Hyytiälä Forest Station

The station is located in Korkeakoski, Finland, and used by the University of Helsinki for teaching and research of forest and climate sciences. The area has been used by the faculty of forestry for 115 years and hundreds of studies are continuously conducted in the nearby forest. The new main building hosts students, researchers, and scientific meetings and consists of four pavilions: three for short-term accommodation and one for learning spaces and a restaurant. The materials and scale are modeled on the original station buildings, reinterpreted to allow for modern and accessible functions.

The goals of the client were a long lifespan, use of renewable energy and low to no emissions. A life cycle of at least 150 years, centuries with maintenance, was reached by following the example of the original buildings: the foundations raise the station off the damp ground and the pitched roofs with long eaves shelter the facade from rain and UV-radiation. The scale of the buildings also mirrors the historical courtyard. The exterior walls are massive wood that breathes when the temperature and humidity outside vary drastically from the inside. The aim is to build less to protect our planet's resources. The built and heated volume is minimized by fitting the station functions to spaces as small as possible and arranging the circulation outside. This creates a transitional area between the in and the out where knowledge meets experience and the user feels more directly connected with the forest. It is also a natural place to take off wet gear before entering the accommodation rooms.

The new building confronts an issue at the core of modern construction: we both demolish and build too much. We ensured that the core of the station building can survive for as long as needed. The building is made of massive wood, and it is sheltered from the elements from above (zinc roof lasting centuries) and below (raised foundations). Massive wood as a traditional and simple material is easy to maintain even after centuries, and the building functions as a carbon storage as long as it stands. Instead of the traditional log structure, the walls of the new buildings are made of CLT. The living lab research conducted on the building continues to give us information on how modern wooden buildings age and behave during their life. The new building is as small as possible, reducing the resources needed during both construction and use.