Kaisa's home
A new home by the track
One learns to appreciate home only after spending some time away from it. Kaisa Mäkäräinen, Finland’s best biathlete of all time and two-time winner of the World Cup, spends the majority of her time throughout the year training and competing. Kaisa always misses home when she travels, and returning feels special every time. Her new home is not making her homesickness any easier.
Kaisa Mäkäräinen received a plot for a detached house from her home town Joensuu to celebrate her 2011 World Cup win. She chose the neighbourhood of Noljakka as the place for her new home. Kaisa chose logs as the material and Honkarakenne as the construction project partner. The walls were built of non-settling logs, which is an excellent material for modern log houses.
I was immediately convinced by Honkarakenne in the very first meeting. They listened to my wishes and designed the house in accordance with my needs and the environment. I wanted a log house because I feel like I can breath more easily. I also like logs because of the material’s simplicity and durability.
The net area of the house occupied by Kaisa and her spouse Jarkko Siltakorpi is 152 square metres. The kitchen, utility room and sauna are particularly important for an elite athlete. Intensive training means a lot of laundry, and clothes are always hanging to dry. Kaisa cooks nutritious food in the open-plan kitchen several times a day, and the sauna is the perfect place for rest and recovery after a training session.
The model was from the Honka Pino collection. Kaisa proposed some changes to the model that were implemented by the design department at the factory, ensuring that the end result met her wishes. The floor plan is clean, and the spacious and airy living room has a sloped ceiling. The largest change was placing the utility room away from the sauna. Kaisa and Jarkko as well as their guests don’t want to go to the sauna surrounded by dirty training gear. The utility room was moved to the other side of the house, next to the gym.
Daily exercising is also easier at the new home. The large house has a private gym, and the closest ski track in the winter starts by her yard. The track starts just around the corner.
Kaisa and Jarkko participated actively in the construction. In particular, Kaisa was interested in the interior design. She found ideas for her new home online, in interior magazines and the things she has seen on her trips to central Europe.
In many respects, the new house is more comfortable than Kaisa’s previous home in a terraced house. The indoor air quality is excellent in a log house, and the wooden surface of the walls creates a cosy atmosphere. A walk-in closet makes everyday life more pleasant, and the barbeque area, which was completed in the summer, is the perfect place for relaxation.
My new home has changed my life. Although I do pretty much the same things every day, the quality of my life has improved. Nowadays, I love having friends over to cook with me and spend time at our place. This was one of the most important decisions I’ve ever made. Now I have a place I’m happy to spend the rest of my life in.
- Project type: residential home
- Gross area: 186,5 m2
- Living area: 152 m2
- Rooms: 3 bedrooms, kitchen, living and dining room, 2 bathrooms, laundry room, sauna
- Architectural design: Honkarakenne
- Wall structure: non-settling Honka Fusion logs, 204 mm
- Location: Eastern Finland
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