Maatulli School and Kindergarten: A Sustainable Wooden Campus in Helsinki

Harmonizing Education with Nature

Maatulli School and Kindergarten, located in the lush Tapulikaupunki district of Helsinki, represents a cutting-edge approach to educational architecture. Designed by Fors Arkitekter in collaboration with Arkkitehtuuri ja muotoilutoimisto Talli and Blomqvist Arkitektur, the campus emphasizes the positive impact of wood-based construction and close contact with nature on children's mental and physical well-being.

The campus accommodates 700 school pupils and 238 kindergarteners, creating a vibrant educational hub. The design is structured as a village of five interconnected wooden buildings surrounding a circular green courtyard called The Forest Glade. This approach allows the school to seamlessly blend with the existing park landscape, preserving trees and natural terrain while promoting outdoor learning experiences.

Human-Scale Learning Environments

The school is carefully designed from a learner-centric perspective, emphasizing accessibility, flexibility, and community interaction. Each of the five blocks hosts different functions, including learning spaces, science and art facilities, a canteen, sports hall, and kindergarten areas. Shared central spaces connect the blocks, fostering collaboration, social interaction, and a sense of belonging among students of all ages.

Flexible learning spaces, equipped with movable partitions, allow teachers to adapt classrooms to various activities, promoting creativity and engagement. Generous use of natural materials like wood throughout interiors reinforces the connection to nature, creating warm, inviting spaces where students feel comfortable and inspired.

Central Green Courtyard: Nature at the Heart

At the heart of the campus lies the circular green courtyard, a key feature that integrates outdoor learning into the school's pedagogy. Beyond serving as a serene outdoor space, the courtyard allows natural light to permeate central areas, including the bright wooden lobby. Local Finnish plants in the outdoor areas support environmental education, helping children learn about nature’s processes and fostering a sense of responsibility toward sustainability.

This green courtyard also functions as a social hub, hosting gatherings and school events, while reinforcing the campus’s community-oriented design.

Innovative Mass-Timber Construction

Maatulli School and Kindergarten is one of Helsinki's first schools built using modular mass-timber construction, a sustainable and visually striking approach to modern architecture. The wood-clad façade features vertical mullions, reflecting the surrounding park and trees, and introduces a dynamic interplay between interior and exterior spaces.

Each building block has a unique façade type, tailored to its specific program, while locally sourced spruce emphasizes the natural beauty of timber, allowing it to age gracefully over time. Products like Stora Enso Sylva™ CLT panels, GLT and LVL beams, and KEIM Lignosil® mineral wood stains ensure durability, energy efficiency, and a tactile connection to nature.

Community Integration and Versatility

Beyond its educational function, Maatulli School serves as a community center, opening its spaces to local residents during evenings and weekends. This multifunctional use reflects the architects’ vision of schools as vital urban infrastructure, promoting social cohesion and active community engagement.

All photographs are works of Tuomas Uusheimo