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Architects shortlisted for Finnforest´s Modular Office Competition

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24.03.03


The architects from the Nordic countries who are to be invited to compete in
Finnforest's Modular Office competition have now been selected. Altogether 61
companies and individuals applied for an invitation. 

Eight were chosen from Finland, one from Sweden and one from Denmark. The
competition involves making an architectural proposal for the wood-structure
office building that will be built in Tapiola in the City of Espoo to house
Finnforest's corporate headquarters and a number of other companies. 

When completed the building will have a floor area of about 8,000 square
metres. As an investment it will be Finland's biggest wood structure office
building and competitive with regard to running costs. 

The list of competitors is as follows:

From Finland

ARK-house Arkkitehdit Oy Erholtz-Kareoja-Herranen-Huttunen
Arkkitehtuuritoimisto Heikkinen-Komonen Oy
Arkkitehtitoimisto Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Oy
Arkkitehtitoimisto Laiho-Pulkkinen-Rainio Oy
Arkkitehtitoimisto Sarc Oy
Arkkitehtitoiminta Oy Kai Wartiainen
Helin & Co Arkkitehdit
Arkkitehtitoimisto Tuomo Siitonen Oy. 

From Sweden

Arkitekt Rolf Bergsten

From Denmark

Kim Utzon Arkitekter

The winner of the competition will be declared in September 2003.

The competition is being run in cooperation with SAFA, the Association of
Finnish Architects. The competition jury will include representatives of the
City of Espoo and of Finnforest as well as SAFA. Olavi Louko, Espoo's Director
of Environmental and Technical Services, will chair the jury, and its other
members will be Espoo City Planning Manager Kristiina Peltomaa, and
Finnforest's Project and Development Director Lauri Palojärvi, Corporate
Communications Director Jukka-Pekka Vuori and Engineered Wood Division Director
Heikki Castrén, together with Modular Office Project Architect Jarmo Pulkkinen
and SAFA's Competition Secretary Paula Huotelin. A competitors' representative
nominated by SAFA will also be a member of the jury. 

The aim of the Finnforest Modular Office invitational competition for
architects is to find a high-quality flexible wood-structured office design. 

The competition looks for wood-based modular unit solutions for intermediate
floors, flooring, ceiling and roofing systems, and exterior and interior walls.
Its objectives also include the discovery of ideas for combining other
construction materials with wooden structures in technically sound esthetic
unities. The principal criteria for evaluating the proposals will include their
architectural qualities and appropriateness in an urban milieu, overall
economy, suitability for industrial production, and environmental aspects. 

The Modular Office project is also included as a model in the pilot programme
of the Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT for eco-efficiency
and life cycle measurement in the construction and real estate sector. The
programme involves evaluating the eco-efficiency and life cycle benefits of
buildings and testing the standards against which it is planned to measure
them. 

Further information:
Lauri Palojärvi, Director, Projects and Development 
Phone: +358 (0) 500 507 447

Jukka-Pekka Vuori, Director, Corporate Communications and Marketing Phone: +358
(0) 50 598 7064

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