Where the World Meet Finalnd

Aviapolis is a gateway from Finland to the world. 20 million passengers will pass through the bustling Helsinki-Vantaa air-traffic hub in 2020. The airport introduces a rich cultural exchange to Aviapolis and forms a junction where local life meets global flows. There are consequences for this richness, the airport’s air traffic generates a great amount of waste that degrades the local environment. 

Our proposal for the first development phase of Aviapolis enhances the area’s potential for hosting culture and lifestyle exchange, while addressing the  environmental challenges through innovative circular and collective systems. Where the world meets Finland a new vibrant and resilient city district will rise.

The Aviapolis Circular Community

The first development phase will be a pilot project for the Aviapolis project and requires a strong emphasis on community and circularity. By constructing a resource efficient neighbourhood that is connected to the world and involves local residents, Aviapolis can become a flagship project for circular economy and shared systems thinking.

The systems are supported by the structure through collective shared spaces that are found within the blocks and throughout the public realm. Together the spaces form a binding network of social pockets, supporting a variety of functions and scales. 

The largest collective space gives shape to the local neighbourhood centre, while being connected to the circle of interest. The Atomi and surrounding landscape bind together the two sides of the plan through strategically programmed public functions in combination with regenerative circular systems. These circular systems utilise on site potentials to maximise performative landscape systems such as stormwater infiltration, waste water reuse and filtering, biodiversity growth, C02 sequestration capacity, smart energy production, waste management cycles and local small scale production.

From City Grid to Social Atoms

As an extension of the local context, Aviapolis grows into a dense city grid. The structure breaks down the large frame plan into finer grained blocks that are human scaled and walkable. At the clash of grid directions, the existing vegetation and water are preserved and strengthened into an inviting central park structure, creating the neighbourhood’s main social space.

Inside the urban grid walking, cycling and public transportation is prioritised by shifting the block structure and creating social rooms in the public realm. These rooms are the ‘social atoms’ of the plan, collectively forming a network of shared built and unbuilt spaces that support ‘circular’ activities throughout Aviapolis.

Building for Diversity

The social atoms - the dense network of shared functions and activities -  are framed by an exciting mix of work and housing typologies. The blocks embrace diversity, encouraging a combination of building heights, typologies, configurations and uses. The result is a textured community where residents can choose to live how they please, top floors of the buildings offer the benefit of city views, while lower units have the advantage of a private garden.

The block offers residents collective spaces at different scales - from house to block, from street to neighbourhood: collective kitchens, sauna’s, roof gardens, maker-spaces, electric bike centers and repair cafés, tool rentals, washing facilities, lounge rooms, green houses, electric car pools, cinema rooms, virtual play rooms, food gardens, 3D printing spaces, waste recycle spaces, plug-and-play squares, and energy pockets. The proportions of the blocks and spaces ensure a flexible distribution of functions, allowing spaces to evolve and move over time.

If in the traditional Finnish block everyone experiences similar conditions, the Aviapolis urban block offers maximum diversity, promoting and supporting a wide range of tastes and lifestyles.