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Museum of Finnish Architecture

This book is published in conjunction with The Best School in the World exhibition hosted by the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki, from 8 June to 25 September 2011.‘Schools’, an abridged version of the exhibition, was presented at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2010.Exhibition design and selection of schools by Roy Mänttäri Project leader: Juulia KausteProject team: Hannu Hellman, Eriika Johansson, Maija Kasvio, Juulia Kauste, Roy Mänttäri, Kristiina Nivari, Kristiina Paatero, Elina Standertskjöld

Editor: Maija KasvioImage editor: Eriika JohanssonTranslation and language consultation: Silja KudelGraphic design: Salla Bedard

© Museum of Finnish Architecture and the authors© Photographs: the designers of the schools

Cover imagesFront: 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 2011ISBN 978-952-5195-37-8

This work has been published with the financial assistance of the FILI Finnish Literature Exchange.

About the authors

Sirkkaliisa Jetsonen is an architect who works in the Department of Cultural Environment Protection at the National Board of Antiquities. She is currently preparing her doc-toral thesis on school architecture.

Eriika Johansson, MA, works as a researcher at the Museum of Finnish Architecture.

Kaisa Nuikkinen, PhD, is Head Archi-tect for school design at the Helsinki City Education Department.

Pasi Sahlberg, PhD, is Director Gen-eral of CIMO, an organisation for international mobility and cooperation under the Finnish Ministry of Educa-tion and Culture.

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Contents

Preface Juulia Kauste

Introduction Eriika Johansson

Learning Spaces: How They Meet Evolving Educational Needs Kaisa Nuikkinen

Educational Progress in Finland and What We Can Learn from ItPasi Sahlberg

SchoolsSite descriptions by Eriika Johansson

Strömberg School, Helsinki Kari Järvinen and Merja Nieminen, Architects SAFA

Viikki Teacher Training School, HelsinkiArk-House Architects

Hiidenkivi School, HelsinkiHäkli Architects

Sakarinmäki School, Östersundom School, HelsinkiSari Nieminen Architect, FLN Architects

Comprehensive School, JoensuuLahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects

Enter. Upper Secondary School and Vocational College, SipooK2S Architects Ltd

Kirkkojärvi School, EspooVerstas Architects Ltd

Setting the Scene for LearningSirkkaliisa Jetsonen

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Preface

Juulia KausteDirector, 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.

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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.

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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.

Above: Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences Kasarminmäki Campus, Paja exhibi-tion and café building, Kouvola 2010. Archi-tects NRT Ltd. Photo Tuomas Uusheimo.

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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.

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School Buildings in Former TimesIn 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.

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.

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

1960

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

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?

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Finland as a Successful ReformerFirst, 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.

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.

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Strömberg School

Takomotie 11, HelsinkiInvited competition 1996, completed 2000Kari Järvinen and Merja Nieminen, Architects SAFADesign team: Jouko Piilola, Heikki Prokkola, Jaakko HaapanenCourtyard 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.

Above: The glass partition between the two homerooms can be opened if desired. Photo Arno de la Chapelle.

Opposite: Photo Arno de la Chapelle.

Kari Järvinen and Merja Nieminen, Architects SAFA

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Viikki Teacher Training School

Kevätkatu 2, HelsinkiInvited competition 1999, completed 2003ARK-House Architects/Markku Erholtz, Hannu Huttunen, Jussi Karjalainen, Minna SoukkaGreenery design: Satu NiemeläArtist: 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.

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.

ARK-House Architects

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Hiidenkivi Comprehensive School

Rajatie 7, HelsinkiCompleted 2004Häkli Architects/Seppo HäkliProject architect: Pertti Noponen; design team: Jaakko Keppo, Pekka Salminen, Kaisa TynkkynenInterior and furniture design: Konehuone sisustusarkkitehdit/Mervi Ala-Luusua, Ari Jääskö, Jorma ValkamaGreenery 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.

Häkli Architects

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Hiidenkivi Comprehensive School

HIIDENKIVEN PERUSKOULU

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ARKKITEHTITOIMISTO HÄKLI KYH

iidenkiven peruskoulun rakennustyöt aloitettiin helmikuussa 2003.

Rakennuksen runkotyöt valm

istuivat kesän alussa ja vesikattotyötkesän aikana. A

ikataulun mukaisesti rakennus valm

istui kesäkuun

Hankkeen rakennustöistä vastasi R

akennusosakeyhtiö Hartela,

Koulun tilaohjelm

a on mitoitettu noin 600 peruskoulun oppilaalle.

Koulussa on m

yös erityisoppilaita, jotka opiskelevat avoimen koulun

tapaan yhdessä yleisopetuksen oppilaiden kanssa.

