Karisto Training Center: Seamless Exterior Cladding for Prefabricated Structures

The Karisto School Center and Multipurpose Hall emphasize the identity and sense of community of the wooden-house neighborhood. The project was crystallized by the idea of being under one roof, which has guided the design and construction of the center. The undulating canopy, which opens toward the south, provides shelter for the courtyard facades and serves as a gathering place on rainy days. Its free-form design references nature and the school’s ecological values.

Siparila was responsible for manufacturing the exterior cladding panels for the Karisto School Center. The TOPCOAT® exterior cladding panels gave the building a durable and expressive facade that allows for the use of a rich design language in the construction. The joints between the elements are elegantly concealed because the exterior cladding panels are attached to the facade only after the structure has been erected. The facade features weather-treated 28 mm thick TOPCOAT® horizontal and vertical boarding in widths of 108 mm, 133 mm, and 170 mm. For the curved sections of the canopy, 25 x 75 mm boards were used. The more sharply curved cladding consists of a combination of plywood and thin wooden slats.

Eridomic Oy, based in Pälkäne, was responsible for constructing the roof, intermediate floor, and wall structures of the building. The structures were built using large wooden elements, with exterior walls six meters wide. The intermediate and upper floors are also constructed using wooden elements.