Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen

What Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen does

Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen Oy is a privately held multidisciplinary architectural firm founded in 1982 and headquartered in Tampere, Finland. It delivers full-lifecycle architectural services—from early needs assessment, project development and co-creation, through detailed design, BIM-based modeling, visualization, and construction supervision—across educational institutions, commercial offices, residential buildings, urban master planning, and heritage/renovation projects. The firm employs 42 staff, all architecture and construction professionals, and is led by CEO and partner Juha Saarijärvi and Deputy CEO Matti Mastosalo, alongside a five-person architect management team.

The firm's technical stack centers on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3D/VR visualization used across the building lifecycle, integrated with low-carbon assessment capability aligned to the Finnish Ministry of the Environment's methodology. Services are organized into five practice areas: learning environments and public spaces, office spaces, residential design, urban planning, and renovation/restoration. The firm operates a proprietary internal quality system and in June 2025 secured Ekokompassi environmental management certification, with multiple projects also achieving LEED Platinum, WELL Core, and Nordic Swan Ecolabel standards.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees, custom-quoted per engagement with no public pricing. The go-to-market model is enterprise field sales, driven by senior architects and partners who compete in architectural design competitions (Hipposkortteli, Ranta-Tampella, Sara Hildénin Taidemuseo), respond to public and private RFPs, and cultivate long-term client relationships. Named enterprise and government clients include YIT Suomi Oy, Technopolis Oyj, A. Ahlström Kiinteistöt Oy, TOAS, Suomen Yliopistokiinteistöt (SYK), the cities of Tampere, Oulu, Akaa, and Vantaa, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, VR Group, and Wärtsilä Corporation. Project delivery is geographically concentrated in Tampere and the Pirkanmaa region but spans multiple Finnish cities.

Name

Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen

Legal name

Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen Oy

Website

https://helamaaheiskanen.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen Oy is a Tampere-based, privately held multidisciplinary architectural firm founded in 1982, employing 42 professionals. It provides full-lifecycle architectural design across education, commercial, residential, urban planning, and heritage renovation for public and enterprise clients across Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Building information modeling
• Urban planning services
• Renovation design services
• Interior design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampere

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: The firm generates revenue through professional architectural design fees charged for project commissions. Services include project development (hankekehitys), co-creation services, full architectural design from sketch to construction supervision, interior design, landscape design, and visualization. Revenue is project-based and one-time per engagement, with long project timelines spanning multiple years.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen Oy is a multidisciplinary architectural firm delivering full-lifecycle design services from feasibility studies and project development through sketch design, construction documentation, and construction supervision. The firm specializes in educational environments and public buildings, office and commercial spaces, residential developments, commercial construction, urban planning and master planning, and renovation and heritage restoration. Engagements are project-based commissions structured around long-term client relationships with public sector clients and private developers across Finland.

Product overview

Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen is a multidisciplinary architectural firm offering comprehensive design services since 1982. The portfolio centers on a core architectural design service complemented by specialized modules including project development, co-creation methodology, building information modeling (BIM), visualization, interior design, landscape planning, and low-carbon assessment services. The firm operates across distinct practice areas—Educational Environments and Public Spaces, Office Spaces, Residential Design, Urban Planning, and Renovation—serving diverse clients from educational institutions and municipalities to private developers. Projects range from individual building design to large-scale urban planning and historic preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educational Environments and Public Spaces Design (Oppimisympäristöt ja julkiset tilat) Design of pleasant, versatile public spaces and functional learning environments for schools, universities, libraries, and civic buildings. Practice emphasizes user-driven needs assessment, timeless architectural character, and adaptability for multiple use cases. Target buyers include municipalities, universities (e.g., SYK), and student housing foundations (e.g., TOAS).
• Office and Commercial Space Design (Toimitilat) Design of adaptable office, production and commercial spaces tailored to the needs of diverse businesses. Covers both new construction and renovation of workspace properties, integrating with sustainability frameworks such as LEED Platinum and WELL Core. Target buyers include commercial real estate developers such as Technopolis Oyj, A. Ahlström Kiinteistöt Oy, and YIT Suomi Oy.
• Residential Design (Asuminen) Architectural design of stylish, user-friendly homes including new apartment buildings, terraced houses and additions that increase residential floor area while preserving existing buildings. Covers both new-build and addition/renovation work. Target buyers include residential developers and housing associations.
• Commercial Construction Design (Liikerakentaminen) Design and renovation of shopping centres, marketplaces, cinemas, service stations, and similar commercial buildings. Targets private commercial property owners and developers across Finland.
• Urban Planning (Kaupunkisuunnittelu) Master planning and urban design covering streetscapes, public spaces, and landscape planning for cohesive environments beyond individual buildings. Includes preparation of city-scale plans such as the Niemenranta master plan (325,000 m²) and the Wärtsilä Konepaja workshop area in Vaasa (135,000 m²).
• Renovation and Restoration (Korjausrakentaminen) Building renovation and restoration supporting sustainable development and the preservation of heritage buildings. Includes demanding indoor air quality improvements and collaboration with the Finnish Heritage Agency and museum authorities on protected buildings. Demonstrated by the Oulun Lyseon Lukio renovation (2020-2023, 1831 Engel-designed building) and the Tampere Court Building renovation awarded the Good Construction Award 1996.
• Project Development and Co-Creation Services (Hankekehitys ja Yhteiskehittäminen) Early-stage project identification, needs assessment, feasibility studies, and development planning prior to design commencement, paired with a co-creation methodology (yhteiskehittäminen) that engages users, stakeholders, and partners throughout the design process. Used both as a standalone early engagement and as part of full design commissions.
• Low-Carbon Assessment Services (Vähähiilisyyden arviointi) Carbon footprint assessment services for buildings using the Finnish Ministry of the Environment methodology, producing required documentation for building permits and enabling real-time evaluation of environmental impacts of different design solutions from the earliest project stages. Required under Finnish construction law for relevant projects and integrated as a real-time design guidance tool.

