Last spring, we finished the Sompasaari Courtyard in Helsinki. We came back at the end of summer to see how the courtyard was progressing. It has been charming to visit the area and see how the plantings are growing.

The entire Sompasaari neighborhood is planned with public access to all courtyards to form a network of diverse common spaces.

Within the courtyard of a dense housing block, a clear hierarchy between private and semi-public areas is crucial to establish a pleasant environment for residents on the ground floor and the user for the common areas. Here, the common space is placed in the courtyard’s center, surrounded by a planting belt.

In time, when the planting is fully grown, it will function as a buffer. The semi-private courtyard will be a local social space where residents and users will meet while feeling sheltered from the resident’s terraces. In this way, the activities are collected in the middle of the courtyard, creating a calmer atmosphere along the surrounding path and private terraces.

We have teamed up with Anttinen Oiva Architects. We have previously collaborated on successful projects such as Wood city: Urban courtyard and Rooftop Garden and the Mountain man project in Otaniemi Campus.