Teknologiakiinteistöt is developing new premises of approximately 2,400 square metres for Turun Vesihuolto. Named AkvaCity, the office and hall complex will rise in Itäharju at Teollisuuskatu 46.
Teknologiakiinteistöt and Turun Vesihuolto have signed a 25-year lease agreement regarding AkvaCity, which is to be built in Itäharju. AkvaCity will be implemented on two adjacent plots and, in addition to the Turun Vesihuolto headquarters, will house all of the company’s operations, including customer service. The complex includes two separate buildings: one for office and social facilities, and the other for industrial activities. In addition, parking spaces, a green courtyard area, and a storage building will be constructed on the plots. AkvaCity will provide workspaces for approximately 80 people.
– The new premises will replace our current facilities, which have reached the end of their service life. We have operated in Halinen for a hundred years, and it is important for us to make a long-term commitment to our new premises as well. The new space fulfills our wish to bring all operations under one roof, and it is particularly positive to have the customer service point in the same property as the rest of the operations, says Turun Vesihuolto CEO Irina Nordman.
AkvaCity is the first property complex entirely constructed from wood by Teknologiakiinteistöt. It will be implemented in accordance with the LEED v4 Platinum certification level, and the construction process aims to minimize carbon emissions.
– At AkvaCity, everything we can influence is done as carbon-neutrally as possible. This is made possible by factors such as wood’s ability to store carbon and its high recyclability. We aim for the carbon emissions during construction not to exceed the building’s climate benefits, so that the carbon footprint and handprint are equal, explains Teknologiakiinteistöt’s Planning Manager, architect Anniina Savisalo.
At AkvaCity, everything we can influence is done as carbon-neutrally as possible.
The main construction material for AkvaCity is Cross Laminated Timber, or CLT, which consists of cross-glued wood layers. Not only is CLT environmentally friendly, but it is also an extremely strong, rigid, and fire-resistant construction board.
– Finland has long traditions in wooden construction. It is fantastic to be involved in creating Teknologiakiinteistöt’s first wooden building and to get to develop processes for the future of timber construction. In addition to environmental values, a healthy wooden building also adds value to occupational well-being, Savisalo continues.
AkvaCity’s prominent location along a main entrance route to Turku has set high criteria for the project’s appearance. For this simply beautiful complex, which the architectural firm also refers to as a jewelry box, the desire has been to make the wooden architecture visible from the outside.
– The goal is to create an urban environment in the developing Itäharju area. Wood and glass alternate in AkvaCity’s facade, and the plot design has paid special attention to landscaping and stormwater management, which prevents floods caused by heavy rainfall, says Savisalo.
AkvaCity has been designed by Sigge Arkkitehdit, and its lead architect is Jani Vahala. The project implementation will begin in the spring of 2024 and will be completed in early summer 2025. Jatke Länsi-Suomi Oy is responsible for the construction of AkvaCity.
– It is great to be involved in the transformation of a developing area. Wooden construction and Teknologiakiinteistöt’s high environmental goals are perfectly aligned with our company’s objectives. We are already looking forward to the summer of 2025, Nordman concludes.
More information:
Anniina Savisalo
Planning Manager, Architect, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt Oy
Tel. +358 40 539 0605
Irina Nordman
CEO, Turun Vesihuolto Oy
Tel. +358 50 561 0793
