The winners of the apartment building renovation ideas competition for architecture students have been announced. The competition, which was held for the 18th time, challenged students to come up with ideas for the renovation and future of Asunto Oy Näsinkorke in Tampere. The winners of the competition were announced in early September 2026 at a seminar and webinar organized by the University of Tampere's Architecture Unit and the Facade Association – JSY ry in Tampere.
The competition awarded:
1st prize (800,- €) nickname NODUS, created by: Lotta Hantula, Jenni Kangas, Aino Kittilä and Laura Kontio
3rd prize (300,- €) awarded to the pseudonym OJELMUS, created by: Onni-Aapeli Pihlajamaa, Maisa Luukkanen, Aino Aapola and Elena Toivola
3rd prize (300,- €) awarded to the pseudonym UNIKKO, created by Eero Sädemäki, Veera Brusila, Elina Mahonen and Olga Alova.
The competition entries were of a high standard. Second place was not shared in the competition, but third place was awarded to two entries that the jury judged to be of equal merit.
Background to the competition
An idea competition for renovating an apartment building was organized in spring 2026 for students of the Renovation Construction course at the University of Tampere. Nine eligible proposals were submitted to the competition.
The competition target was the building completed in 1972, located at Onkiniemenkatu 7 in Onkiniemi, Tampere. Apartment Oy NäsinkorkeeThe housing company has approximately 50 apartments.
The goal was to prepare an architecturally high-quality renovation plan that combines an appearance that improves the cityscape and the amenity of the area, functional improvements, and solutions that develop the energy technology and other functionality of the existing building's structures and building services.
The competitors had the opportunity to critically examine the existing city plan, dating back to the 1970s, and present solutions that deviate from it. The competition focused particularly on coordinating the new and old building parts and exploring the possibilities of renovation construction.
According to the competition program, the students had to design a maximum of two additional floors for the building. The existing foundations and load-bearing frame are assumed to withstand the loads of the additional construction, while the new floors are implemented as lightweight structures, for example, wood or steel frames, so the students did not have to present any reinforcements to the existing structures that might actually be needed.
"The starting point in these clearly award-winning proposals was that additional floors can and should be distinguished from the floors below," said the chairman of the award committee, professor, Doctor of Science (Technology), architect. Fairy tale Owl The background was from the Architecture Unit of the University of Tampere.
"In reality, the load-bearing capacity of the building for the construction of two additional floors should be examined separately," Satu Huuhka clarified the general policy of the competition, stating that the competition aims to highlight ideas, not proposals that are feasible as such and meet all construction requirements.
The high-quality proposals challenged the jury and offered ideas for the housing company for the future.
The level of the proposals was high overall. The tight plot and its significant internal elevation differences were challenging in terms of plot use and routes, but barrier-free routes, entrance arrangements and car parking were successfully solved in all submitted proposals. In terms of plot use, the proposals were divided into solutions based entirely on the site itself or on shared yard arrangements with neighboring properties, with good solutions found in both categories.
"The proposals were divided fairly evenly in terms of design approach between solutions that strongly innovate and solutions that preserve the memory of the original building, both of which achieved a high-quality end result in terms of the cityscape," stated the competition jury.
The colours for the façade renovation, green and red, appeared particularly strong in the proposals, as a kind of trend colours, which caused some confusion among the jury. The mansard roof, which folds onto the façade, was also a popular choice in the proposals.
"The technical solutions had also been carefully studied and, in accordance with the competition's traditions, the competition solution was sympathetic to any shortcomings in the details. The best works stood out from the crowd of good proposals with a comprehensive approach, which included the architectural, functional and structural content of the proposal, as well as its attractive presentation using clear and beautiful presentation techniques," the jury concluded.
The competition provided Asunto Oy Näsinkorkee with valuable perspectives on the future of the building. The proposals showed different ways to repair, develop, expand and renew or preserve the appearance of the building. The active participation of the housing company's representative, Chairman of the Board Topi Viskari, in the judging of the competition also strongly brought the housing company's perspective to the fore in the evaluation of the competition proposals. The competition formed a broad idea base to support the housing company's future repair and development solutions.
"Based on the suggestions received, we can draw ideas on how to repair our house and have a better and broader discussion about various guidelines and details. The discussion has previously included the construction of possible additional floors, the renovation of facades and balconies, and improving the functionality and energy efficiency of the premises," said Topi Whisker.
