Wooden Village of Myllypuro

Modern Wooden Village of Myllypuro was an urban design and architectural competition in 2003 on designing a new residential district in Myllypuro, Helsinki, Finland using contemporary timber structures.

siteplan

The basic starting point of the design is the site. Practically the site is a rocky forest embedded in the urban tissue surrounded by a residential area on the North and a larger industrial area on the South. It is very unique to find such a simply natural environment in a city scaled like Helsinki (although it is not that unique here since the layout of the city is based on these embedded natural spots). The aim of the proposal is to keep the natural environment as untouched as possible and to define the design as the physical and visual extension of the natural environment.

The design is based on an urban strategy which is extendable throughout the whole site and appropriate for the use of contemporary timber structures. A simply grid and pillar system is applied to the site. It is modified by the geographic characteristics of the site and the possible connections to the surroundings. The pillar system that recalls from afar the vision of the forest trees, makes the layout playful.

geography I vegetation

grid system I pillar system



diagram density I parking strategy


space strategy I superposition

All the residential buildings are built up from one single unit which is repeated in several ways like the basic elements of tetris. The layouts are very efficient and flexible; all the buildings are extendable with a new unit without any mayor need of transformation.

The different residential blocks and the set up of the buildings are based on the traditional Finnish residential architecture. The result of this principle is a loose system of residential buildings arranged by semi-private courtyards. These courtyards are really able to organise the social life of the residents, still give enough privacy for everyone.

house no1 I house no2


house no30 I house no40


house no5

Modern Wooden Village of Myllypuro, Helsinki, Finland
urban design and architectural competition

position: architect

design: 2003
urban design, architecture: Matúz Melinda, Patrycja Kowalczyk