Kaijonharju Daycare Center
Kaijonharju Daycare Center
MUUAN
ARCHITECTS
Muuan
MANUFACTURERS
Crosslam / Clt, Massiwe
LEAD ARCHITECTS
Tiina Antinoja, Olli Metso, Aleksi Rastas, Tuulikki Tanska, Xiaoyu Chen, Anna Wawrzyniak, Tytti Kaattari, Alice Mattila, Venla Tiainen
DESIGN TEAM
Muuan
GENERAL CONSTRUCTING
Crosslam, Massiwe, Rakennusyhtiö Observo Oy
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Helma
ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > STRUCTURAL
Suunnittelu Laukka
PHOTOGRAPHS
Marc Goodwin | Archmospheres
AREA
1150 M²
YEAR
2023
LOCATION
Finland
CATEGORY
Public Architecture, Day Care
Text description provided by architect.
The new daycare center in Kaijonharju in Oulu, Finland, is a wooden, low-carbon, and chemically low-impact facility designed for the future.
MUUAN was responsible for the project's principal design, architectural design, and interior design. The structural design was done in collaboration with Laukka, and the landscape design was done by HELMA.
Oulun Tilapalvelut oversaw the design process and set the goals for low carbon emissions and the absence of harmful substances.
During the conceptual phase, the building's environment, routes, and views were analyzed.
The building was intended to take a visible role within its surroundings. Space solutions were explored through multiple options, aiming to find a design where the children's spaces are placed prominently and the internal circulation is smooth.
The goal of the project was to create a high-quality, stimulating, and small-scale environment for children.
A key feature was the extensive use of wood in both interior and exterior spaces, as well as consideration of the northern climate and light conditions.
The building mass consists of four single-story, similarly oriented gabled roof sections, which create a small-scale environment around them.
At the center of the building is a bright dining area with large glass surfaces opening to the south.
There is also a view of the northern Kaijonraitti. Adjacent to the dining area is a sheltered courtyard, where children can play even in bad weather under a large canopy.
The children's group rooms are placed in the best location, opening to sunny directions on the courtyard side. Service and auxiliary spaces are located on the northern side.
CLT (cross-laminated timber) was selected as the framing material based on a carbon footprint comparison.
The massive wooden load-bearing frame stores a lot of carbon, and the external insulation makes the solution energy-efficient.
According to studies, the carbon footprint of wooden construction can be up to six times lower compared to concrete construction.
In the selection of materials for the interiors, special attention was paid to avoiding harmful substances.
All materials in the interior spaces meet the requirements of the Swan Label (Nordic Ecolabel). The CLT frame was supplied by Crosslam.
The color scheme for the spaces includes not only wood finishes but also natural colors inspired by the environment, such as ochre, red clay, lichen, and calming gray.
The nature theme and the focus on avoiding harmful substances are also reflected in the loose furniture and playground equipment.
The Kaijonharju daycare center project began in 2022 and was completed by the end of 2023.
The daycare center provides facilities for five groups, ranging from toddlers to preschoolers. Solutions piloted in terms of low carbon emissions and the absence of harmful substances will be applied in other projects by Oulun Tilapalvelut.
