Latvus is a forward-looking interpretation of urban communal living, in the lap of nature, on top of a railway station.
Arco won the design competition with a solution based on five points:
1. The Kartanonmetsä forest is visible and present
The beating heart of Malminkartano is the forest, which is interwoven into the urban space through future and existing blocks. The massing and mobility have been optimised to enhance the visibility of the forest and to provide a diverse and accessible recreational use of the entire Malminkartano area. The aim is to preserve as much of the forest as possible in its natural state, including between blocks, making it a symbiotic part of the urban environment..
2. The flats are connected to nature
The flats face the forest and courtyards, and the courtyards are connected to the forest. The rooftop terraces and balconies are in the middle of the canopy with vast views. The placement of the buildings also takes into account the views of the surrounding blocks towards the forest. The solution allows sunlight to enter the natural environment between the buildings and further towards the neighbouring blocks to the north
3. Keeping the spirit of the Malminkartano area
The architecture of the buildings is varied, playful and experimental in its use of materials. The block structure, the variety of roof types and the façade finishing bring the original ambitions and scale of Malminkartano to the 2020s. Clearly defined urban street spaces and a massing that complements the existing building stock bring together and complete the diverse urban structure of Malminkartano.
4. The new stratum has a unique identity
As the queen of the hill, Latvus creates its own distinct and inviting urban structure. The variations in housing typologies, materials and roof types within each block are in dialogue with their neighbouring blocks. Combined with the varying number of storeys of the buildings, the solution creates a coherent urban environment and gradually changing views. What each block has in common is the interaction of nature, light and shopfronts.
5. Sustainable solutions
Particular attention has been paid to low carbon solutions, the advantages of the location, orientation, construction solutions and techniques, and social sustainability.
