Build November_2016

Build Magazine 13 Architecture with special importance for Toni, as he believes that it is a good example of a public building in which economic, social and ecological qualities were successfully integrated. As an associate at Eger Architects in this project, Toni was charged with leading the design team of this building, which received The Best Built Project Award in London Planning Awards 2008. Meanwhile, turning attention to his smaller-scale endeavours, Toni feels it especially important to mention the Sauna Pavilion in Lapland. This represented a chance for Toni to experiment with the use of timber, and log construction in particular. Toni places a great deal of significance in timber as an essential building material, seeing its potentially endless uses and applications. As Toni explains, “I felt that the full potential of its use has not yet been exhausted, nor functionally or technically. The project was a continuation of evolution in timber construction that had taken place around the site in the past, and I saw the opportunity to merge the traditional spatial and technical qualities with contemporary, pragmatic approach in form finding on this exceptionally beautiful site.” As a result, Toni created a building that contributes to the culture of seasonal lifestyle in Lapland, and which is successful in optimising the use of heated space and the indoor air quality. In addition to this, it also reacts to the organic context, offering dramatic views that favour the key directions of the landscape, and revealing the midnight sun in the summer. “The dedication of the locals and the quality achieved by the local labour on this project was a memorably experience,” Toni adds. “Due to intense globalisation and urbanisation, I see the socio-economic aspect of our work only gaining in importance in the future. Continuing challenges related to segregation and polarisation requires more and more attention both in building and urban scale. I see it as a responsibility of the architects to make their contribution on this.” In relation to this, Toni also sees the focus on individual and social health and wellbeing as being of particular increasing importance, due to the demographic development in societies across the world, and due to the economic development of the emerging markets. “To provide a healthy and sustainable living environment to all of those people, independently of their economic status, is one of the great challenges of contemporary societies when it comes to creating purposeful, efficient housing,” he says. In terms of the environment and circular economy concepts, Toni sees that people are only taking their first real steps in identifying and utilizing them in built environments, and that the full potential of resource efficiency has not yet been understood, nor explored in the building sector. “The subject is getting more attention however, and it has been included in the government and city programmes. Even though some research has been already done, I see a lot more future research going on this field. As a result, the first real examples are being currently designed and built, but I believe the near future will bring these concepts to our lives in a much more profound and comprehensive way.” Company: Toni Yli-Suvanto Architects Ltd Name: Toni Yli-Suvanto Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.toniylisuvanto.com Address: Laivalahdenkaari 34, 00810 Helsinki, Finland Telephone: +358 407 411 307