This project consists of outdoor areas by Kyrkfjärden’s school in Inkoo, Finland, designed by helsinkizürich. The areas create a sport park with amenities for all age groups. Instead of nowadays’ normal unsustainable construction materials (tartan, styrofoam, plastic grass), this park is sustainable, natural and organic. We have used a lot of wood and the vegetation consists of typical seashore plants.

These type of sports and recreational parks are promoted by the Ministry of Environment in Finland and its regional Business, Traffic and Environment Centres. The sports parks support communities and cities in their willingness to develop new healthy and sustainable parks, which activate the residents with opportunities for versatile physical motion.

The municipality of Inkoo (Ingå in Swedish) at the south coast of Finland commissioned us to develop the central location of the Swedish speaking town for this purpose. The site is located by Inkoo river in the vicinity of Kyrkfjärdens skola (school). The medieval Ingå church locates opposite to the site on the other side of the river.

Our scheme emphasised natural land formations of the site, adding up a versatile ‘miniature archipelago’ as the main concept of the park. The activities - ball game field, skateboarding, street basketball, outdoor gym equipment etc. are scattered around the site, forming ‘pockets’ of activities within the picturesque nature.

Role and scope of helsinkizurich: Landscape design and architecture Other consultants: Ramboll Ltd and Lujitustekniikka Ltd (geo and structure engineering) Realisation: 2011

Team and collaborators (helsinkizurich): Antti Ahlava (project leader), Tommi Mäkynen, Mirjam Niemeyer, Sisko Hovila and Erin Swift in collaboration with Alvaro Corredor Ochoa (ES).