The 2016 Finnish Wood Award went to the Pudasjärvi Log Campus, lead designer Pekka Lukkaroinen, Lukkaroinen Architects.

The jury commented:

“The Pudasjärvi Log Campus is a fine example of systematically furthering wood construction and developing a traditional structural system into a credible alternative for construction challenges in the 21st century. The site’s architecture was sure-footed. The school offers a modern learning environment with a good setting for studying and collaboration. The space was designed to be safe, healthy, comfortable and adaptable for many different uses.

The site’s life-cycle design was thought out well into the future. The school was built using a life-cycle model in which the contractor is responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the school for 25 years. The spaces were designed to be flexible so the building can later be used for other purposes, for example as a home for the elderly.

Good solutions for today’s needs were found for the building. A particular investment was made in indoor air quality. The site has drawn attention to both log construction and determined entrepreneurship, which are both valuable export products.

The value of the log campus was raised by the purposeful, long-term work done to once again make logs part of public construction in Finland. It highlights the strong desire of customers and society as a whole for purposeful action and procurement know-how in the successful realisation of public buildings. At the same time it has set an example for numerous other log construction projects in Finland and internationally.”

Pudasjärvi Log Campus also wins Public’s Choice Award

As in previous years, voting for the Public’s Choice Award was organised between Finnish Wood Award finalists, with almost 5,000 votes cast this year. The Pudasjärvi Log Campus also won the Public’s Choice Award with more than 40 per cent of the votes.

Contributors in realising the Pudasjärvi Log Campus were:

Developer/Customer: City of Pudasjärvi
Architectural design: Lukkaroinen Architects
Structural design: Sweco Rakennetekniikka Oy
Contractor: Lemminkäinen Group
Wood components: Kontiotuote Oy
 Interior design Lukkaroinen Architects
Electrical design: Sweco Talotekniikka Oy
Landscaping: VSU Landscape Architects Ltd
HVAC design: Plan-Air Oy
 
Volume: 46,572 m³
Floor area: 9,737 m²
Completed: 2016

More about Pudasjärvi Log Campus

Background of the 19th Finnish Wood Award

Thirteen nominations for the Finnish Wood Award were received by the deadline, from which the preliminary jury selected eight contestants for the Wood Award and the Public’s Choice Award.

The nominees represented an exceptionally broad spectrum of the different uses of wood in construction. The share of public sector wood construction among the nominations is continuing to grow. Residential construction of both blocks of flats and small houses is increasing, and sets a precedent for the possibilities provided by industrial wood construction.

It is also gratifying that the nominations included new uses for wood and architectural inspirations that would be hard to imagine completing in any way other than by using wood. The sites also combine different ways to use wood and other materials. An imposing example of infrastructure construction was also included, an area in which wood will hopefully be seen more often.

In awarding the Finnish Wood Award the jury paid particular attention to the site’s architectural quality, the innovative use of wood and the overall value of the attention it attracts. This year the jury also considered it particularly valuable for the site to present solutions to the challenges of contemporary construction and to set an example that can spur on other comparable projects.

Members of 2016 jury included

• Matti Kuittinen, D.Sc. Technology, special advisor to the Ministry of the Environment, architect
• Associate Professor Sami Pajunen, M.Sc. Engineering, D.Sc. Technology, Tampere University of Technology Civil Engineering Department, light and specialty structures

The jury secretary was

• Mikko Viljakainen, Managing Director, Puuinfo Oy

What is the Finnish Wood Award?

The Finnish Wood Award is awarded annually to a building, interior design or structure that represents high-quality, Finnish wood architecture or in which wood has been used in a way that furthers building technology. The contest was established in 1994, with the award being presented this year for the nineteenth time. The award is granted by Puuinfo.

The Wood Award has previously been awarded to:
2015 As Oy Jyväskylä Puukuokka 1, Jyväskylä Puu 3/2015
2014 Serlachius Museums Gösta Pavillion, Mänttä Puu 3/2014
2013 Finnish Nature Centre Haltia, Espoo Puu 3/2013
2012 PUUERA Wooden block of flats, Vierumäki Puu 1/2012
2011 Metsähallitus offices and Pilke Science Centre, Rovaniemi Puu 1/2011,
2010 Luukku House, Aalto University Luukku team
2009 Seurasaari Open-air Museum’s Building Conversation Centre, Helsinki Puu 1/10
2008 Porvoo Cathedral reconstruction Puu 1/07 and 3/08
2007 Kotilo House, Espoo Puu 3/06 and 2/07
2006 FMO office building, Tapiola, Espoo Puu 4/05 and 3/06
2005 Metla House, Joensuu Puu 1/05 and 3/05
2004 Laajasalo church, Helsinki Puu 1/04 and 3/04 and Aurinkorinne block of detached housing, Espoo Puu 3/04
2003 Puu-Linnanmaa, Oulu Puu 2/03
2002 Kierikki Stone Age Centre, Yli-Ii Puu 2/02 and Sibelius Hall, Lahti Puu 1/00 and 3/00
2000 Vihantasalmi Bridge, Mäntyharju Puu 2/00
1998 Viikki wooden blocks of flats, Helsinki Puu 3/97
1996 Camping area reception building, Taivalkoski Puu 2/95
1994 Metsola elementary school, Helsinki