YIT was selected to build three school and daycare center properties in Espoo

YIT is responsible for the design, implementation and 20-year service period of the project. The service period also includes responsibility for the optimum energy consumption of the properties. The buildings will be owned by the Espoon Koulutaival Oy, owned by the international Meridiam fund. Espoon Koulutaival Oy is also responsible for funding the project.

The preliminary contracts for the planning phase were signed on November 20, 2025. Final leases between the City of Espoo and Espoon Koulutaival Oy, as well as contracts for the implementation phase between YIT and Espoon Koulutaival Oy, will be signed in early fall 2026, when building permits become legally effective. The project entity will be recorded in YIT’s order book in stages as construction begins.

The project entity includes the Kurttila school, the new school building and the daycare center and library complex in Jupperi, and two daycare centers in Olari. The school and daycare facilities will be used by around 1,450 pupils and children in early childhood education and 170 staff members. The total scope of the project is more than 17,000 gross square meters.

User-centered design solutions aim to create spaces that genuinely meet users’ needs and promote children’s development, ensuring the outcome is functional and delivers value to the users. In the architecture of the buildings, special attention has been paid to their suitability for the environment. The goal is for the construction to start in the fall of 2026, when the planning phase is completed, so that all three sites will be completed by the end of 2028 at the latest.

The life-cycle carbon footprint of the construction and worksite has been minimized through design solutions. Wood will be widely used in different structures to achieve the carbon footprint reduction target of more than 30% compared to the reference case of Rakennustieto's environmental classification. The goal is also to achieve a low-emission worksite using renewable energy sources. Five stars are sought for the project in the Rakennustieto environmental classification, which is the highest possible environmental classification level. The buildings will be highly energy efficient and will be equipped with solar power systems that cover at least 30% of their property and lighting electricity needs. The project’s social sustainability is also being promoted in an entirely new way, for example by utilizing resident workshops and communications.

"Espoo is a rapidly growing city and constantly needs new premises for the use of education and early childhood education, while the renewal of the old space stock requires its own investment. This project, implemented with a new model, responds perfectly to many of the needs that have been set for the Premises Services. With a single project, we will get three new, healthy and safe school and daycare center properties that meet the requirements of sustainability, innovation and the facility stock,” says Maija Lehtinen, Managing Director of Espoo Premises Services.

“We at Espoon Koulutaival are very satisfied with the solution resulting from the procurement process. With a new procurement model, we achieved a high-quality project as a whole while staying within the given cost framework. The collaboration with Espoon Tilapalvelut, the representatives of the end-users, the supplier, and other parties involved in the procurement phase was extremely effective. We believe that this strong partnership will continue throughout the project’s further planning, construction, and maintenance,” says Aapo Nikunen, CEO of Espoon Koulutaival Oy.

"I am pleased that we were chosen as the contractor for the new schools and daycare centers to be built in Espoo and as their life-cycle service provider. Our long-term, good cooperation with Espoo continues with this significant project. “It is a pleasure to create high-quality, healthy, and safe spaces for children, pupils, and staff,” says Matti Varstala, Design Director for Life Cycle Projects at YIT.