Lastu Education Building Selected Finalist for the PLAN Award 2024

Lastu, the new education building complementing the STEP Professional Training Center campus in Järvenpää has been selected finalist for the PLAN Award 2024.

The Plan Award

THE PLAN Award is an international prize that recognizes excellence in architecture, interior design, and urban planning. The 2024 edition of the annual prize marks the 10th anniversary of the award.

With twenty different categories and over a thousand submissions every year, THE PLAN Award provides an important opportunity for architects, designers, urban planners, and planners to participate in an international community and contribute to the discussion of the key issues affecting the industry today. The quality of the competition is underscored by its international jury, made up of leading figures in the architecture, design, real estate, and academic fields.

• For more information on the PLAN Award, see HERE.
• A presentation of the Lastu education building as a finalist for the PLAN Award 2024 can be found HERE.

A Multifunctional Education Building Made of Wood

Located on a beautiful site by Lake Tuusula, Lastu is a multifunctional educational building with a massive timber structure. In the case of Lastu, there were five main reasons why we chose to use wood.

First, we were inspired by the natural beauty of the site with a strong presence of pine trees by the lake. We wanted to create a building that resonates with the nature around it. The use of CTL elements as the load-bearing structure made it possible to keep the construction period short and efficient. This allowed us to keep the disturbance to the terrain around the site to a minimum. We wanted to preserve as many of the surrounding trees as possible and to use the existing trees to create a good framework for shading to reduce the heat load.

The wood paneling in the façade forms an outer layer that protects the wooden structure. It creates a play of light and shadow and acts as a shading element that distributes the incoming sunlight in the interior spaces in a very nice way.

A Place Where People Can Feel Good

Second, we wanted to create a place for the students and for the local community where people can feel good. Wood gives a feeling of warmth and cozyness to the building. It creates a good environment for learning and a relaxed atmosphere that people enjoy.

Lastu is designed to support contemporary teaching methods. It houses flexibly adjustable spaces that also provide services for the community. In addition to teaching spaces, it contains a large multipurpose hall, seminar spaces, and a gym.

The design process was informed by an ongoing dialogue with the future users. From the first steps of sketching the concept, a series of workshops with all the involved parties guided the design. The classrooms facilitate both on location and remote learning. There is also a series of well-equipped classrooms for the arts and technical work.

Third, ecological sustainability is very important to us. Thanks to the use of massive timber, Lastu is an ecological building. Both the external and internal walls made of wood, so there is no need for extra layers of insulating materials in the walls. Also the roof is made of wood and insulated with wood pulp.The monomateriality enables the reuse of the materials at the end of the building’s lifecycle. Geothermal energy is used for the energy needs.

Exploring the Potential of Large CLT Elements

Fourth, as we are interested in developing new solutions, we wanted to explore the potential of large industrially produced CLT elements to create a unique building with a strong individual expression. The use of CLT elements as the load bearing structure allowed us a lot of flexibility in the organization of the spaces.

The building volume is organized into several smaller blocks that reflect the rich variety of activities in the building. Together the blocks form one entity with a strong identity.

A series of roof lanterns gives the building a sculptural character. Opening to the south, they optimize natural light and give a spacious feel to the interiors. They form small, inviting meeting places that support the center’s flexible teaching style.

A multipurpose hall with a high ceiling forms the heart of the buillding. It converts easily into a fully equipped performance space with state-of-the-art stage technology. The hall can be divided into three smaller spaces with a simple system of heavy curtains that separate the spaces both acoustically and visually.

The teaching spaces orient themselves around a wide wooden central stair. It functions as an informal gathering point. It can also be used as seating for events when the movable wall of the multipurpose hall is opened to extend out to the lobby.

A Unique Building with a Strong Individual Expression

And finally, but not least importantly, we wanted to find an interesting way to add a new layer of architecture to the college campus that was originally formed in the 1940s. We wanted to bring together the old and the new in a way that is both respectful of the existing architecture and also is in its own way very contemporary, an expression of our time. Lastu forms a central hub for the campus and works harmoniously with the scale of the surrounding buildings.

Lastu is a unique building with a strong individual expression. It has been very well liked by both students and teachers as well as by the wider community, and it is constantly in active use. It has succeeded exceptionally well as a building that serves many different uses and provides different possibilities for dividing the spaces. The acoustics of the multi-purpose hall and the soothing environment of the lobby have both received special praise.

• A project presentation of Lastu, the new addition to the campus of the STEP Professional Training Center campus in Järvenpää can be found HERE.