The brand-new premises will be taken into use in January. The unit has been tailored to its users thanks to students being involved in many aspects of the project, including the design, construction, finishing and moving in.
The new Helsinki Vocational College Roihupelto unit smells of fresh paint. The premises, located in East Helsinki near the Herttoniemi district, are half empty but here and there are stacks of chairs and boxes wrapped in plastic.
In teacher Mika Jokimäki's future workplace, the mechanical engineering and production technology room, the lathes and milling cutters are already in place. They have been brought in from the former location in Herttoniemi.
In January, metal will be bending, and shavings will be flying in this room.
“I'm looking forward to the new facilities," Jokimäki says enthusiastically.
The Roihupelto unit has been completed on schedule, within three years.
Teachers from Helsinki Vocational College have participated in the construction project in their respective fields.
Jokimäki, for instance, was involved from early on by planning the locations of the mechanical engineering and production technology equipment in the building's floor plan. He also listed the criteria for new teaching facilities: single-level, sufficient room height for an overhead crane, oil resistance and sufficient power supply for large machines.
In addition to teachers and staff at Helsinki Vocational College, students have also been consulted on the design of the common areas in the new unit. They have had the chance to tell us about their preferences, ranging from the exercise equipment in the courtyard to the sofas in the lounges and the pool table in the lobby.
The student body is also to thank for the fact that students can play ping-pong or computer games on a screen the size of the wall in the school premises during recess. Students can also play basketball or skateboard on the ramp in the front yard.
The construction contractor Lujatalo Oy has been obliged from the outset to employ a certain number of Helsinki Vocational College students. The obligation has enabled, for example, electrical engineering students to get involved in construction work on campus.
For their part, surface treatment technology students from Helsinki Vocational College have been restoring the old campus, which needs to be returned to a condition suitable for renting. Cleaning and building services students are also needed in the restoration project.
Some students are involved in the move. One of them is logistics student Osku Uusitalo.
“I have transported boxes and pallets from the old campus to other Helsinki Vocational College locations,” Osku says.
Instead of just learning how to reverse a van in the backyard, Osku has been able to get hands-on experience in his field during the school day.
“I'm going to be a bus driver, but I've learnt to work independently and take responsibility. In my assignments, I am given the names of the contact persons and information about the goods to be transported, as well as the destination addresses. I feel that I am trusted," the student says with a smile.
Osku has six months of studies left, so he will be able to enjoy the new unit for a short while. Until now, the school has been in temporary premises at Malmi Airport.
“It's nice to be able to use the new premises and be part of a bigger group. At Malmi, it has been just us, the logistics students, whereas there will be more disciplines under the same roof going forward.”
In fact, 4,500 students will move to the Roihupelto unit.
The building, with a total area of 44,000 square metres, will cater to students studying technical design and production technology, land surveying, surface treatment technology, the wood industry, electrical engineering, security, cleaning and property services, arts and design, technical design, ICT, logistics and social and health care.
In addition to this, the unit will host the Nuorten työpaja work trials and TUVA education study groups. The multi-purpose building is also designed for use by Helsinki residents in general.
This increases the sense of community in many ways.
The new unit will have a large teachers’ lounge with a kitchenette for spontaneous meetings. One end of the building will house laptop workstations and quiet work areas.
“The teaching spaces for the different disciplines are also positioned to make it easy for teachers and students to work together. Woodworking, surface treatment and upholstery, for example, are conveniently located next to each other. It allows us to throw around ideas for products, which we then start working on together," Jokimäki says.
A shop selling products made by the students will also be opened in the Roihupelto unit.
“You can also commission student work, such as a sofa restoration, a welded metal part, a delivery service or window cleaning," the teacher says.
The staff will receive the keys before Christmas, the last bits and pieces will be sorted out between Christmas and New Year, and teaching in Roihupelto will start on 7 January 2026.
Text: Miia Vatka
