Liisa Akimof – Finland

Liisa Akimof is nominated for the 2024 Nordic Council Environment Prize.

Over ten years, Liisa Akimof has developed the Huopalahti train station area in Helsinki according to the principles of renovation and ecological construction. The Huopalahti area is a hub for the airport train and other train traffic, just six kilometres from Helsinki city centre. Its combination of ecological renovation and new construction using recycled materials makes a difference for tens of thousands of travellers every day. The old buildings have been repurposed for new uses, such as the guardhouse being converted into a café and theatre performances put on in the garden. 

The 100-year-old buildings in the station area, made of wood and brick, have been renovated using traditional methods and are heated with geothermal energy. The roof of the new station building consists of recycled tiles, doors and windows have been reused, and the interior walls are plastered using clay. The newest project was a new wooden building with four apartments, designed for a lifecycle of 400 years. After such a long time, the trees used for the building will have been replenished in the forest multiple times over, eliminating the sustainability gap. 

Akimof’s new construction is built in accordance with the new and innovative Aaltopuu wood material technology, an unglued solid wood element constructed with threaded rods. Aaltopuu is ecological, economical, healthy, demountable, and recyclable, and the idea is based on traditional Nordic building methods. The method is also easily applicable and scalable in all contexts. 

The Huopalahti station area in Helsinki shows how the implementation of an ordinary person’s vision of circular solutions can significantly improve the built environment and make it more sustainable and inspiring.