Information about the programme
Apartment buildings are a defining feature of housing in Helsinki. The development of the rapidly growing city relies on a denser urban structure and efficient public transport connections. Approximately 86 % of dwellings are located in apartment buildings in the existing housing stock. The City of Helsinki’s Re-thinking Urban Housing programme aims to enhance the quality and attractiveness of living in aapartment buildings while incorporating new, personalized solutions into it.
Background and objectives of the programme
The Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme is the City of Helsinki’s own programme designed to develop the quality of living in apartment buildings and foster exceptional pioneering projects in apartment building production. The programme addresses various development needs related to the design and construction of apartment buildings, including technical, functional, aesthetic, social, housing policy, and construction aspects.
The programme offers developers the opportunity to experiment with innovative ideas and benefit from the guidance of city experts throughout the development process. Additionally, the programme increases the visibility of these projects. For residents, the programme introduces new housing options and showcases ways to enhance the quality of living in apartment buildings.
Established in 2009, the Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme has so far included approximately 40 projects. These completed projects emphasize features such as apartment flexibility, comfort of the courtyards, sense of community, affordability, resident-centric design, and energy efficiency. While most projects have been executed on city-owned land, some have utilized private plots or repurposed existing properties. The projects span all forms of occupancy.
The programme was preceded by a wide-ranging research phase. Check out the publications of the research phase before the establishment of the programme below (in Finnish):
Kerrostalojen kehittäminen Helsingissä PDF
Helsinkiläinen kerrostaloatlas PDF
Kaupunkiasumisen kehittämisen lähtökohtia ja tavoitteita: kerrostaloasunto PDF
Helsinkiläinen kerrostalopiha PDF
Kerrostalojen kehittäminen – Talotyyppiselvitys PDF
Selvitys esteettömyysvaatimusten vaikutuksista asuinkerrostalorakentamiseen PDF
Programme themes
The programme seeks to explore trial opportunities and innovative solutions to address development needs in the technical, functional, and aesthetic aspects of apartment building design, as well as in housing policy and construction processes.
Key themes include for example:
- Housing solutions
- Building types
- Life cycle solutions
- Technical solutions
- Affordability
The development targets can include a resident-oriented approach, premises that serve housing needs, flat-specific outdoor areas, the modifiability of the housing units, personalised housing solutions, energy efficiency, rooftop areas, yards, wood construction, building types, storage facilities, implementation methods and structural solutions.
Hybrid buildings, infill development solutions and the diversification in the planning housing spaces have been identified as new development needs amongst others.
Upon applying for the project, developers and builders can propose their own development themes. Individual projects can have multiple development themes.
Awards
The Finnish Association of Architects, SAFA, awarded the 2020 SAFA award to the City of Helsinki's Re-Thinking Urban Housing Programme for meritorious work in promoting the quality of housing design and construction.
The SAFA award is given annually as recognition to a municipality or other public or private entity or company that has acted "in an exemplary way to achieve the conditions and results of good planning". The recipient of the award is chosen by a board consisting of representatives of the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), the Association of Finnish Municipalities and the Ministry of the Environment.
Getting involved in the programme
Applying for a plot land
The application process for the Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme has renewed starting from 2022. Instead of the previous continuous application process, a number of plots will be reserved for projects in the programme and project ideas will be submitted for a specific plot.
Continuous application
It is also possible to join the Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme through other means than the annual plot application. If the project already has a plot, the Re-Thinking Urban Housing working group can evaluate the suitability of the project for the program based on the principle of continuous search.
The life cycle of the Re-Thinking Urban Housing project
When the project has a plot and it belongs to the Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme, the project progresses like a normal residential construction project under the guidance of the regional group. After the project is completed, it will be reported to the Re-Thinking Urban Housing working group and a follow-up report will be submitted later. The project gets visibility and the support of the city during the process through the programme.
Projects
So far about 40 projects have been involved in the Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme.
