The joint project of the City of Helsinki and Helsinki University Properties Ltd to locate the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Natural Sciences to the Kumpula campus is progressing.
The building project plan was approved by the management board of Helsinki University Properties Ltd in December 2020. The City of Helsinki has begun the decision-making process concerning the renting of the upper secondary school’s facilities. On 14 January, the Buildings and Public Areas Sub-committee of the City of Helsinki Urban Environment Committee decided to propose the renting of the building for consideration by the City Board. The final decision on the renting of the facilities will be made by the Helsinki City Council later in spring.
If the decisions are favourable, the new construction project will progress to more detailed planning and to the permit process in spring, and the aim is to start construction in summer 2021. It is estimated that the students can start their studies at the new facilities on the Kumpula campus of the University of Helsinki in autumn 2023.
Shared facilities and cooperation with the University
The aim is to move the operations of the Upper Secondary School of Natural Sciences to the new building that is to be built at Pietari Kalmin katu 5 and the existing teaching and sports facilities of the University of Helsinki. The University, in turn, can also use the facilities of the upper secondary school for its operations. This arrangement makes facility usage more efficient and flexible and creates better preconditions for cooperation between the upper secondary school and the University.
The project supports the extensive science education operations and teacher training of the Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki and enables the swift testing of new cooperation ideas with the partnering upper secondary school. At the same time, it gives the upper secondary school’s students the opportunity to follow closely how science is pursued at a top-level university. The school’s location in connection with the campus is indeed expected to increase interest in studying in Kumpula.
Learning environment to support young people’s growth and development
The project will see the implementation of state-of-the-art, accessible facilities that will be suitable for all learners and provide a learning environment supportive of young people’s growth and development.
The facilities will allow for more communality on the campus and in the area. The shared yard area will support communality, sporting activities and the implementation of the curriculum. The yard area also constitutes a park-like square that is supposed to be connected to Kustaa Vaasan tie as a pedestrian route. The implementation of the pedestrian route is linked to the progress schedule of the detailed planning process.
The new building will be built of wood, with five floors and a partial basement. The aim is to build an energy- and lifecycle-efficient, low-carbon building.
Read more:
Record (14 January 2021) of the Buildings and Public Areas Sub-committee of the City of Helsinki Urban Environment Committee (in Finnish)
Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki(Link leads to external service)
Photo: Illustration / Achitect Office AFKS Oy