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Architects: Fors Arkitekter
- Area: 10000 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Tuomas Uusheimo
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Manufacturers: KEIM
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Lead Architects: Sofia Fors, Fors Arkitekter
Text description provided by the architects. Helsinki's new primary school and kindergarten are designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings. The design is informed by research indicating that an educational institution built from wood and closely connected to nature has a positive impact on children's mental and physical health. Maatulli School and Kindergarten, located in a lush park in Helsinki's Tapulikaupunki district, is home to 700 school pupils and 238 kindergarteners. The school is organized as a village of five wooden buildings, arranged around a circular green courtyard known as "The Forest Glade." The school and its outdoor learning environments seamlessly integrate into the surrounding park landscape, preserving the existing terrain and trees.
Human-scale learning environment - Designed from a learner's perspective, the school provides a green and flexible learning environment that supports well-being, concentration, and creativity. The distinct building blocks, connected by shared central common areas, create a framework for a human-scale learning environment where learners of all ages can easily navigate, meet others, and learn from one another. The efficient layout ensures that all functions are within a short distance of the building's central space and entrances. Each of the five blocks has its own unique character and houses a variety of functions, including learning spaces, a canteen, a sports hall, science and art facilities, and a kindergarten. The multifunctional building also serves as a community center for local residents in the evenings and on weekends. The adaptable learning spaces, with movable partitions, can be reconfigured to suit different activities and easily adjusted to meet the learners' needs. Wood and other natural materials are generously used throughout the building, reinforcing the connection to nature and helping create an inviting, calm environment where all learners feel at home.
Green courtyard at the heart of the school - The circular courtyard introduces a significant green outdoor space at the heart of the school that enhances the learning environment and provides added value beyond the original program. In addition to serving as a peaceful outdoor area, it brings natural light to the center of the building and all common areas. The green courtyard and the bright lobby, with its tactile wooden interior, serve as focal points for social gatherings and circulation in the school. The school's green outdoor learning spaces, featuring local Finnish plants, are a central part of its pedagogy, helping to strengthen the children's understanding of nature's processes and inspiring them to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Mass-timber construction - Maatulli School and Kindergarten is one of Helsinki's first schools built using modular mass-timber construction. The building's wood-clad façade, with vertical mullions, draws inspiration from the surrounding park and trees, creating a dynamic interplay between the exterior and interior. The façade comprises five distinct types to enhance each block's unique program. Choosing locally sourced spruce as the primary material highlights the wood's natural characteristics and embraces its raw state, allowing it to age naturally with the environment.