Under construction or planning
- Aurinkosähkötalo (Solar energy building)
- Elinikäisen oppimisen kiertotalouskortteli (Circular City Village)
- Hybridirakenteinen hirsikerrostalo (Apartment block in massive timber construction)
- Laskos (Plissé)
- Muuttuvan elämän kerrostalo (Apartment building for changing lives)
- Tulevaisuuden puukerrostalo (Wooden apartment block of the future)
- Vario (A new, more flexible era of apartment living)
- Verantatalo (Veranda house)
- Yksilöllistä ja joustavaa asumista (Individual and flexible housing)
- 0-CO2-hanke (0-CO2 block)
Finished
- Airut: energia- ja innovaatiokortteli (Airut: energy and innovation block)
- City-talo (City house: diverse households and parking-free housing)
- Elävä talo (Living Building: flexible space solutions)
- Energiatehokas ja valoisa kerrostalo (Energy-efficient and bright block of flats)
- EXCESS-plusenergiakerrostalo (EXCESS project on positive energy building)
- Helsingin studio (Helsinki studio: parking-free studio flats)
- Hima-miniasunnot (Hima mini homes)
- Itsenäinen kerrostaloasunto (Independent flat housing)
- Jätkäsaaren Pablo (Jätkäsaari Pablo: communality)
- Jätkäsaaren sukupolvitalo (Jätkäsaari generations block)
- Kerrospihatalo (The villas of Haaga: building with floor-specific yards)
- Kestävä kerrostalo (Sustainable aparment building)
- Kivikon kohtuuhintainen kerrostalo (Affordable block of flats)
- Koskelan elinkaarikortteli (Koskela life cycle block)
- Matalaenergiatalo (Low energy building)
- Marco Polo ja Tyynimeri (Marco Polo and Tyynimeri: reduction of cars)
- Merenkulkijanranta
- Modulaarinen esivalmistettu kerrostalo (Modular prefabricated block of flats)
- Muuntojoustava kerrostalo (Modifable apartment building)
- Preesens (Preesens: development of small housing units)
- Primääripihi kerrostalo (Primääripihi block of flats)
- Puu- ja betonirakentamisen vertailu (Comparison of wood and concrete construction)
- Ryhmävuokrauskonsepti (Group renting concept)
- Sukupolvienkortteli (Generations block)
- SunZEB-kortteli (SunZEB block: energy efficiency)
- Urbaani puukortteli (Urban wooden block)
- Urbaanit lapsiperheet (Urban families with children)
- Vihreistä vihrein (Greenest of the green)
- Viikin puukerrostalot (Viikki wooden blocks of flats)
Programme evaluation
Evaluation of the Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme covers the years 2009–2021. The evaluation report presents the effectiveness of the programme and the effects of the completed projects, as well as the motives of those involved in the projects to participate in the programme and future development perspectives on apartment building construction. Eight interviews were carried out in the spring of 2021 for the evaluation. The interviews represented 16 different development projects in the programme.
Re-Thinking Urban Housing seminar
Organized every other years, the seminars cover experiences of finished apartment development projects and new project ideas.
The Re-Thinking Urban Housing seminar was arranged November 16th 2023. In the seminar presentations, we heard about the programme's new, planned and under-construction projects and got an overview of the results of one completed project. The presented projects dealt with, among other things, the themes of low carbon and wooden construction, housing design and flexibility. In addition, the 2024 plot application was also presented at the seminar.
Contact information
City Executive Office
Economy and planning department, housing
Senior Planning Officer Elina Eskelä, programme coordination
E-mail: kehittyva.kerrostalo@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)
The programme is coordinated by the city's working group, which has members from the City Executive Office and the Urban Environment Division.
- Senior Planning Officer Elina Eskelä, City Executive Office, programme coordinator, housing policy
- Senior Real Estate Advisor Marja Hannikainen, Urban Environment Division, plots
- Senior Planning Officer Petteri Huuska, Urban Environment Division, climate unit
- Team leader Timo Karhu, Helsinki Housing Production Department, housing construction
- Project director Kimmo Kuisma, City Executive Office, urban development
- Team leader Anu Kuutti, Urban Environment Division, detailed planning
- Senior Planning Officer Mikko Martikka, City Executive Office, economic development
- Specialist Petra Santos, Urban Environment Division, plots
- Architect Minna Soukka, Urban Environment Division, building permits