The design guidelines for Otaniemi campus outdoor areas
The Otaniemi campus is expected to grow, which makes the design and maintenance of outdoor areas more essential than ever. The design guidelines take into account the increasing number of users and the changing environment, ensuring that outdoor spaces can meet future needs.
The guideline creation process has been comprehensive, taking into account the needs of the Aalto community, stakeholder views, and the cultural historical and natural values of the area. Data collection has been based on feedback from the community's Leesman campus survey, discussions with stakeholders, and research on the area's nature and cultural history.
You can download and read the entire design guidelines for Otaniemi campus outdoor areas report (pdf) at the end of the page (in Finnish only).
Outdoor areas as an attraction
The value of Aalto University's campus area has been recognized for its unique verdancy, and there is a desire to develop the green spaces and outdoor areas as central attractions of the campus. The goal is to strengthen the identity of the forest campus, create spaces for users to hang around and recreate, and enable various outdoor activities. High-quality designed squares, parks, and sports areas allow the meeting of people, ideas and communities.
Natural areas are left in the immediate environment of campus buildings for tranquility. High-quality urban spaces, nearby forests, and pathways create a distinctive and pleasant environment that attracts experts from different fields, diverse actors, and users from outside the university to the campus. Outdoor spaces are crucial in developing an attractive, competitive and sustainable campus.
Design objectives for outdoor areas
Outdoor areas provide spaces for recreation and exercise, and create wellbeing for their users throughout the year. Energy-efficient lighting and clear guidance support safety and comfort at different times of the day.
The demands of increasing usage are coordinated with the area's greenery, stormwater management, and quality construction, and achieving these goals requires systematic maintenance.
The area has temporal and functional stratifications, such as history, conservation areas, and nature reserves, that interlace with residential, study, and work environments.
The goal is to direct the pressures of change in a controlled manner, especially with the increase in user numbers and active campus life.
The protection status and valuable characteristics of the area are taken into account in the planning, and efforts are made to adapt them to future needs.
Outdoor spaces attract international visitors, businesses and experts, and take into account the diversity of user groups as well as the requirements for accessibility.
The outdoor space of the future campus area will better support learning, research, the presentation of art and experimental activities.
Outdoor environments enable events, supporting the development of students' sense of belonging and identity.
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