Helsinki apartment block revives long-lasting brick construction

A Helsinki apartment building is bringing back mass brick construction and gravity-based ventilation, methods that have largely disappeared from Finnish new-build housing. Yle reports that the choices are part of a growing, though still marginal, interest among architects in durable and easier-to-maintain buildings.

Muurarimestari, an apartment building in Oulunkylä, looks much like other blocks nearby, with pale surfaces and restrained brick ornamentation. But its design prioritises long service life, healthier ventilation and lower costs over the long term, says lead architect Pauli Siponen of Avarrus Architects.

The building’s load-bearing structure is made of solid brick, without additional insulation in the exterior wall. Siponen says the structure can manage moisture while remaining airtight, and requires little maintenance. Its brick facade also stores heat from the summer sun for use during winter.

Mass brick construction was used in Helsinki’s early 20th-century Art Nouveau buildings, which are known for high ceilings and effective sound insulation. Muurarimestari was also nominated for this year’s Finlandia Prize for Architecture.

The building uses gravity-based ventilation, which has nearly vanished from Finnish construction but is returning. Siponen says it is quiet, requires little maintenance and continues to work during a power outage. Residents can also operate it themselves.

Muurarimestari has been part of the City of Helsinki’s Developing Apartment Buildings project, which seeks to improve the quality and appeal of apartment living and encourage individual design solutions. A new gallery-terrace apartment building is being planned in Laajasalo under the initiative. In Jätkäsaari, the planned Circular Economy Block will focus on, among other things, making building materials recyclable at the end of their life.

Brick ornamentation is emerging as a visual feature in some new Finnish apartment buildings, including those in Postipuisto and Länsi-Pasila. Siponen says new residential districts in Helsinki otherwise tend to look similar and argues for more experimentation in construction.

Asko Takala, chair of the Finnish Association of Architects, says architects are increasingly interested in designs with clearly defined, single-material structures, straightforward maintenance and a better understanding of how buildings are used and cared for.

Tags: architecture, housing, Helsinki