Kuningattarenvuori, a new town district rising into the sunny seascape of Hanko, has been given a festive name. In cooperation with Honkarakenne and Hoivarakentajat, the client Chydenius has built luxurious, three-storey log apartment buildings on the shore of Kuningattarenvuori. Designed both for year-round living and as holiday homes, the ecological apartments at Hangon Laituri (literally Hanko Pier) invite you to enjoy the archipelago scenery and the sea breeze, in a landscape where your mind can rest.
Environmentally responsible construction starts with the choice of materials
Log apartment buildings are still rare in Finland, but Jan-Erik Chydenius, an entrepreneur from Chydenius in Hanko and designer Elina Seikku found wood construction an obvious choice when they were designing the apartment building project. “Ecological character was an important starting point for us when we started the project. CLT Logs were an excellent choice because we wanted a solution where the wood acts as a carbon sink”, says Chydenius.
The vision of constructing log apartment buildings by the sea was set in motion, and discussions with Hoivarakentajat and Honkarakenne began in autumn 2019. “Hoivarakentajat, known for large log buildings, immediately took up the challenge and stated that building three-storey log apartment buildings would be possible”, says Chydenius, recalling the early days of the project. “From the beginning, I felt that there was good collaboration and that we shared the same values”, he adds. The construction project was initiated, designed, and executed by Hoivarakentajat Oy, with Honkarakenne serving as the component supplier for the building.
In addition to the choice of materials, ecological character has been taken into account in as many aspects of the construction of the archipelago site as possible. In addition to log construction, the environment is taken into account in the form of the energy sources used as the apartments are both heated and cooled by geothermal heating. Chydenius and Seikku believe that being environmentally friendly is also important for future residents. “We want to make people think about what they are buying,” says Seikku, who also worked as an environmental consultant.
Ecological character was an important starting point for us when we started the project. CLT Logs were an excellent choice because we wanted a solution where the wood acts as a carbon sink.
Jan-Erik Chydenius, the client, an entrepreneur from Chydenius in Hanko
People-oriented and reliable cooperation
Alongside a choice of materials which is kind to the environment, the collaboration has been clearly marked by its “people-orientedness”. “For us, it was very important that the people at Hoivarakentajat were personable and reliable. On top of that, they were extremely professional”, says Seikku enthusiastically. “You could see that kind of caring attitude throughout the whole team”.
According to Seikku and Chydenius, trust has also been an important factor in the collaboration. Having been involved in many construction projects, they know that there are always surprises along the way. “But what completely differed from our other construction experiences was their attitude of taking responsibility”, says Seikku. “Such as the way people reacted when a challenging situation arose, from the installer working on the building to the top management, someone raised a hand immediately and said “There’s been a mistake; I’ll take responsibility”,” she adds.
Luxurious log cabin accommodation in the midst of the Hanko archipelago
Thanks to the careful design by the architect, almost all the apartments have a sea view, so the maritime landscapes are a tangible presence in the living space. CLT Logs as a material ensure that homes are sensory-friendly and have clean indoor air. Hangon Laituri represents the kind of modern and environmentally sensitive housing that will be seen at Kuningattarenvuori when the area is built.
Kuningattarenvuori is still in a growth phase, and a total of ten solid wood low-rise apartment buildings will be built in the next three years. Pre-sales of Hangon Laituri have got off to a good start, and Chydenius believes that the era of green building is beginning. “Five years ago, we were only talking about geothermal heating, but now there is a wider focus on eco-friendliness and materials are playing an important role. In the future, the ecological character of the construction work will certainly have a large impact on buyers’ choices”, he says.
In the future, the ecological character of the construction work will certainly have a large impact on buyers’ choices.
Jan-Erik Chydenius, the client, an entrepreneur from Chydenius in Hanko