Modernisation of SATO rental apartment building in Kallio soon complete – 95 refurbished rental homes in the centre of the city

The 18-month modernisation of the apartment building owned by SATO at the address Castréninkatu 3 in the Helsinki district of Kallio is nearing completion. The apartment building will have 95 fully refurbished rental homes that new residents may move into in June.

Built in 1939, the six-storey residential building is representative of its time in terms of architecture. The curving walls in the stairwells as well as the high ceilings and charming window sills of the rooms all bear witness to the building’s near-century of history. The modernisation, to be completed in late spring 2023, has respected the spirit of the building while at the same time bringing all residential areas up to the standards of the 21st century. The building’s facade renovation was done earlier, in 2017.

“The modernisation involved a full refurbishment of the kitchens, bathrooms and other living areas of the apartments. The bathrooms are not very large, as was the style at the time of building’s construction, yet we have improved their functionality and expanded them to accommodate a washing machine. The introduction of an open floor plan now ties the formerly enclosed dining and kitchen areas together with the rest of the apartment,” says Arto Aalto, SATO Vice President for Investments.

The property’s water and drain pipes as well as electrical and building automation systems were also upgraded: the natural ventilation of the apartment building was replaced by centralised supply and exhaust ventilation with heat recovery. After the modernisation, the property’s energy efficiency will have improved by more than 30%. The stairwells received a new coat of paint, too.

Located in the middle of the district of Kallio, the apartment building now features a total of 95 homes: studios, one-bedroom units and three-bedrooms, some of which also have a small balcony.

The building’s common areas were also given a facelift in the context of the modernisation. Now, the building features a common sauna section, a drying room and laundry, and bicycle storage in the courtyard and in the basement for cyclists. Each home has a designated storage unit in the basement. The building has six commercial units at street level and a further two in a separate building in the courtyard.

Before demolition started in autumn 2021, SATO and Helsinki Metropolitan Area Reuse Centre, also known as just Kierrätyskeskus, organised a circular economy pilot in the Castréninkatu building to salvage structural components and apartment items such as doors, cold appliances, wardrobes and coat hooks from the building for re-use. Kierrätyskeskus ensured that the components and items were fit and safe to re-use. The products were for sale in the Kierrätyskeskus online store. The circular economy pilot delivered savings of natural resources in the amount of 46,000 kg.

Located in one of the most peaceful parts of Kallio, Castréninkatu 3 is within easy reach of daily amenities and good transport links.

If you are interested in the Castréninkatu homes, for more information please see: https://www.sato.fi/en/upcoming/helsinki/castreninkatu-3

For media enquiries, please contact:
SATO Corporation, Arto Aalto, Vice President, Investments, phone +358 40 513 0702, arto.aalto@sato.fi

SATO Corporation is an expert in sustainable rental housing and one of Finland’s largest rental housing providers. SATO owns around 25,000 rental homes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Tampere and Turku.

SATO aims to provide an excellent customer experience and a comprehensive range of urban rental housing alternatives with good access to public transport and services. We promote sustainable development and work in open interaction with our stakeholders. SATO invests profitably, sustainably and with a long-term view. We increase the value of our assets through investments, divestments and repairs.

In 2022, SATO Group’s net sales totalled EUR 291.2 million, operating profit EUR 198.9 million and profit before taxes EUR 151.9 million. The value of SATO’s investment properties is around EUR 5 billion. www.sato.fi