UNIQUE GREEN BLOCK in Verkkosaari

In the next few years, a unique city block made of terrace houses will be built to Verkkosaari, Helsinki. It combines easy city living with ecology. Forest garden, lush terraces, solar power, and low emission building materials make living there truly green.

Verkkosaari is a new residential area in Kalasatama. Homes for some 30,000 inhabitants are built there in the next few years. More than 10,000 jobs already exist there, and the area has many services.

Verkkosaari is designed to be fully built by the end of 2028. The transportation connections there are well established; Kalasatama even has its own metro station. A new tram line between Kalasatama and Pasila is planned to start operating next year. After the Crown Bridges project is completed in the fall of 2027, a tram line to Kruunuvuorenranta and Hakaniemi will also be established.

Verkkosaari has one operating day-care center, and two more will be completed soon. A seaside boulevard and a marina are also in the plans, and the popular outdoor destination Mustikkamaa is close by.

Robotics in parking help keep the courtyard garden natural

Verkkosaari offers a high quality of life in an ecological setting. In the green block that is being built by Hartela, sustainable development and nature’s biological cycles are established in a fascinating way.

Usually, in new construction, the parking garage is built under the building. The garage is covered by a yard deck, and the courtyard is built on top. The downside is that the vegetation in the inner court does not have a real connection to the ground. In the green block, the parking garage is built under the yard in a circular format, leaving the middle free for the garden.

“In the semi-automatic system, a resident drives their car to the garage, and a car lift that utilizes robotics can park the cars on top of each other, in two levels. The robot also brings the car back down to the owner,” explains Hartela’s Marketing Manager Nora Soikkeli.

This kind of parking solution is new to Finland. It allows the inner courtyard to have natural thick soil and the vegetation’s roots can reach the groundwater. The trees are chosen from typical flora for the climate and soil type and can grow to their maximum height.

The central courtyard will cover an area of approximately 300 square meters. For example, Pennsylvania maple, common ash, a variety of apple, plum, cherry and pear trees, Manchurian cherry, oak, and Canadian hemlock are among the chosen variety of trees. When fully grown, the tallest trees will be over 10 meters tall.

“People often worry that the developer comes and destroys all that is green, but a developer can also bring verdancy and make the place lusher,” Soikkeli says.

Renewable energy sources reduce the carbon footprint

The green block in Verkkosaari is a combination of three condominiums. First one to be built is Verkkosaari’s Valo. The majority of carbon emissions in construction come from the building materials. In green block the selection of materials has the lowest possible emissions, for example, green concrete that includes industrial byproducts and fly ash instead of cement.

Also, the skeleton framing is lighter than usual. Pillar-plate skeleton framing requires less concrete than more traditional solutions. The method is already common in business premises.

“The E-number of the block is 31, and that is very good. It is less than half of the requirement to an energy class A building, which is 75,” Hartela’s project engineer Minna Hirvikorpi rejoices.

E-number communicates how energy efficient the building is. It is the calculated consumption of delivered energy per square meter in a year. The main source of heat in the green block is geothermal heat. A separate thermal collector will also be used to collect heat from the air.

Energy company Helen will construct the energy production system for the whole block. Helen will also own and sustain it. The system is worry-free to the residents and the condominium, and its expenses are predictable.

Effective thermal collection and energy-efficient construction help keep the energy consumption low. For the green block’s needs, a solar power station will also be built off-site, which allows the cells to be optimally aimed without restricting the use of the buildings’ many terraces.

Even rainwater is circulated in the block. From the green roofs, it will be collected into the building’s rainwater network and led to pumping stations located under the garage. There, the water is conducted to a rainwater pond in the inner yard.

“The plants and trees get water from the pond. The inner courtyard stays green and lush thanks to the nature’s own watering,” Hirvikorpi states. |

Hartela Green Block In Verkkosaari

• Coming to pre-marketing: Asunto Oy Helsingin Verkkosaaren Valo

• 79 apartments, some two-storey, with a rooftop terrace or a courtyard terrace.

• Apartment size 34.0–131.0 m2.

Are you interested?

Read more about the green block in Verkkosaari www.hartela.fi/verkkosaari.

Effective thermal collection and energy-efficient construction help keep the energy consumption low. For the green block’s needs, a solar power station will also be built off-site, which allows the cells to be optimally aimed without restricting the use of the buildings’ many terraces.