Award-winning proposals and summarized justifications
1st prize: Nodus, authors: Lotta Hantula, Jenni Kangas, Aino Kittilä and Laura Kontio
The proposal combines bold renovation and preservation of the original building's appearance. The industrial look, calm facades and consistent use of machine-seamed sheet metal form a recognizable whole. The functionality of the apartments, balconies and courtyard have been successfully developed. The technical concept is mainly functional and feasible, although there is still room for improvement in the parking and structural solutions.
3rd prize shared: Draft, authors: Onni-Aapeli Pihlajamaa, Maisa Luukkanen, Aino Aapola and Elena Toivola Proposal to renew
The proposal strongly renews the building by combining the old and new parts into a unified whole. The solution creates a strong new identity for the building, which is enriched by the terraces on the additional floors and the recessed stairwells. The residential and common space solutions are distinctive and functional, although there are challenges related to privacy, noise and the use value of the outdoor spaces. The technical concept is mainly realistic and feasible, but the observational data remains partly indicative.
3rd prize shared: Poppy, authors: Eero Sädemäki, Veera Brusila, Elina Mahonen and Olga Alova.
The proposal renews the building in a controlled manner and binds the additional floors into a coherent whole. Clear facades reinforce the building's unified appearance, although the whole was felt to be heavy in places and some details unnecessary. The housing solutions are mainly functional, but cautious in places. Accessibility has been resolved with minimal changes, and the presentation material clearly conveys the whole. However, there are significant questions related to the technical solutions, especially regarding straw construction and the use of wood fiber insulation.
Promoting facade construction in collaboration for over 30 years
The Facade Association – JSY ry’s mission has been to promote good facade construction and the architectural development of facades for 30 years. The idea competition for the renovation of an apartment building has played an important role in the association’s activities, as the competition has been held almost annually since 2002.
“The competition offers architecture students a great opportunity to explore the possibilities of renovation and present bold, new ideas for developing existing buildings. At the same time, the competition enables the housing company to gain new perspectives and ideas for the future design of the building. It has been great to be involved in implementing this competition and to see what kind of fresh and innovative solutions the students propose. This dialogue makes the competition particularly valuable”, Vice Chairman of the Board of the Facade Association JSY ry Aapo Rasänen stated.
"The traditional competition has been organized in good cooperation between the Facade Association and universities for 20 years. It offers a valuable challenge to architecture students in the field of renovation construction and hopefully also serves as an inspiration for housing companies," emphasized Satu Huuhka.
“The need for renovation construction is increasing year by year as our building stock ages. Our property stock is repaired far too little, as only just over 1–1,5 percent is repaired annually. Buildings need constant maintenance. When looking at facades in more detail, it is good to note that a facade is both a visual and technical entity, which is affected by the chosen structural solution, materials, colors, surface treatment methods and details, and other structural components related to the facade. These are important when choosing a durable, long-lasting, and maintainable facade,” architect SAFA Maritta Koivisto said the representative of the Finnish Construction Products Industry (RTT) on the competition jury.
Members of the award committee:
- Fairy tale Owl, professor, D.Sc. (Architecture), architect SAFA, TAU, Department of Architecture, chairman of the award committee
- Niko Kotkavuo, architect SAFA, TAU, Architecture Unit, secretary of the award committee
- Aapo Rasänen, M.Sc. (Civil Engineering), doctoral researcher, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSY
- Maritta Koivisto, architect SAFA, Construction Product Industry Association RTT ry, University of Tampere, member of the board of JSY
- Topi Whisker, Asunto Oy Näsinkorkee, Chairman of the Board
In addition, Tapio Kaasalainen, a university lecturer at the Architecture Unit of the University of Tampere, acted as the competition secretary in tasks related to practical arrangements, but he did not participate in the competition judging.
More information about the competition:
Maritta Koivisto, editor-in-chief, architect SAFA, Finnish Construction Products Industry RTT,
maritta.koivisto@rakennusteollisuus.fi
040 900 3577
Aapo Räsänen, M.Sc. (Civil Engineering), doctoral researcher, University of Tampere, Vice-Chairman of the Board of JSY,
aapo.rasanen@tuni.fi
044 306 4322
Facade Association – JSY ry is an association founded in 1995 with the mission of promoting high-quality and good facade construction. The association carries out and coordinates research serving the field, produces guidelines and guides, provides a discussion forum and networking opportunities, and organizes seminars and member trips. The membership includes experts from design, material manufacturers, facade contracting, as well as from universities and research institutes. Further information: https://www.julkisivuyhdistys.fi