Kera Next-Generation Daycare Centre

The concept that we created for the City of Espoo’s Kera Design Competition transforms an old industrial hall area, incorporating the structural parts of the old halls to create a Next-Generation Daycare Centre.

This modular centre exemplifies a comprehensive circular economy approach, integrating pedagogical activities and sustainable construction practices, and reducing product stage emissions by approximately 40% in comparison to building with virgin materials.

We executed the project in collaboration with Lukkaroinen architects, Sabelström architects, Pontek structural engineering and Enerwex building services design.

The halls in Kera form a significant material bank of reusable building components. At the core of our concept is the utilization of the concrete pillar-beam structure and hollow-core slabs of the Kera halls as the load-bearing structure for new buildings. The pillar-beam structure allows for flexible space planning, with connections designed to be mechanically detachable.

New building components are designed to be recyclable to minimize demolition waste at the end of the building’s life cycle. The foundations are mainly constructed using the concrete structures of the Kera halls, with new concrete mainly needed for foundation footings and floor casting.