The Martta Wendelin daycare centre in Tuusula is this year’s winner of the International Award for Wood Architecture. Awarded annually by the international press, the aim is to bring exceptional wooden architecture into the limelight to encourage innovation in design and to unite countries in their common appreciation of wooden construction. The winner was announced at the “Forum International Bois Construction”, a wood construction event held in Lille, France on April 13, 2023.

Five European magazines specialising in wood architecture each nominated three projects from their respective countries for the competition. The media jurors of the International Award are Wood Magazine in Finland, Mikado in Germany, Trä in Sweden, Lignum in Switzerland and Séquences Bois in France. Each editorial staff proposes three projects and during the voting, no editorial staff votes for its own projects. T
The wood architecture prize was awarded for the fifth time.

The jury praised the building’s use of CLT panels, in particular. The daycare centre’s architecture is the handiwork of AFKS, i.e. Arkkitehdit Frondelius + Keppo + Salmenperä, with Ideastructure Oy responsible for the structural design.

– The award brings Martta Wendelin daycare centre international recognition. The recognition complements the sense of success we have from the building. One of the most important goals was to create a safe and peaceful environment for children’s activities. The use of wood, restrained colors, lightness, breathability and pleasant acoustics, as well as the praised use of CLT technology made the final result successful, sums up Heikki Lonka from Tuusula municipality, who was receiving the award.

Daycare centre Martta Wendelin is a 10-group daycare center with day care places for around 200 children. Thanks to carefully thought-out space solutions, children can work in their own small groups that are important to them. At the same time, a large daycare unit makes it easier to implement foster care arrangements when familiar adults are available. The premises also have, for example, a gym, a studio, a dining room and office spaces, and the daycare has a large yard. The daycare was completed in 2022.

Read also: International Award for Wood Architecture 2022

Read the article in Finnish here.