Daycare Centre Suosaari
The day-care centre located in a park-like grove is coloured with the shades of autumnal foliage. The playful façade emphasises the building’s modular unit structure and gives each wing its own character.
The daycare centre, with capacity for three groups, was assembled from sixteen modules; each group of children have their own wing as well as point of entry through terraces located at the ends of the T-shaped building. The common spaces are located at the centre of the building.
The modular unit structure was selected due to the rapid construction schedule and the need for movability. It is predicted that the number of children in the area will grow in the near future by over one hundred children but will return to the current level by 2017. Movability offers the flexibility required in organising services for the children.
The width of the modules is 3.3 and 4.5 meters and the length between 9 and 13.5 meters. The height is 4.9 meters at its highest. The façade sheeting is 28 x 145 mm planed pine board. The distribution of boards has been designed for 150 mm module fitting in the modular unit. The boards have been surfaced before fixing.
The interior walls of the multi-function hall and group spaces have been sheeted with birch plywood, which gives the spaces a finished look. The design of the board distribution has taken into account the movability of the building. The hall located in the centre of the daycare centre is higher than the other spaces and it is lit by a skylight.
Project in brief
Daycare Centre Suosaari
- Location | Helsinki
- Purpose | Daycare Centre
- Constructor/Client | City of Helsinki, Social Services Department
- Valmistumisvuosi | 2009
- Total area | 590 m2
- Volume | 3 230 m3
- Investointikustannukset | 1 779 119€
- Architectural Design | Häkli Architects
- Structural design | Insinööritoimisto Konstru Oy
- Pääurakoitsija | Elemenco Oy
- Photographs | Jussi Tiainen
- Text | Seppo Häkli