Renovation of the yard area of Saukonranta and Paasiranta, Helsinki

Residents offered a great deal of positive feedback on the hugely anticipated renovation even though most of the yard had to be closed off for the duration of the work.

“The residents started to eagerly anticipate the opening of the beautiful yard as soon as they could see the first areas we were able to finish,” says Site Manager Mika Kallonen from YIT.

The company repaired some paving, laid 120 m2 of new safety pad for the playground, built a wooden terrace and set up a sandpit. The company also redecorated about 600 m2 of green areas, installed 160 metres of new granite kerb stones along the rock dust pathways and planted more than 2,000 new plants. A yard deck covering a parking garage takes up some of the yard area.

The goal of the work was to retain as much of the existing vegetation as possible, even though the overall appearance of the area changed drastically. Some of the existing plants were relocated, while others were kept in their original places. A designer oversaw the relocation work to prevent any structural or aesthetic issues.

All the existing stones in the yard were also reused for the paving. The company listened to the wishes of the residents and aimed to fulfil them whenever possible. The flower beds, for example, were covered with black decorative mulch as requested by the residents.

“I still remember the praise we received from the residents and the designer. I was also glad to see the residents’ positive attitude towards the work during the project,” says Site Manager Merja Kaarnakoski.

The renewal of the lighting fixtures was not part of our contract.

Construction of masonry and green areas