Shortlisted for small workspace interior of the year at Dezeen Awards 2020, 12 is a two-storey artist studio located on the edge of Jollas, a suburban peninsula in Helsinki, Finland.

The studio was planned as an addition to an existing home built in the 1960s. The downstairs features a ceramics studio and the upstairs has a music composing studio.

The building, made of strong timber elements, was installed within one day on top of the existing concrete foundation of an old garage. The play with stacked volumes reflects the two building functions, and creates a dynamic sculptural architecture, revealing a different character from each direction.

The entire project is designed to be a best-practice example for environmentally-friendly construction and infill projects in a suburban context. By building on top of the existing concrete foundation of an old garage, groundwork on site was avoided completely.

Designer: Ortraum Architects
Project: 12