Rakennus ja toim

inta on suunniteltu siten, että ne tarjoavat hyvät

edellytykset koulun toiminta-ajatuksen m

ukaiselle opetukselle.

Opetuksen suunnittelussa ja toteutuksessa otetaan huom

ioon

oppilaiden erilaiset valmiudet koulutyöskentelyyn. K

eskeistä

Sisäänkäyntipiha ja pääsisäänkäynti avautuvat länteen R

ajatien

suuntaan. Keskeisen pääsisäänkäynnin yhteydessä ovat kahde

nkerroksen korkuiset aula, kirjasto ja "teatteriravintola" -tilat. S

aliinliittyvä näyttäm

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pien lasten liikuntatilana samoin kuin

toisen kerroksen monitoim

itila. Isomm

at oppilaat jakautuvat useidensisäänkäyntien kautta oppilasauloihin, joissa heillä on kotiluokkiensijasta kotipesät oppilaskaappeineen

.

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opettajan työhuone ja varastotilaa. Koulun 1. kerroksessa sijaitseva

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atematiikan ja luonnontieteen

apilat sekä teknisen työn, kuvaamataidon ja tekstiilityön opetustilat,

jotka toimivat m

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uden perus-koulun tarkoitus on helpottaa tilantarvetta H

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inut 58 peruskoulun opetusryhmää

tilapäistiloissa.

lopussa 2004 ja koulutyö alkoi syyslukukauden 2004 alussa.

opetuksessa ovat erilaiset yhteistyöhön perustuvat menetelm

ät,joissa korostuu oppilaiden om

a aktiivinen työskentely.

Projektiarkkitehti R

iitta Söderholm

, Helsingin kaupungin opetusvirasto,

Stig B

aumgartner ja K

ari Soinio.

suunnittelusta Helsingin kaupungin kiinteistöviraston geotekninen

osasto, keittiösuunnittelusta HK

R-A

rkkitehtuuriosasto, akustisestasuunnittelusta Insinööritoim

isto Akukon O

y ja näyttämöteknisestä

ilmanvaihtotöistä LV

I-Juva Oy ja taloautom

aatiotöistä Aresys O

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kalustesuunnittelusta Konehuone sisustusarkkitehdit, piha

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oile Heikkinen / V

irearc, rakennesuunnittelusta

sähkötöistä Oy H

edpro Ab, putkitöistä V

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y / Putkipale,

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y, LVI-suunnittelusta Insinööritoim

isto Olof G

ranlund Oy,

sähkösuunnittelusta Insinööritoimisto S

tacon Oy, pohjarakennus-

Lisätieto

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kkeesta antaa:

puh. 3108 6409 tai 050 401 3120

Hankkeen rakennussuunnittelusta vastasi A

rkkitehtitoimisto H

äkli Ky,

suunnittelusta Idés Mikko H

ausmann. K

oulussa on kaksi taideteostajoiden suunnittelusta ja toteutuksesta vastasivat kuvataiteilijat

HIIDENKIVEN PERUSKOULU

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21

ARKKITEHTITOIMISTO HÄKLI KY

Hiidenkiven peruskoulun rakennustyöt aloitettiin helm

ikuussa 2003.R

akennuksen runkotyöt valmistuivat kesän alussa ja vesikattotyöt

kesän aikana. Aikataulun m

ukaisesti rakennus valmistui kesäkuun

Hankkeen rakennustöistä vastasi R

akennusosakeyhtiö Hartela,

Koulun tilaohjelm

a on mitoitettu noin 600 peruskoulun oppilaalle.

Koulussa on m

yös erityisoppilaita, jotka opiskelevat avoimen koulun

tapaan yhdessä yleisopetuksen oppilaiden kanssa.

Rakennus ja toim

inta on suunniteltu siten, että ne tarjoavat hyvät

edellytykset koulun toiminta-ajatuksen m

ukaiselle opetukselle.

Opetuksen suunnittelussa ja toteutuksessa otetaan huom

ioon

oppilaiden erilaiset valmiudet koulutyöskentelyyn. K

eskeistä

Sisäänkäyntipiha ja pääsisäänkäynti avautuvat länteen R

ajatien

suuntaan. Keskeisen pääsisäänkäynnin yhteydessä ovat kahde

nkerroksen korkuiset aula, kirjasto ja "teatteriravintola" -tilat. S

aliinliittyvä näyttäm

ötila toimii pienem

pien lasten liikuntatilana samoin kuin

toisen kerroksen monitoim

itila. Isomm

at oppilaat jakautuvat useidensisäänkäyntien kautta oppilasauloihin, joissa heillä on kotiluokkiensijasta kotipesät oppilaskaappeineen

.

