A solid wood CLT school building, Petolahti high school
Petolahti high school has an impressive main entrance. External stone steps and black railing curving to the right lead to the main entrance. At the end of the steps an orange-hued, high, covered entrance area proudly welcomes the visitor. Otherwise, the main colour of the exterior walls is black. It creates a wonderful contrast with the orange effect colouring of the building’s orange entrance and windows.
At the heart of the high school building there is a comfortable lounge and multi-functional space. The CLT-stairs at the lounge can be used for relaxing and resting as well as seating during presentations or shows. The partition walls at the lounge area are also built of solid CLT, which create calming and harmonious atmosphere to the open space. At the lounge area there is also Café Agora, which is a perfect name for the space, since Agora was a market place in ancient Greece. The name derives from Greek and means an open gathering and market place, heart of the town. Class rooms and educational areas are situated at the exterior walls of the school building, so they receive a lot of natural light.
From the architectural perspective Petolahti high school is a combination of traditions and modernism. Consideration of user-friendliness was an important criterion right from the beginning of the architectural planning. During the planning phase, high school students were asked to share their ideas and dreams and to give tips on what kind of facilities would meet their wishes and needs. The task has clearly been successful, as the new high school has received a lot of positive feedback about its atmosphere and the functionality of the facilities.
PHOTOS: JARKKO LAINE
Scope of delivery: exterior walls, partition walls and part of the middle floor and floor constructions
Technical information: 280 mm HOISKO CLT exterior walls and part of the partition walls, 100 mm HOISKO CLT in part of the partition walls, 280 mm HOISKO CLT in middle floor and floor constructions
Location: Maalahti, Finland
Year of completion: 2021
Builder: WasaCon Oy
Architect: Building architect Johan Ångermann
Other information: The municipality of Maalahti was awarded with Ostrobothnia Pro Forest -award in the summer 2022. With this award the Forest council of Ostrobothnia expresses its thanks and encourages to continue the excellent work done for the forests and forestry. During the last years the municipality of Maalahti has built several public wood buildings, Petolahti high school being the latest finalized project.
