The home of the developer couple Teija and Henri Mäkinen was built in 2016 at the Pruukinranta housing fair in the middle of the wonderful Finnish nature. The traditions of a house designed to be quiet and harmonious are in wood construction, which combines carbon efficiency and everyday functionality. “NUUKA” is a breathable, cellulose-fiber-insulated wooden house with a passive level, where special attention was paid to the quality of the indoor air.

Now, a couple of years later, it’s time to ask how living has felt. We approached the owner of the house, Henri Mäki, and inquired about his feelings now a few years later. As a construction engineer, the building’s physical function and indoor air quality are important to Henri. A breathable, dynamic structure was the first selection criterion when designing Nuuka as well.

“When guests enter the village for the first time, they usually immediately notice the good room air”

– It’s been really nice; the area is good and we are very satisfied with Nuukaa as our home. The comfortability and indoor atmosphere have been excellent, something that those who visited the village noticed first. The basic idea of a passive house has all been successful.

As an insulator, Cellulose insulation was used both in the roof and in the wall structures

– I know from experience that cellulose insulation enables a plastic-free structure and I consider this feature important in building a healthy house. In this way, no chemicals are released into the indoor air. In addition to the roof, the functional wooden wall structure also equalizes water vapor in both directions and participates in indoor air humidity control. The structure is safe and durable in use, says Henri.

As a construction professional himself, Henri recommends Termex. As a wood-based thermal insulator, it enables a wood structure that functions correctly in terms of moisture and heat. The breathable thermal insulation evens out the structure’s moisture fluctuations and thus reduces the moisture stress on the wood frame.

– It was worth investing in permanent structures. You also need to know how to demand healthy, ecological material for ready-made house packages. As an investment, it wasn’t really any more expensive than the usual alternatives, and on the contrary, it produces nice savings with use, says Henri Mäkinen