi School

Kotikyläntie 6, Espoo
Competition 2006, completed 2010
Verstas Architects Ltd/Väinö Nikkilä, Jussi Palva, Riina Palva, Ilkka Salminen
Project architect: Jari Saajo
Interior design: Karola Sahi in collaboration with Verstas Architects Ltd
Landscaping: LOCI maisema-arkkitehdit Oy/Milla Hakari, Pia Kuusiniemi
in collaboration with Verstas Architects Ltd

The new school building was completed in summer 2010 shortly before the start of
the new academic year in autumn. The school accommodates about 770 students
aged 7–16 (Years 1–9). It also offers optional preschool tuition to children aged six.
Ninety-eight per cent of all children from Espoo attend preschool.
A large number of pupils at the school have a migrant background. Some are
new arrivals in Finland; others were born into migrant families. Some have Finnish
parents yet spent their early childhood abroad. The tuition is designed to cater for
their varied skill levels. Finnish is taught as a first language to Finnish-speaking chil-
dren and as a second language to migrant children, who are also offered optional
tuition in their native language. During 2008–2009, the school provided home-
language upkeep tuition in 32 different languages.
The premises and schoolyard are functionally divided to serve different age
groups. The smaller of the two wings is occupied by the lower-level comprehensive
school. The classrooms are grouped around two social spaces, each with its own
dedicated vestibule and entrance. The curved mass of the building separates the
two schoolyards, with favourable orientations for children of different ages. Warmed
by the rising sun, the east-facing schoolyard is for lower-level students, who finish
school soon after midday. The children spend their 15-minute recess outdoors. The
schoolyard provides an inspirational setting for physical activity. Running parallel to
a slope, the building occupies a large hilly plot, its natural variations contributing to
a visually inspiring landscape design.
The pupils have a 45-minute lunch break at midday. All Finnish schools serve a
hot, nutritionally balanced meal free of charge. Special portions are set aside for
children with different dietary requirements for health or ethical reasons. School
meals have many functions: they keep the children alert and energetic, promote
healthy dietary habits and teach good table manners and etiquette. All pupils dine
in a shared spacious dining hall where the two wings converge. The kitchen and
buffet are behind the stairs descending to the dining hall.

66

Photo Tuomas
Uusheimo. 67
 Setting the Scene for Learning

Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen

Pupils seated in orderly rows listening attentively to the teacher, who sits lecturing
from a desk on a raised platform in front of the blackboard: this was the authori-
tarian didactic setting of the traditional classroom. The need for a more flexible,
adaptable alternative was recognised in Finland back in the 1970s, but only with
the advent of new multiform learning methods over the past ten or fifteen years has
Finnish school architecture begun to genuinely address the spatial needs of con-
temporary education. This renewal was made possible in the 1990s when Finnish
authorities deregulated the funding of school architecture.
Education has always been highly respected in Finnish society, where we
embrace the principle that everyone should enjoy the right to a free schooling.

72
Opposite: Enter. Upper Secondary School
and Vocational College, Sipoo 2007. K2S
Architects Ltd. Photo Marko Huttunen.
Above: Karisto School and Day Nursery,
Lahti 2010. Tilatakomo Architects. Wood is
used extensively throughout the building. The
supporting frame is laminated timber and the
outer walls are timber elements. This multi-
purpose building also houses a local branch
of the City Library. Photos Jussi Tiainen.
Education is regarded as a pillar of democracy and the welfare state, and also as
the mainstay of our social and economic development. Throughout the 2000s, the
OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has conducted a
series of surveys evaluating how well students around the world have acquired the
knowledge and skills essential for a rewarding life and full participation in the pro-
fessional world and society of the future. Finnish students have achieved top-level
results in every survey, notably in science, but also in mathematics and literacy
skills.
In addition to skills that can be measured, schools also equip students with a
complex array of proficiencies for their future lives, not least in terms of their social
integration. The stated mission of one of the schools featured in this exhibition is to
provide students with “the knowledge and skills for life, further education and life-
long learning” – expressly in this order of priority.
The school buildings of today and tomorrow should be open, transparent, adapt-
able and flexible. New learning methods are reshaping the design of school build-
ings to a growing degree. Homerooms and small group settings, workshops, areas
for autonomous work, self-directed study and practical activity emphasise a student-
centred approach rather than a teacher-centred one. By the same token, school
architecture still faces the overriding practical imperatives of upkeep, maintenance
and economic and operative efficiency.
Being key public buildings in the local townscape and community, schools are
an important part of our everyday architectural surroundings. In the evenings they
provide a venue for various recreational activities and meetings, serving not only
students and teachers, but also the wider community at large.
73
 Museum of Finnish Architecture
80
www.mfa.fi