Housing unit in Helsinki Central Park

Abstract

This thesis develops a housing unit bounded by the Central Park of Helsinki at Lääkärinkatu Street. The approach aims to revive Christopher Alexander's patterns from his book "A Pattern Language" and displays the potential of their use in the design process.

The intention of the design was to fit the buildings into their surroundings; as a transition between the city and the park and a link between the scales and the grids of the neighbourhood.

There are vertical elements that define the boundary of site in relation to hospital area besides; protruding from them are lower masses that penetrate in to the park.

The vertical masses serve to separate this housing unit from the surroundings and represent a common boundary with the neighbourhood, while the lower masses are arranged in such way to create green areas that widen toward the park and to fit the natural landscape.

The dwellings are organized for a variety of ages and family sizes to preserve the symbiosis with different generations. All the houses are oriented to the park and share common outdoor facilities and playgrounds in their front yards.

The buildings are white plastered, with some wooden surfaces and details to add contrast. The car parking is placed underground to emphasize the relationship between the dwellings and the nature.