K Campus

The new Kesko headquarters in Helsinki completed in the Summer 2019 and are now the offices of some 1800 members of staff who are working for the retail group specialising in groceries as well as the building and technical trade. The contemporary feel of the office environment is futureproofed for changes in working methods in years to come. The design of the building also provides a showcase for Kesko’s products and services. The K-Kampus is made up an urban block with its own distinct identity. In Helsinki, the possibility to occupy a whole city block in this way is a rare opportunity and it has enabled not only a wholistic vision for the campus but has also resulted a strong architectonic presence.

The building complex embodies important values such as customer care and corporate responsibility. The architecture reaffirms these values through its interpretation of Modernist Scandinavian principles, highlighting durability and authenticity with care and attention for details and purposeful design. The interiors reinforce the language of the building’s exterior. Architectural detailing combined with a pareddown approach to spaces that are generous and easily legible facilitates way finding throughout the Kampus. The interiors all wrap around a glazed atrium where a scaled up staircase is a visual focal point, acting as a meeting point as well as a symbol for communality. The variety of workspaces on offer ensures that individual needs and collaboration can be addresses in a convivial way. In addition to the actual office floors, restaurants, cafes and all break out spaces can be used as both meeting and working areas. The differentiation through colour palettes and the loose furniture selected for the office floors has ensured that each level has its own atmosphere.The result is a calm and serene sequence of workspaces that feel uplifting and welllit.

The campus has light brick elevations that have been laid in situ and that alternate with exposed fair-faced concrete as well as large panes of glazing. From the outside, the warm tones of timber used in the building’s arcades and roof terrace are visible and add another layer to the architecture’s sense of materiality. A defining design principle for the project has been energy efficiency. Artificial intelligence has come to play a part in this by monitoring the building control systems for heating, lighting and air conditioning. The objective is to keep energy consumption as low as possible whilst still providing occupants as comfortable an environment as possible. K-Kampus is Finland’s first office building to go carbon neutral in its waste management. The client and design team will be applying for both BREAAM and Green Office certification for the project.