Taustaa Kalonista

Kalon Block Concept

Kalon is based on the winning proposal of the Housing Reform Competition 2018 (Architectural office Collaboratorio).

The pilot project in industrial wooden CLT construction (Ministry of the Environment's program 2020-2022).

Four buildings are financed by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland ARA (122 ap), one building is self-founded (44 ap.)

122 apartments with different forms of ownership and management:

18 right-of-occupancy apartments
69 senior rental apartments
35 rental apartments for residents with memory challenges

Kylä keskellä kaupunkia

Towards sustainable future

Kalon is an international pioneer of sustainable urban living.

Kalon is designed for different stages of life, where you can grow old in an intergenerational community right up until the end of life.

Kalon has been designed and built with responsibility: respecting nature and the environment (geothermal heating and solar panels, wooden construction, gardening).

Ecological solutions for heating and electricity

Geothermal heating and solar panels on the roofs

Energy community

Residents have a common electricity contract, the electricity transmission fee is only required when electricity is supplied from outside of the block
Solar panels generate electricity for common spaces and shared vehicles

Kylä keskellä kaupunkia

Community brings meaning to life

An intergenerational and communal block

The block is designed for various everyday encounters

You can live in the Kalon with family, relatives and loved ones.

Community activities based on the needs and wishes of the residents

Communal spaces bring residents together, encourage self-selected activities and enable various hobbies. The facilities are designed for various everyday situations and events so that the residents meet each other naturally. Community activities are influenced by the residents' history, work, hobbies and ideas about a good life.

Community spirit is part of the resident's everyday life according to their own choices. Community activities support a meaningful, safe and comfortable daily life and promote the experience of successfully coping with it. A sense of community enhances well-being and reduces the feeling of loneliness, even when the ability to function declines. Housing coordinators support and help residents with the activities.

Shared Resources

Shared car service
Three cars for shared use by residents (Omago)
Shared equipment and tools
Sewing machines, drills and other tools, ladders
Grill, garden furniture, garden boxes

Kylä keskellä kaupunkia

International pioneer of age and memory-friendly living

Kalon has been designed with aging persons in mind (clarity and easy environmental orientation, safety and user-friendliness, and frequent everyday encounters with other residents). A Building that supports residents with memory problems: challenges related to memory are taken into account in both architectural and functional solutions.

Design principles

Functionality

The community model slows down the development of memory loss symptoms and holds out the possibility of living longer in one's own home.

The community model includes a housing support network (relatives, friends and neighbors).

The safety and usability of the walking spaces (lighting, signs, clear route markings), easy to use the spaces (distinctiveness of the spaces, colors, contrasts and materials) and familiarity (familiar objects and furniture) are emphasized.

The building that supports living memory is based on housing and shared space solutions developed in research project (Aalto University and Yrjö ja Hanna Foundation 2022–2023).