New buildings in Otaniemi on schedule

The main campus Otaniemi is undergoing big changes.  The construction sites for two new buildings are located centrally on the campus: the Väre building, which will house the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, and the Maarintie 13 building, which will house the School of Business.

The frame of Väre almost completed

The construction of the frame of Väre has been almost completed and this large building project is progressing as planned. The brickwork for the façade, installation of the glass façade panels, building services engineering and work on the roof have been started in October. According to the plans, the building will be completed in summer 2018.

At Maarintie 13 in the northern part of the large construction site, work is starting on the new building for the School of Business. At the moment, excavation work is carried out at the site and the construction of the frame of the building will start in spring 2017. The building should be completed in summer 2019.

In 2018, the Metro Centre will be completed between the Aalto University metro station, Väre and Maarintie 13. In addition to the university’s own operation, the centre will house shops, business facilities and services. The rental of the facilities has progressed on schedule, and more than 80% of the business facilities have already been rented out. The start date for the metro has not been confirmed, yet.

Facilities support collaboration

Väre and Maarintie 13 form a central meeting point on the campus and provide inspiring and interactive spaces for collaboration. The plan is to join the two buildings seamlessly.

‘Collaboration between the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the School of Business will be promoted by placing shared teaching facilities and spaces that support multidisciplinarity at the interface of these two buildings. For example, master’s programmes, platforms and shared services can operate in these facilities. Spaces intended for students are open to students of all schools,’ says Provost Ilkka Niemelä.

Users from the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the School of Business have been involved in the planning and they have brought up functional needs and wishes regarding the facilities. The new space guidelines at Aalto University aim at flexibility and versatile use of space. Planning the use of space will continue during the winter in cooperation with the personnel of both schools by carrying out more detailed profiling of work and identifying, for example, the anchors and mobile employees among the personnel.