Koulun rakenne perustuu apiloihin, joissa on kussakin 4-5 opetustilaa,

opettajan työhuone ja varastotilaa. Koulun 1. kerroksessa sijaitseva

thistorian ja uskonnon, äidinkielen, m

atematiikan ja luonnontieteen

apilat sekä teknisen työn, kuvaamataidon ja tekstiilityön opetustilat,

jotka toimivat m

yös iltakäytön tiloina. Toisessa kerroksessa, m

uustakoulusta rauhoitettuina ovat pienem

pien oppilaiden kotiluokka-apilat,joihin on käynti suoraan pihalta

.

Ko

ulu

n raken

ne jakau

tuu

apilo

ihin

Hiidenkiven peruskoulu sijoittuu nykyiselle T

apanilan ala-asteen jaP

ohjois-Helsingin yläasteen oppilaaksiottoalueelle. U

uden perus-koulun tarkoitus on helpottaa tilantarvetta H

elsingin koillisessa

HIID

EN

KIV

EN

PE

RU

SK

OU

LU

suurpiirissä. Alueella on toim

inut 58 peruskoulun opetusryhmää

tilapäistiloissa.

lopussa 2004 ja koulutyö alkoi syyslukukauden 2004 alussa.

opetuksessa ovat erilaiset yhteistyöhön perustuvat menetelm

ät,joissa korostuu oppilaiden om

a aktiivinen työskentely.

Projektiarkkitehti R

iitta Söderholm

, Helsingin kaupungin opetusvirasto,

Stig B

aumgartner ja K

ari Soinio.

suunnittelusta Helsingin kaupungin kiinteistöviraston geotekninen

osasto, keittiösuunnittelusta HK

R-A

rkkitehtuuriosasto, akustisestasuunnittelusta Insinööritoim

isto Akukon O

y ja näyttämöteknisestä

ilmanvaihtotöistä LV

I-Juva Oy ja taloautom

aatiotöistä Aresys O

y.

kalustesuunnittelusta Konehuone sisustusarkkitehdit, piha

-suunnittelusta S

oile Heikkinen / V

irearc, rakennesuunnittelusta

sähkötöistä Oy H

edpro Ab, putkitöistä V

imare O

y / Putkipale,

A-Insinöörit O

y, LVI-suunnittelusta Insinööritoim

isto Olof G

ranlund Oy,

sähkösuunnittelusta Insinööritoimisto S

tacon Oy, pohjarakennus-

Lisätieto

ja han

kkeesta antaa:

puh. 3108 6409 tai 050 401 3120

Hankkeen rakennussuunnittelusta vastasi A

rkkitehtitoimisto H

äkli Ky,

suunnittelusta Idés Mikko H

ausmann. K

oulussa on kaksi taideteostajoiden suunnittelusta ja toteutuksesta vastasivat kuvataiteilijat

Above: Fronting a colourful assortment of low-rise residential buildings, the main eleva-tion is clad with light-coloured panels. At right is the arts & crafts wing, at left the upper-level classrooms. Photo Jussi Tiainen.

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

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Sakarinmäki School, Östersundom School

Knutersintie 924, HelsinkiInvited competition 2002 (FLN Architects/Sari Nieminen, Esa Laaksonen, Kimmo Friman), completed 2005Project architect: Jari FrondeliusFurniture 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.

Sari Nieminen Architect, FLN Architects

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Opposite: East facade.

Below: Finnish-speaking pupils spend recess in this yard. Photo Arno de la Chapelle.

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Comprehensive school in Joensuu

Koskikatu 10, JoensuuInvited competition 2003 (Ilmari Lahdelma, Rainer Mahlamäki, Heikki Viiri; assistants: Samuli Sallinen, Adactive Oy/Arttu Hyttinen), completed 2006Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects/Ilmari LahdelmaProject 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.

Below: Section. The red cube mounted above the central atrium is a private meeting room.

Opposite: Photo Jussi Tiainen

Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects

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�0

Enter. Upper Secondary School and Vocational College

Iso Kylätie 14, SipooInvited competition 2003, completed 2007K2S Architects Ltd/Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola, Mikko SummanenDesign 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.

K2S Architects Ltd

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Kirkkojärvi School

Kotikyläntie 6, EspooCompetition 2006, completed 2010Verstas Architects Ltd/Väinö Nikkilä, Jussi Palva, Riina Palva, Ilkka SalminenProject architect: Jari SaajoInterior design: Karola Sahi in collaboration with Verstas Architects LtdLandscaping: 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.

Verstas Architects Ltd

��PhotoTuomasUusheimo.

��

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.

��

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.

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.

�0 Museum of Finnish Architecture

www.mfa.fi