Press release 
Free for publication on 31 July 2020 at 9:30 am

Housing fair home Honka Huomen introduces sound design into living

“Sounds have an undeniable effect on wellbeing,” says designer Aki Päivärinne.

“Sounds are present in our lives constantly, but at the same time they are alien to us. The soundscape I created for the Honka Huomen house is suggestive of what effect sound design can have on people’s living environment and, for example, relaxation sessions,” says designer Aki Päivärinne. Sound design that has been used in commercial premises now enters the home. In the Honka Huomen house at the Tuusula Housing Fair, it is part of the solutions that nourish all the senses. 

“Not just acoustics, but sound design has been found to have an effect on people’s wellbeing. The significance of sound within a space should be given more thought, because we spend a lot of time in the built environment,” says Aki Päivärinne from Granlund. The designer has created soundscapes in a number of places – amusement parks, airports, grocery stores – but this is the first time he has been designing them for a home.  

The breathable natural materials and ecological log construction of Honka Huomen inspired him: “The sound material fluctuates from one delicate state to the next. The work was inspired by the architecture of the house, creating a sense of flow. The work is composed of natural sounds and the changing seasons and how we experience them. Some of the elements include a brook, rapids, summer night at a lake, the top of a fell, and a swamp. I’ve recorded autumn rain among birches, a wintery fell landscape and a snowy forest in January, when snow is falling off the branches,” says Aki Päivärinne.

“My idea was to observe psychoacoustical conditions, that is, how people hear things and how I might add to that. In the cool-down room in Honka Huomen, you can enjoy a book while listening to water in its different states. As to the kitchen, I wanted to include sounds of flowing water, sounds we associate with freshness and cleanliness. In the spacious living room, you can hear the changing seasons. Sound design can help you recover, wind down.”

Beautiful source of sound

Honkarakenne is implementing the audio work together with Genelec.  A total of eight of these active speakers, manufactured in Iisalmi, have been integrated inconspicuously into the structures. The G Series speakers in the living room and kitchen are made of recycled aluminium. The domestic content is more than 80%.

“Genelec is a forerunner not only in sound quality but also speaker design. The speakers, designed by Harri Koskinen, have already attained classic status. I admire them daily at my own studio,” says Aki Päivärinne.

A smart log home for good living

The house design at the fair has been guided by a holistic wellbeing theme. “We are looking for living solutions that improve the residents’ quality of life. Honka Huomen takes care of its residents, itself and the environment. We wanted to create a home where it’s easy to slow down and take it easy even during your busy daily life,” describes Honkarakenne’s Marketing Director Sanna Huovinen.

The modern log house, designed by Chief Architect Anne Mäkinen, fits into a small plot in an urban environment. The primary themes of the interior is peace and tranquillity. Interior designer Maru Hautala only chose natural materials and safe materials with an M1 emission classification, and favoured domestic manufacturers. The landscape pours in through the large windows, and in the cool-down area between the living room and the sauna wing, you will be enveloped not only by Aki Päivärinne’s soundscape but also artist Kreetta Järvenpää’s multi-layer plant installation. Works of art by Katja Hyytiälä adorn the walls. The healthy indoor air smells of clean wood. 

Living quality is monitored by smart building technology that maintains an appropriate level of humidity and optimises the heating and ventilation. Honka Huomen’s good indoor air has been ensured already from the construction stage, covering the building’s entire life cycle.  

Honka Huomen was built for the Housing Fair to accept its new residents. The house will be sold during the Fair. 

Invitation to the press 

A warm welcome to see Honka Huomen and its designers behind it on the media day of the Housing Fair, on Friday, 31 July 2020 at 12.30–1.00 pm. We will discuss the home’s effect on wellbeing. Property 41, Isokarhunkierto 11. 

Honkarakenne’s other property at the Fair, the most accessible home in Finland, consisting of Villa Mikael and Villa Sanni (properties 6a and 6b), will be presented at 9.30–10.00 am. 

Sign in here.

Aki Päivärinne

Aki Päivärinne is a sound designer, sound branding professional, composer, saxophonist and sound artist. He has created soundscapes in the following, among others: Metsä / Skogen shop, the Aukio Square at Helsinki Airport, Helsinki Central Library Oodi, K Group’s grocery departments and the Sports Museum of Finland, to be re-opened in autumn 2020. The sound work for Honka Huomen is Päivärinne’s first one for a home environment, and it is realised in cooperation with Genelec. 

Genelec product information

Living room speakers:
2 pcs Genelec G Three speakers
1 pc Genelec F Two speakers

Kitchen speakers:
2 pcs Genelec G Two speakers

Washroom and cool-down room speakers:
3 pcs Genelec AIW25 speakers

Multi-room control:
3 pcs Sonos Port link units

For more information: 
Markku Syrjäpalo, Domestic Sales Manager, Genelec Oy, tel. 050 545 2670, markku.syrjapalo@genelec.com
www.genelec.fi 

Energy-efficient home 

Honka Huomen (property 41) and Villa Mikael & Villa Sanni (property 6) are being monitored by the state’s sustainable development company, Motiva, in the Energy Efficient Home project. The project will follow the energy efficiency of three homes in the Housing Fair for two years. Honka Huomen is in energy efficiency class of ‘B’, only a small step from ‘A’, which is an excellent achievement for a house built entirely of logs. Villa Mikael, built using the Honka Frame pillar beam technique, has a preliminary energy efficiency rating of ‘A’. Read more: https://www.energiatehokaskoti.fi/kohteet/seurantakohteet

Honkarakenne Ltd

Honkarakenne Ltd supplies high-quality, healthy and ecological log homes, holiday homes and public buildings. Its buildings are made from Finnish solid wood under the Honka® brand. The company has delivered 85,000 buildings to over 50 countries. We manufacture our home packages in Finland, at our own factory located in Karstula. In 2019, Honkarakenne Group's consolidated net sales totalled EUR 47.5 million, of which exports accounted for 34%. www.honka.fi 

Additional information and interview requests

Sanna Huovinen, Marketing Director, Honkarakenne Ltd, +358 (0)40 1978 707, sanna.huovinen@honka.com 
Heidi Kaunokoski, Marketing Manager, Honkarakenne Ltd, +358 50 524 9687, heidi.kaunokoski@honka.com

Learn more about Honka Huomen (property 41)

Instagram @honka_huomen
https://www.honka.fi/fi/huomen/
Photos: https://honka.com/en/media/