Kauppis-Heikki School

The original Kauppis-Heikki school, which was later demolished due to indoor air problems, was built in 1967. It was named after the national bard Heikki Kauppinen, who lived at the turn of the 20th century. The new Kauppis-Heikki primary school in Iisalmi, in the Peltosalmi residential area just outside the city centre, is built from solid timber. Sweco was the main structural designer on the project and was responsible for the wooden frame, the foundation, the steel structure and the roof design.

The city of Iisalmi wanted the new Kauppis-Heikki school to be a traditional wooden school building. Solid timber was used due to its health and ecological characteristics.

We wanted to avoid the stereotypes of traditional timber construction and instead looked to create something very modern in design. However, there was no desire to hide the intrinsic roughness of timber buildings, so we left the log corners, supporting beams and bolts in plain sight throughout the school.

The size and the unique architecture of the project created interesting challenges to which the Sweco structural designers responded with innovative solutions. The most impressive wood structures are visible in the school gymnasium and the exterior walls. The gymnasium has gorgeous glulam trusses with climbing ropes and rings hanging from them. The exterior walls are hybrid structures combining wood and steel.

Functionally, the school is built around a canteen, a stage and a well-lit foyer that connects the classroom wings to each other. These spaces can be joined together in a variety of ways by folding and unfolding the partitioning walls. Large glass walls add brightness and transparency to the interior. The building houses 119 primary school students and 18 pre-school children. The courtyard surrounded by the U-shaped building offers access to the recess areas and serves as a place to hang out.