There is a quiet beauty in repetition, simplicity, and careful thought. The Hjemma House, exhibited at the 2025 Housing Fair in Oulu, Finland, shows how elegant and cozy 60 m2 can be.
The northern Finnish city of Oulu hosts this year’s Asuntomessut Housing Fair. The fair is an annual event which transforms empty plots into residential districts, taking place in a different city every year since 1970. Each fair showcases innovative, sustainable housing while serving as a strategic urban development tool.
Municipalities collaborate with builders and national experts to create modern neighbourhoods, enhance the image of the city, and influence local housing markets. The 2025 theme, “A higher grade of community in nature’s embrace,” reflects the aim of bringing sustainable, inclusive, and nature-integrated living into the Hartaanselänranta district.
The Hjemma House is an all-brick mini-detached home, designed by Pave Mikkonen of PAVE Architects for the Illikainen family. It is being displayed at the Housing Fair in Oulu as one of five mini-houses among 22 detached homes. Its design reflects Danish-inspired coziness and warmth, emphasising both a connection to the countryside and the comfort of a private yard. In this manner it reaches towards the natural world while demonstrating compact, modern living.
Built from perlite-filled T6.5 Poroton blocks, the house meets the 0.17 W/m2K thermal insulation requirement for external walls. Created especially for smaller houses, the brick has a structural thickness of only 36.5 cm. The walls ensure a pleasantly warm interior in winter and cool temperatures in summer – without needing a separate insulation layer.
Thoughtful detailing, high-quality materials, and the careful arrangement of openings reflect a strong collaboration between the architect and the client, being tailored specifically to the Illikainen family’s needs. The house can be completed in one phase, a practical advantage for builders. Façade with URBAN L Frederiksberg cladding tiles, the house’s exterior appearance plays with colour and light. Ceramic cladding tiles are durable, low-maintenance, reusable, and able to withstand the strong Finnish climate.
While maintaining a uniform look, the façade’s dynamic textures interact with light and bring life into the building envelope. An overall uniformity continues in the yard, where Siena Rustiikki clay pavers were used for the paths, the carport, and planting bed edges. These high-quality, natural bricks retain their colour, age gracefully, and are recyclable if needed.
Unlike many fairs, where showcases are built for the event and deconstructed afterwards, these houses are meant to stay and create a lively neighbourhood. Most single-family homes will even be occupied by their developers and clients, while some will be sold. Additional apartment blocks are planned post-fair.
Since the end of the fair in August 2025 the Hartaanselänranta area is becoming a fully functional residential neighbourhood. Once more, the Housing Fair in Oulu creates a lasting impact on Finland’s residential areas, showcasing the present needs and aspirations for housing.
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