Villa Särkiniemi

Villa Särkiniemi is a unique assisted living facility constructed from logs. Designed by architect SAFA Anssi Kankkunen and opened in March 2024, the complex draws inspiration from Japanese architecture and pays homage to the twists and turns of the Lake Kallavesi shoreline.

Read the article in Finnish here.

Nestled in the beautiful landscapes and trails of Lake Kallavesi, Villa Särkiniemi is an assisted living facility for young people and adults on the autism spectrum. The complex consists of three sensory-friendly log buildings.

For 24-hour assisted living, a fan-shaped, one-storey building follows the curve of the plot’s street-facing side. Apartments on the fan’s outside edge enjoy splendid lakeside views, while the communal areas open onto the courtyard. The unique origami-like roof descends towards the courtyard and creates sheltered canopies in front of the entrances and windows. Wooden laths shield the glass walls of the entrances, which calms the interiors by filtering light and hiding some of the hustle and bustle outside.

The building’s unusual fan-shaped roof is made possible by a wooden pillar-beam support structure, giving the complex a distinctive flair. For subsidised housing, a two-storey loft building lies slightly to the side from the shared courtyard. Its log façade is complemented by the wooden laths of the staircase that shield the otherwise bare exterior corridor. Residents also have access to a shared cabin by the forest. Here too, the use of laths creates a sense of privacy for the cabin terrace.

Making the complex sensory-friendly naturally led to selecting log for the construction material. Each building has log surfaces on the interior and exterior to add softness and a feeling of home, while also contributing to the pleasant acoustics. The log frames and wooden surfaces are complemented by sensory friendly lighting and acoustic solutions and the choice of natural colours and materials.

The wooden laths on the façades are a design element that people can touch and feel, but they also provide important visual barriers that calm the indoors and outdoors.

As the staff’s work is stressful, the design specifically set out to support staff well-being and recovery and thereby also improve the lives of the residents the staff cares for. The group home has a sensory room and spaces for relaxing or making phone calls, all clad with wooden laths and special acoustic materials.

This was a conscious choice by the Autism Foundation who sought to avoid an institutional feel at their flagship location. Their goal was to give the residents a home they could feel proud of and where they could lead a good life, and hopefully the heightened curiosity in the architecture will also make the surrounding neighbourhood comfortable with its new residents.

Technical solutions

An up-to-date fire safety plan that considered the site’s special nature was drawn up in the design phase, and construction proceeded accordingly.

Pleasant acoustics were a priority for apartments and common spaces, and lighting was also designed with the unique users in mind: rooms can be lit with indirect lighting, if desired, and the brightness and colour temperature can be adjusted dynamically.

The buildings use geothermal heating, and the group home rooftop has a solar panel power plant. The complex is LEED-certified for its environmental friendliness.

The construction project

The planning and draft design phase was a participatory process that began in spring 2022.

Construction plans and design specifics were laid down in early autumn 2022. The team then collected the necessary data for a building permit, which was granted on November 28th, 2022.

Earthworks began in early March 2023, and the log frames of the group home and the auxiliary building started to go up in early May.

The complex was handed over to the Autism Foundation in February 2024. Hoivarakentajat Oy served as the main contractor.

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