Research Facility Nokia: Kaitoväylä 1

Location: Oulu [FI]
Program: Offices
Gross floor area: 41000m2

Year: 2021
Type: Academic project
Subject: Building Design Studio
Msc. 2 Studio

Mentor(s):
Esa Ruskeepää /
Simon Mahringer /
Erkko Aarti

In collaboration with:
Daniel Ruiz García

KAITOVÄYLÄ 1 will be the new lively office building for Business Oulu, located in Oulu, Finland, just a stone’s throw away from both the Oulu University campus and the new Nokia premises. Comprising 41 000 square meters of multi-purpose working spaces accompanied by specialized laboratories for radio / antenna research and a vast public program, the building will soon be on the forefront of developments in radical new 5- and 6G technologies

The building will facilitate an open working environment as much as possible with easy accessibility for users and visitors. The open layout of the building makes it easier for users to exchange knowledge and letting them to engage in strategic research alliances. A central entrance will invite people to come in and sit down for a coffee or lunch, lecture or business meeting.
The public program and offices, both open and private, are separated from the laboratories, forming an ensemble in the existing forest. Unobstructed views from the working places are an essential aspect to the design. Therefore, the offices are placed along the facades, directly looking out over the beautiful nature.
The other volume, placed perpendicular to the office volume, will purely host the lab-specialized program. Large spans will result in big open, flexible spaces: extremely suitable for the OTA RF testing ranges. The ensemble is located at the southern part of the site, enclosed by Kaitoväylä and Ritaharjuntie.

The building will be built in three phases: In the first phase, half of the offices will be built as well as the laboratories and the entire public program, including a gym, an auditorium and a restaurant. In phase two, the tower will be built with a quarter of the remaining workplaces, mostly private offices. For the third and final phase, the remaining quarter of offices will be built in a separate volume next to the tower. Eventually, the building will hold workplaces for 2000 employees, facilitating companies both small and big to work in an flourishing environment with ultramodern research facilities.