Siparila’s Koo2 panels give the Joensuu government building a clean, sleek look

The Public Administration Office of Joensuu underwent an extensive renovation completed in February 2023. Several operators were involved in the large project, and the architectural office Arcadia Oy Arkkitehtitoimisto designed the premises.

The renovation of the Public Administration Office of Joensuu, completed in early 2023, transformed it into a modern working environment shared by ten government agencies. In addition, common customer service facilities were also created for the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, the National Land Survey of Finland, and the TE Services. 

The premises were designed by Maija Korkeela, architect SAFA, SIO of the nationally operating Arcadia Oy Arkkitehtitoimisto. According to Korkeela, it was an interesting and significant project with a very user-oriented design.

"Many different agencies were involved in the project, and we worked on the sketch design for several years. We had a lot of feedback on how the agencies' premises should be organized," says Korkeela.

The Public Administration Office of Joensuu consists of cells, and the project involved renovating the interior and exterior of the entire building. The precise wishes and opinions of the ten different agencies were taken into account in the best possible way to ensure that the final result met the users' needs.

"This was a very user-oriented project. We held monthly meetings and communicated the project's progress on a platform that kept everyone informed. This was also a bit of a different project for us," Korkeela explains.

The Koo2 panel combines clarity, elegance, and comfort

According to Korkeela, the design of the site was heavily influenced by the fact that it houses several agencies: 

"Public Administration Office of Joensuu consists of nine cells, with the so-called dice on either side. According to the original plan, these dice were filled with office space and a separate room for each employee. Instead, we opted for an open office solution, and I wanted to bring warmth and comfort to the space. The material chosen for this purpose was wood, which was used for the central part of the dice."

Siparila’s Koo2 interior panels were selected for the wall cladding. Korkeela has used the Koo2 and Koo4 panels in particular in many of its projects for private clients, and is also familiar with Siparila’s other panels:

“I was looking for a clear, straightforward, and sturdy surface like that, because an office environment calls for a panel with a formal look. That’s why I chose the Koo2 panel, whereas in a home setting, for example, the Vire panel would have worked well.”

Since this is a public space, fire safety also had to be taken into account when selecting materials. Siparila supplied Koo2 birch panels—fire-retardant and available in a translucent white finish—as well as fire-retardant trim and baseboards to finish the cladding.

Although this was a large project that required the requirements of several users in the space to be taken into account, Korkeela says that the project generally progressed according to a regular pattern and is satisfied with the result. 

“Koo2 was already a familiar product, so it was a natural choice for this project,” Korkeela sums up.