The design of the Lumo One skyscraper being built in Kalasatama combines comfort with sustainability from the ground up. Sustainable development goals have been turned into practical solutions and comfortable living in a bustling meeting point of urban environment and nature.

The building implements numerous aspects of sustainability – such as energy efficiency, sense of community and transportation – while keeping comfortable living a priority. At the same time, it shakes up traditional forms of housing: for example, each apartment will include a sunroom instead of a balcony.

“The residents can use their sunroom as a garden or to grow vegetables, for example. In addition to the sunrooms, there will be a large and inviting garden area on the fifth floor of the building, adding to the sense of community,” says Hannamari Koivula, Manager, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Lumo homes.

Read more: Lumo One homes offer apartments for all tastes

In addition to the sunrooms, the well-being of the residents will be enhanced by large windows, which let plenty of sunlight into the apartments.

The higher you climb the 31-storey building, the more spectacular the view becomes. At best, you can see as far as 41 kilometres away through the skyscraper's windows. The Gulf of Finland spreads out right before your eyes, vast and ever-shifting.

The Lumo One homes are close to everything: good public transport links, nature and extensive services.

Many people would like to properly sort and recycle their household waste, but practical challenges, such as insufficient sorting options, often get in the way. The Lumo One building makes recycling easy.

Every apartment will have a four-compartment container for sorting waste. The waste can be transported to Lumo One’s waste management facility or the waste collection point at the Redi shopping centre.

“We encourage our residents to sort and recycle carefully. We strive to reduce the amount of mixed waste and increase the recycling rate of recyclable materials. At Lumo One, residents are able to promote the circular economy in their own homes,” Koivula says.

In addition to efficient waste sorting, Lumo One also takes transportation into account. The bicycle park accommodates over 500 bicycles, and the residents will have the option of using a shared car instead of their personal one.

Lumo is also prepared for the growing popularity of electric cars.

“We have received an increasing number of inquiries into whether there are charging stations for electric cars at Lumo homes. Naturally, we want to meet this demand. The residents of Lumo One homes will have access to over 200 charging stations for electric cars in the Redi parking garage.”

Lumo One is located close to good public transport links. The metro and buses run in the immediate vicinity of the building. The best services in Helsinki as well as natural areas are only a short walk or metro ride away.

The circular economy also plays an important role in the heating and lighting of Lumo One. All common areas of the building will be lit by LED lighting, which significantly reduces energy consumption. Instead of in-apartment saunas, the residents will have access to a shared sauna that is heated through energy-efficient means.

“Energy efficiency has been implemented in all possible areas. For example, the ventilation uses district cooling produced by Helen, which is more energy efficient than producing the cooling locally in the Lumo One building.”

The cooperation between Lumo One and the energy company stands out with its progressiveness. Helen uses the heat collected by Lumo One in the cooling water to produce carbon-neutral district heating.