The construction of Tuira School in Oulu was completed this August. We have now updated the project page with new photos, updated drawings and a project description.

Verstas has won a design competition for a new bird watchtower in Liminka. The tower will be built in Liminka Bay, which is one of Europe’s most important bird wetlands.

The shape of the wooden tower resembles the way a flock of birds, gathered for a migration journey, moves, drawing geometric forms that can be seen for a fleeting moment.  

Lamminrahka Education Centre has been selected as a finalist for the Finlandia Prize for Architecture 2024!

The Education Centre is a key public building of the new Lamminrahka area between Kangasala and Tampere. The centre consists of three building volumes connected by a central heart space. The heart space serves as the school canteen and the main gathering space, bringing together all users of the building. It also connects to the main public square of the new residential area. Many facilities, such as the gyms and workshops are used by the residents of the area in the evening.  

Verstas won an open competition for the design of the education centre in 2020. The construction of the building commenced in November 2021 and the first phase of the Centre opened its doors in August 2023.

We are honoured by the nomination and grateful for the jury’s appreciation of designing new learning environments. 

We are happy to announce that Verstas Architects’ proposal “Airut” has won the shared third prize in The Museum of History and the Future competition! The open, international competition was organized by the City of Turku and received over 400 entries.

Our design resonates with the nature of the archipelago, the ships in the harbor and the historic Turku Castle. The perceived scale of the large museum building has been carefully tailored to fit the granularity of Linnanniemi area. The central lobby space with its entrances opens to all main directions of approach, thus the building has no backside. From the sea, the museum building forms a pedestal for the Turku Castle.

The dialogue of the monolithic masses, the lobby space carved in between them and the open ground floor forms the architectural identity of the new museum. The reflections from the waves of the seafront turn the museum building into a living piece of art.

The Jury commended the design: “The unique museum building reinforces Turku’s image as an archipelago city and is a unique addition to the chain of cultural buildings along the River Aurajoki.”

Verstas Arkkitehdit has won the Nihti block 10672 invitational architecture competition in ​​Kalasatama, Helsinki with the proposal “Dekki”. The goal of the competition was to design a residential apartment building for plots 3 and 4 of block 10672 in Nihti. The competition was organized by Skanska and the City of Helsinki in cooperation with the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA).

“The location of the competition block at the urban sea views of Nihti was a key starting point for the design. The views provide an uplifting background for the life of the building. The layout of the apartments is strongly reflected in the building’s facades and the urban appearance. Most of the apartments open in at least two directions. The kitchen and living room spaces of the apartments face west and south, to the beautiful maritime views.” describes Väinö Nikkilä from Verstas Architects.

The Jury commended the winning design for solving the objectives of the Nihti masterplan in a way that adds value to the apartments. Also the plan design and the adaptability of the apartments received praise.

Niclas Mäkelä

Niclas Mäkelä

The refurbishment by Verstas Architects aimed to preserve as much as possible of the original architecture and interiors of the sacral spaces.

Niclas Mäkelä

Niclas Mäkelä

Niclas Mäkelä

Niclas Mäkelä

Niclas Mäkelä

Niclas Mäkelä

Niclas Mäkelä

Hear more thoughts on the project and the nomination from Riina Palva and Anna Puisto on the video.

Video (c) Petteri Kari

For us, environmental responsibility means concrete actions in our own operations. We are committed to saving natural resources and increasing the positive impact on the environment. As a proof of this, we have been awarded the EcoCompass Certificate which is the environmental management system of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation complying with the international ISO 14001 standard.  

The building of the system at Verstas has been led by Juho Manka with a team consisting of other employees. With support from EcoCompass, an initial survey was made, environmental impacts were assessed as well as goals and measures were defined. Verstas Architects’ own environmental program in 2023-2024 will focus especially on influence, communication, natural diversity and procurement. 

Our environmental promise is as follows: 

We operate environmentally wise in close cooperation with our clients. We want to be the primary partner of environmentally conscious clients. 

We are constantly developing our environmental expertise to enhance responsible design work and tasks. 

We highlight environmental topics in our communications. 

We incorporate tools for examining the environmental effects in our design projects. 

Verstas Architects´ competition entry ”Noste” received the second prize in the Oulu Museum and Science Centre open architectural competition.

The new building is designed as an experimental place which offers possibilities to get to know the local history of Oulu and learn new things about science by looking, doing and experimenting. It fulfills the modern requirements for museum exhibitions, public events and services. 

The exhibition circulation that guides the flow of the audience is both fascinating and clear. As the visitor follows the route, the exhibitions unfold as coherent wholes.

The Science Museum´s main exhibition space is located on the top floor in a room with a slanted, high ceiling. The outdoor exhibition space above the lobby ends the circulation. The views from the route and outdoor exhibition space open towards the Oulu Art Museum.

The key design themes in Verstas’ entry are the use of light and a beautiful combination of materials, such as light wooden surfaces, board formed concrete and red roof tiles. 

The new construction draws from the old in a new and fresh way.

Verstas Architects is delighted to receive The Architecture MasterPrize™ (AMP) that honors designs in the disciplines of architecture. In the competition each submitted design was evaluated by the esteemed AMP Jury. Helsinki Biennial Pavilion by Verstas Architects has been awarded in the Architectural Design – Cultural Architecture category.

The pavilion served as the entry to the Helsinki Biennial that took place on the island Vallisaari last year. Verstas Architects´ design goal was to create a free, open space for everyone. As a collective space, the pavilion has united people for social interaction and temporary small events as well as provided a shelter and serene respite from the bustling city.

Verstas Architects is delighted to present a winning design for Tuira Multipurpose House in Oulu. The new building consists of primary and secondary school as well as communal facilities for citizens. According to the jury statement, Verstas Architects entry called ´Polkka´ has pleasant scale and atmosphere. Although the proposal is distinctive, its architecture has succeeded in incorporating references to the surrounding buildings.

The connection to the old, historic school building on the site has been designed in a delicate way by retracting the new building. The proposal has the ability to capture the history of the place as well as tell a story. Construction of the new Tuira Multipurpose House will start in Spring 2023.