Project information:
Official name of the project: RAKEL – Prolonging Building Lifecycles Through Adaptive Reuse
Duration of the project: 1.5.2025 - 31.10.2027
Project coordinator: Oulu AMK
Project partners: VAMK, JAMK, Mikkeli Development Company Miksei Ltd, Finnish Environmental Institute SYKLI Ltd, City of Kouvola
Funding: Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Häme,
Budget: 1 045 141 €
Contact person in VAMK:
Minna Uimonen, Senior Lecturer (School of Technology)
tel. +358 207 663 496, minna.uimonen@vamk.fi
Project description
Buildings across Finland are becoming vacant or underused due to reforms in welfare regions, educational networks, and structural changes. Vacant or underused buildings generate costs and safety risks, and their condition deteriorates more rapidly. At the same time, constructing new buildings consumes more natural resources and energy.
The RAKEL project addresses the need to find new uses for vacant buildings in collaboration with regional stakeholders, such as municipalities and businesses. The public sector, in particular, has opportunities to plan and implement the adaptive reuse of properties.
Goals
The project aims to enable new functions in vacant but still usable buildings. Its objectives include co-developing with stakeholders innovative ways to utilize these buildings and increasing their occupancy by enhancing business or shared use. The project leverages digital modeling of buildings and technical assessments to account for building characteristics when planning new functions. Business development is guided by circular economy business models, emphasizing the use of sharing economy concepts, service operations, and digital solutions in reuse planning.
Results
The project supports Finland’s national green transition goals by implementing concrete case studies and collaborative development in regions across the country. Case examples will guide the transformation of buildings toward new uses and can be applied in other regions and municipalities planning similar initiatives. As a tangible outcome, the lifespan of buildings is extended, and the adoption of the operational model is strengthened in participating municipalities.
