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Introduction
This research investigates the global
development of flexible workspaces and
changing working habits. As there is an
increasing amount of buildings and spaces
left vacant, this this thesis investigates the
possibility of matching different types of
workplaces with available spaces. At
first the larger Helsinki region and its
business areas is researched, which give
a broad view on the vacancy situation,
with all its complexities, bureaucracy
and policies. Upon developing the
research the focus is laid on the vacancy
situation and changes in demand at Aalto
University: a multi-faceted institution, with
a core task in education at university level.
The campuses of Aalto University are
spread out over the Helsinki Metropolitan
Area (HMA), which consists of the cities of
Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen.
Two schools are located in Helsinki: the
School of Business in the Töölö district, and
the School of Arts, Design and Architecture
in the Arabia district. The third and
largest location is the campus in Espoo,
to the west of Helsinki. It is located in the
Otaniemi district, and houses the School
of Engineering, the School of Science,
the School of Electrical Engineering and
the School of Chemical Technology.
This diverse campus offered an interesting
possibility for a case study, as different
sources informed me about 5000 sqm of
vacant space. The initial challenge was to
find whose responsibility these spaces are:
Aalto University or AYK. In the first case,
the spaces are rented assets that are left
unused, in the latter situation they would be
valuable readily available spaces left idle.
This thesis builds on previous and
ongoing research, conducted on and
off the Otaniemi campus, by the Future
Learning Environments research group. As
Otaniemi is home to the technical branch
of the University, their norms and traditions
have strongly influenced the atmosphere
on the campus. When looking into the
opportunities and limitations of this situation,
the news that the School of Arts, Design and
Architecture will move to Otaniemi makes for
an interesting twist in the future perspective.
To identify the different factors involved in
this, factual data concerning the vacant
spaces was gathered from key persons
within the University’s Campus and Facilities
Services management, as well as from
different actors outside of the University
context. Furthermore a survey was offered
to Aalto University students to acquire
more comprehensive information about
their viewpoints on the possibilities and
to inquire their needs. This led the way
for the further development of this thesis,
focusing on making the unused spaces
within the Otaniemi campus available to
Aalto University’s Creative Community.
Aim of the research
How does vacancy arise in business property
and how can this be reduced or solved? This
research investigates the current usage of
vacant spaces and aims to improve the use
possibilities through providing space as a
service. Through a workshop, several expert
interviews and a number of case studies the
topic is researched. The results are analyzed
and compared to the chosen case study.
As the second part of this research focuses
specifically on the situation at Aalto
University’s Otaniemi campus, this thesis
furthermore aims to find a way to adapt
the space utilization to the upcoming
budgetary savings of the University on its
facility costs. Reports and interviews provide
the required information regarding these
savings, while a user group survey studies
the changing demands. This is concentrated
into a service concept which makes spaces
available to all members of the community.
The service concept provides information
about the availability and accessibility
of spaces in order to improve upon the
vacancy situation, as well as expanding
the options for a given community.
Through observation of the existing learning
spaces and the changing working and
studying habits the current space-use
philosophy is studied. Through synthesis,
a revised utilization system for the use of
the available spaces is proposed. The
possibilities and benefits of giving flexible
access to the spaces, and improving the
possibilities of using them is researched. This
can lead to higher use-efficiency, reduced
costs, and increased social cohesion.
These factors are of key importance in the
development of a sustainable solution.
To investigate these issues the following
research question was drafted:
How can the vacant spaces within
the Aalto University campus in
Otaniemi be made available to the
University’s Creative Community?
After handling the background research
and investigating the general situation
the research is further deepened
in the second part of this thesis.
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