Designing for wellbeing
Designing for wellbeing
Designing for wellbeing
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We realised it would be futile to try to imagine such a future on our<br />
own. Instead, we believed that much of what will be great in the future is<br />
already inherent in everyday life. Consequently, we wanted to build on<br />
local resources and opportunities that could be nourished and grown to<br />
create good living – a <strong>wellbeing</strong> suburb <strong>for</strong> the future.<br />
We looked <strong>for</strong> a neighbourhood that would be responsive to working<br />
with us. This meant that we needed a place with a history of development<br />
projects and experiments, and where we could meet an active community.<br />
We were also interested in social contradictions and the need to revitalise<br />
the housing stock. Together with the city of Helsinki, we chose the suburb<br />
of Mellunkylä <strong>for</strong> our design studio. We set up the studio in the heart of<br />
Mellunkylä, next to the Kontula shopping centre, in a neighbourhood<br />
actively avoided by the mainstream creative class.<br />
Mellunkylä<br />
Mellunkylä is the largest neighbourhood in Finland, a district of about<br />
36,000 people, some 10 kilometres east of central Helsinki. It is divided<br />
into five sub-districts, called Kivikko, Kontula, Kurkimäki, Mellunmäki<br />
and Vesala. Together they <strong>for</strong>m an area of about 10 square kilometres.<br />
The metro station at Kontula marks the concentration of traffic and commerce<br />
in the area, while Mellunmäki station is one terminus of the metro<br />
network. Mellunkylä has a poor reputation and social problems but also<br />
a lively and rich culture. Eastern Helsinki has by far the biggest intake of<br />
immigrants in Finland, at roughly 25% of inhabitants. Mellunkylä has the<br />
highest unemployment rate of all Helsinki’s 34 districts, at over 15%. This<br />
can be linked to the comparatively low education of the ageing population,<br />
leading to short-term employment 3 . About a third of the apartment buildings<br />
3 City of Helsinki urban facts, 2011, 14–15<br />
88 · Design studio in the field