Villa Tervas / Sivén & Takala Architects

A retired couple from Kajaani wanted an accessible single-family home for their retirement days in the center of town. The small historical town of Kajaani is the most populous in the Kainuu region of Finland, over 550km north of Helsinki. Kajaani was founded in the 17th century when it was an important town for the pine tar industry, pine tar was used widely as a wood sealant for maritime and building construction. Still today the local economy revolves around trees; the sawmill, lumber, and paper industries.