‘puukuokka’ is a trio of wood-framed apartment buildings in finland

architecture studio OOPEAA has completed a wood-framed apartment complex in jyväskylä, a city in central finland. the development, titled ‘puukuokka’, comprises three multi-storey structures. the first was finalized in 2015, with the second building welcoming residents in 2017. now, with the completion of ‘puukuokka three’, the complex offers a total of 184 homes for single dwellers of all ages to families with children.

all images by mikko auerniitty (also main image)

in order to provide environmentally responsible and high-quality affordable housing, OOPEAA explored the potential of modular prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction. consequently, the entire load bearing structure and frame of the three buildings is made of wood. each unit is composed of two prefabricated volumetric CLT modules: one containing the living room, the balcony, and the bedroom; and the other housing the bathroom, the kitchen, and the foyer area.

the wood-framed apartment complex is located in the city of jyväskylä

the three buildings come together to form a block that, together with the adjacent kuokkala church designed by OOPEAA in 2010, forms a focal point for the neighborhood. ‘the vision is to provide the residents with a functional space that is rich in experiential qualities,’ explains the design team. the project combines the sense of privacy associated with single-family dwellings with the semi-public character of an apartment building. 

the development’s third and final building completed in august 2018

the use of CLT modules, which were prefabricated in a local factory, made it possible to cut the construction time on site down to just six months per building, thus reducing exposure to finland’s winter weather conditions. the use of the material also made it possible to create a spacious and brightly-lit hallway and atrium space, while the insulating qualities allow residents to control the temperature of their own unit independently.

the design team explored the potential of modular prefabricated CLT 

the design offers the sense of privacy associated with single-family dwellings

the CLT modules were prefabricated in a local factory, just two hours away

between them, the three buildings contain a total of 184 homes

internal spaces feel spacious and brightly illuminated

the entire load bearing structure and frame of the three buildings is made of wood

living rooms are connected to external balconies

the complex welcomes single dwellers of all ages as well as families with children

‘puukuokka one’ was the first eight-storey wooden apartment building in finland

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project info:

name: puukuokka housing block
location: jyväskylä, finland
client: lakea oy
commission: direct commission
year: 2011, construction 2014-2018
size: 18,650 sqm (floor area, whole construction): 14 000 sqm (apartments, 184 units in total); 4 650 sqm (shared facilities)
program: apartment housing block with affordable housing units and shared facilities
architect in charge: anssi lassila
project architects: juha pakkala (construction stage), iida hedberg (design process stage), jussi-pekka vesala (master plan stage)
other team members: teemu leppälä, mia salonen, teemu hirvilammi, hanna-kaarina heikkilä, santtu hyvärinen
engineering: engineering pertti ruuskanen oy / pertti ruuskanen , SWECO rakennetekniikka oy/ heikki löytty and lauri lepikonmäki, a-insinöörit oy / toni kekki
building technology: engineering koski-konsultit oy / matti peltovuori
landscape architect: VSU landscape architects / tommi heinonen
fire consulting: KK-palokonsultti oy
others: firecon, firecon group oy / seppo hovila, vahanen oy / tommi forsberg, jwood oy / jouni liimatainen
photography: mikko auerniitty