Site Integration

The new addition to the Kajamaa School campus reflects both student growth and the school's evolving identity over time. Since the original building was completed in 1977, the campus has expanded in a rhythmic sequence of building volumes separated by green courtyards. The new wing continues this pattern of growth, while also improving the site’s overall layout by replacing the car-dominated area in front of the school with a pedestrian-friendly promenade. This new pathway connects the existing school, the new extension, the music school, and the sports hall, creating a clear and safe route for children and visitors across the entire campus.

Spatial Organization

The building’s ground floor is divided into three main functional zones. The southern wing includes public areas such as the cafeteria and an atrium with a flexible stage that can also open out to the courtyard. The central zone houses administrative offices, while the Inclusive Education Hub is located in the northern part of the building.

The upper floor contains the main learning spaces. Classrooms are organized into three clusters, each with a shared breakout area filled with natural light. Each cluster also has its own exterior stair, allowing direct access to the garden. The classrooms are designed for flexible use: movable partitions and adjacent smaller rooms make it easy to adapt the space for individual work, group activities, or different teaching formats.

Construction

The school is designed with a focus on sustainability, flexibility, and fast construction. Only a minimal amount of concrete is used for the shelter space and the flooring in public areas. The remainder of the building is constructed from prefabricated timber elements. Most rooms, including all classrooms and bathrooms are built using 3cycle modules, enabling faster assembly on-site. Larger spaces such as the auditorium, teacher's room, and breakout zones are constructed with a post-and-beam timber structure made from prefabricated components. The roof modules, also prefabricated, incorporate integrated skylights to maximize natural light.

All timber elements are designed for disassembly, allowing for future reconfiguration or reuse.

Flexibility

Classrooms can be divided or combined and easily reconfigured to support a variety of teaching methods—from traditional layouts to collaborative or dialogue-based setups. The staff area and Special Education Hub are designed to share spaces as needed, enabling diverse and evolving uses. The atrium is highly adaptable, with a retractable tribune and a dual-sided stage that opens to both the interior and outdoor areas. It can also be connected to or separated from the cafeteria, supporting everything from everyday school life to larger gatherings and events.