Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2011 | Page 32

Photos: SRV

Stay Solid
SRV is championing the cause
of compact city structure
Real estate development is changing
into a more carbon-friendly mode as
cohesive urban structure and good
public transportation are the new
watchwords of the industry. SRV is
among the first companies to really
go after the opportunities presented
by the new era.

P

roject Development Director Jouko Pöyhönen says
that SRV’s new focus is quite
evident, if one looks at the two
large-scale public transportation projects under way in the
Greater Helsinki Area: the western metro expansion to Espoo
and the northbound Ring Rail
Line which connects the airport
with the core Helsinki network.
Both of these projects
bring about new stations along
the tracks which will serve as
“ground zero” for community
construction. For instance, the
City of Vantaa has ambitious
plans for Marja-Vantaa, the
green community which is to
be located around Kivistö sta30 Nordicum

tion. Pöyhönen says that SRV is
very much interested in developing Marja-Vantaa and other stations of the Ring Rail Line.
“We already have projects
underway in that department.”

Towering Presence
SRV’s involvement in the western metro project is even more
formidable. The company has
plenty of plans for the 14-kilometre metro line, starting with
the actual point where the metro surfaces from under the sea
in Keilaniemi. Simultaneously,
metro passengers coming from
Helsinki will be welcomed to
Espoo by a proud display of cor-

porate towers. High-profile giants such as Nokia, Kone and
Fortum have their nests here –
but SRV is looking to introduce
something extra into the mix.
According to the master plan, SRV will realise residential construction along the
shoreline. The entity known as
Keilaniemi Towers is to feature
four housing towers which will
not be dwarfed by the corporate
neighbours: with 30–40 storeys
each, the buildings will reach
100 metres.
The area under development includes almost 80,000
square metres of residential
building volume. Project Manager Tuomo Poutiainen says that

the residential development plan
should go hand in hand with the
construction of the metro line.
“We are looking to open
the first tower around the same
time as the Keilaniemi station
starts operations.”

See the Sea
Realising the significance of
the venture, SRV wanted to
place extra emphasis on the
visual experience of the residential quartet: the towers will
be round, making the buildings
highly presentable from any direction. Furthermore, the round
shape enables space to be used
in very creative ways.