Designing for wellbeing

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