The main goal of the renovations of Lumo buildings is to improve energy efficiency and thus increase the comfort of living.
A key part of improving Kojamo’s energy efficiency is related to the company’s existing property portfolio, and more specifically to older Lumo buildings by year of construction. Kojamo’s goal is to achieve a relative improvement of at least 30 per cent in energy efficiency in all renovation projects concerning an entire building.
“Renovations help us achieve our energy efficiency targets, while the repairs also increase the comfort of living and support the rental of our apartments,” says Pasi Kujansuu, Director of Property Services at Kojamo.
Although the goal of renovations is to modernise the buildings, it is also important to preserve the original spirit of the building. Each Lumo building is unique and represents the construction practices of its time. The renovation of each building is planned on a case-by-case basis so that the architectural line of the building remains unchanged.
The content of the renovations varies from building to building. In principle, all renovation projects include the renewal of the interior surfaces of apartments and shared facilities as well as improving energy efficiency with the help of household appliances, plumbing fixtures and LED lighting. The facade and balcony structures, roof and elevators are renewed as necessary. The improvement of the building’s thermal insulation is largely guided by construction legislation.
Occasionally, the room divisions of apartments are also renewed and different storage solutions are added to the apartments to better meet current needs. At the same time, it is ensured that the security of the building is up to date: there are fire alarms connected to the mains in each apartment and the locks are in order.
In 2024, Kojamo invested a total of EUR 28.2 million in the renovation and modernisation of its property portfolio, and three Lumo buildings were renovated.
Renovation of a 1950s building in Jyväskylä
Originally built in 1951 at Rajakatu 22, Jyväskylä, 24 Lumo homes were renovated in summer 2024, and the residents are now able to enjoy their fully renewed apartments.
The apartments were given new energy-efficient household appliances and plumbing fixtures, and apartment-specific water meters were added to enable residents to monitor their water consumption and thus also influence their housing costs.
As part of the renovation, centralised mechanical exhaust and supply ventilation was added to the building, which collects the heat from the exhaust air and preheats the incoming air. This reduces the need for heating in the building. With the help of new ventilation, apartments can be cooled more efficiently, which improves the comfort of living, especially in the summer.
In connection with the project, the building’s parking spaces were equipped with charging stations for electric vehicles at the request of the residents, allowing the residents to charge their vehicles with carbon-neutral electricity.
The facade of the Rajakatu building was renewed about five years ago. At the time, the building was plastered with insulating plaster to improve the thermal insulation of the exterior wall and to renew the outer surface of the facade. At the same time, all windows were replaced, which also contributed to improving the heat and sound insulation of the apartments.
Following the renovation in 2024, the building’s E-value, which measures the theoretical energy efficiency of the building, improved by more than 30 per cent in line with the target.
Renovation of a 1960s building in Helsinki
The renovation of the Lumo homes at Vuorikummuntie 9 in Helsinki was completed in autumn 2024. All 48 Lumo homes were given a completely new and fresh look during the renovation, without losing the spirit of the building built in 1969.
New energy-efficient household appliances and plumbing fixtures as well as apartment-specific water meters were added to the apartments to enable the residents’ energy-efficient everyday life. The building’s elevators were renewed to use less electricity and be more accessible. Charging stations for electric vehicles were added to the parking spaces with the aim of enabling zero-emission traffic for residents.
The facade of the building was completely renewed in connection with the renovation. The thermal insulation of both the facade and the roof structure was improved, and heat recovery and an exhaust air heat pump were added to the building. In this way, energy is recovered from the exhaust air of the building, the temperature of which is further increased by the heat pump. The building also has district heating, which is now only needed during the winter as additional heating energy.
The E-value of the Lumo building at Vuorikummuntie improved by more than 30 per cent as a result of the renovation.
Renovation of a 1980s building in Oulu
The Lumo building at Valtatie 44–46 in Oulu, known among locals as Tuiranmaja since 1980, was renovated in two stages. The first phase, with the first 135 fully renovated Lumo homes, was completed in autumn 2023 and the remaining 61 apartments in spring 2024.
The surfaces of the apartments were completely renewed and the apartments were equipped with new energy-efficient household appliances. The plumbing fixtures were also replaced and the apartments were equipped with apartment-specific water meters.
As part of the renovation, the shared facilities were updated to meet the needs of community-oriented housing. The shared sauna and club facilities were modernised, and the gym was completely renewed with energy efficiency in mind. At the same time, a second laundry room was built for the residents’ use and the accessibility of the sauna facilities was promoted.
The most significant renovations with regard to the property’s E-value were already carried out in 2012 in connection with a more extensive building service technology renovation, when heat recovery and an exhaust air heat pump were added to the ventilation.
