ARCO Architecture Company was born in autumn 2021 with the merger of Aihio Arkkitehdit, Arkkitehdit Soini & Horto, and Cederqvist & Jäntti Arkkitehdit. In the summer of 2022, Schauman Architects from Turku joined the company. Now ARCO continues to strengthen its position as Finland’s largest architectural firm by acquiring Avario Oy, which operates in both Oulu and Espoo.
“Avario’s expertise and experience, especially in the field of public construction as designers of schools, daycare centres, and care homes, will be a valuable addition to ARCO’s value proposition. We were also impressed with their extensive experience in timber construction” says Sami Horto from ARCO.
Founded and led by architect Matti Haikola, Avario currently employs about 24 architects and architectural experts. According to Haikola, now was the right time to join forces with ARCO and aim for even stronger growth together. “We have been closely following ARCO’s progress for a year now, and it feels really great to be a part of it. This is a collective we want to join. Avario has a lot of growth prospects both in Oulu and elsewhere in Finland, and I believe that as part of ARCO, we are an even more attractive employer with better resources to support growth. I also believe our customers will be delighted with ARCO’s strong references, expertise, and scope of service. In the near future, I see a lot of professional growth and development opportunities at ARCO for all of us, and I am also personally committed to this work,” Matti Haikola emphasises. “Together, we are looking for significant growth in Oulu and northern Finland, as well as in the design of schools, daycare centres, and care homes all over Finland.”
ARCO wants to be a growth platform for sustainable and high-quality architecture and the best experts in the field. ARCO offers unique career opportunities for architects at all stages of their careers. “At ARCO, the designer’s handprint is visible in their work. Our architects are individuals whose strengths we want to support via co-operation between our designers, teams, and customers,” says Sami Horto.
Avario’s personnel will continue working in Oulu and Espoo. The merger will have no impact on the staff. From the very beginning, ARCO’s goal has been to grow, first in Finland and, in the future, also abroad. The expertise and resources of Intera Partners, the principal owner of ARCO, enable growth also through such mergers and acquisitions as this.
For more information:
Sami Horto, Architecture Director, ARCO Architecture Company, +358 40 544 4234, sami.horto@arco.fi
Matti Haikola, Area Director Oulu, +358 40 552 9196, matti.haikola@arco.fi
