Log home designed for good life under construction for the Naantali Housing Fair in Finland – comprehensive collaboration between three designers draws inspiration from Japanese harmony and the purity of Nordic forests  

Press release Honkarakenne Ltd. 4 November 2021

Log home designed for good life under construction for the Naantali Housing Fair in Finland – comprehensive collaboration between three designers draws inspiration from Japanese harmony and the purity of Nordic forests

Honka Haiku blends into its delicate surroundings in a manner that respects the nature and protects the trees and rocky terrain. In the interior, wood will be boldly left visible in many places, a Japanese garden will be created outside and the sauna area will feature a calming spa resembling an onsen, a hot spring. M1-certified low-emission materials, innovative solar power system and smart technical solutions will reduce the carbon footprint of housing and help ensure a sustainable future.

Honka Haiku is the result of close collaboration between architect Marko Simsiö, interior designer Maru Hautala and landscape architect Asako Hashimoto. Marko Simsiö is an award-winning young architect specialising in design that promotes sustainability. The housing fair house designed for Honkarakenne is a modern single-storey log home surrounding a cosy atrium. The Japandi-style interior of the home is designed by Maru Hautala, who has experience in designing interiors for log houses. The yard is the work of Japanese designer and architect Asako Hashimoto, whose design for the Hyvinkää Housing Fair in Finland won an environmental structure award in 2014.

The house will be built with local expertise from the Naantali region, and items such as the fixtures will be provided by Turku-based carpenter Ville Aakula. The design is based on factors that the Finnish and Japanese mentalities have in common: a respect for the close connection with nature and a good life lived in an environmentally friendly way. With its Japanese spirit, Honka Haiku also serves as a tribute to the country with which Honkarakenne has the longest export history.

Respecting the natural surroundings

Special attention has been paid in the design of the housing fair area to the nature of the Archipelago Sea and its rocky terrain. The fair organisation has commended Honkarakenne for the respectful way in which Honka Haiku has been fitted into the nature surrounding the archipelago.

“The house is designed on the terms of the surrounding nature, and we have striven to the greatest extent possible to protect the trees on the plot and the rock typical of the area to the greatest extent possible. The yard is surrounded by beautiful trees, and the terraces around the building adapt to the undulating surface of the rock. I think this is a good example of how buildings can be harmonised with nature,” says Honkarakenne’s Chief Architect Anne Mäkinen.

Healthy and sustainable construction provides security for the future

The indoor air in log houses has been proven to be good and clean. With the home being built for the Naantali Housing Fair, Honkarakenne conducts research on indoor air quality and for that reason, safe natural materials and M1-certified low-emission products have been selected as the construction materials alongside log. Smart technical solutions ensure the energy-efficiency of the building and reduce the carbon footprint of living.

The innovative next-generation solar power system generates energy for the building. Durable, light and inconspicuous thin-film solar panels have been installed on the roof, and solar power will also be stored in virtual batteries for cloudy days. Sensors installed in both wet rooms and log structures ensure that the humidity in the building stays at a safe level. The IoT system can be used to prevent latent moisture damage and monitor changes in the building’s humidity levels. Honka Haiku will also be provided with a smart home solution for controlling the lighting and electrical equipment as well as monitoring and managing the electricity consumption, among other things.

“I think that Honka Haiku is a success for two reasons in particular. Firstly, the house is a perfect housing fair house, as it shows the way for environmentally friendly wood construction. Secondly, the home is natural, functional and architecturally interesting, and it meets modern living requirements in a sustainable manner,” Mäkinen sums up. 

Photos of Honka Haiku: honka.com/media

Additional information and interview requests

Sanna Huovinen, Marketing Director

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Honkarakenne Ltd. manufactures healthy and eco-friendly high-quality log homes, holiday homes and public buildings. Its buildings are made from Finnish solid wood under the Honka® brand. The company has delivered 85,000 buildings to over 50 countries. We manufacture our home packages in Finland, at our own factory in Karstula. In 2020, Honkarakenne Group’s consolidated net sales totalled EUR 52.9 million, of which exports accounted for 30%.