Quantifiable outcome

• GO21 achieved LEED Platinum (highest level) certification and WELL Core certificate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jatke Pirkanmaa OycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Jatke Pirkanmaa Oy served as the contractor/implementer for the GO21 office building project (A. Ahlström Kiinteistöt Oy developer), and also as contractor for the Tavara-asema renovation project. Jatke is a regional construction company acting as the building contractor on multiple firm projects.
• A-InsinööritcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020A-Insinöörit collaborated with the firm on the Tavara-asema renovation project, providing engineering services alongside Helamaa & Heiskanen's architectural design.
• A. Ahlström Kiinteistöt OycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper and building owner commissioning multiple projects including GO21 office building and Tavara-asema event venue. Long-term recurring client of the firm.
• Suomen Yliopistokiinteistöt (SYK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity property company commissioning the Sähkötalo Research Hub project at Tampere University Hervanta campus (27,000 m², 2021-2027). A long-term client involved in multiple university campus projects.
• Suomen Luonnonsuojeluliitto (Finnish Nature Conservation Federation)minorOthersThe Finnish Nature Conservation Federation administers the Ekokompassi environmental management system, which the firm has been certified through in June 2025.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PES-Arkkitehdit: PES-Arkkitehdit is a Finnish multidisciplinary architectural firm of comparable size, with overlapping service offerings across educational, commercial, residential, and urban planning design. They compete for similar public-sector and developer-led commissions in Finland and offer a directly comparable design practice.
• Avarrus Arkkitehdit: Avarrus Arkkitehdit is a Finnish architectural firm offering comparable residential, commercial, and renovation design services. They operate in similar Finnish markets and compete for analogous developer and municipal commissions at a comparable scale.
• Helin & Co Arkkitehdit: Helin & Co is a Helsinki-based Finnish architectural firm with comparable expertise in commercial, public, and large-scale architectural commissions. They compete for similar high-profile Finnish developer and municipal briefs, particularly in urban regeneration.
• Arkkitehdit NRT: Arkkitehdit NRT is a mid-sized Finnish architectural firm with a comparable service profile spanning commercial, residential, and renovation design. They operate in overlapping Finnish markets and pursue similar architectural competition and developer-led opportunities.

Regional players

• Tengbom: Tengbom is a Swedish architectural firm with similar expertise in commercial, residential, and urban planning projects across the Nordics. While they primarily serve Sweden, they participate in Nordic-wide competitions and large-scale developer-led briefs, making them a comparable regional peer.
• Cobe: Cobe is a Copenhagen-based architectural firm with comparable expertise in urban planning, public space design, and large-scale sustainable architecture. They operate primarily in Denmark and northern Europe, providing a comparable regional reference point for high-quality Nordic design.
• White Arkitekter: White Arkitekter is a major Swedish architectural firm with comparable expertise in sustainable design, learning environments, urban planning, and large-scale developer commissions. They primarily serve the Nordic region with a strong sustainability focus that mirrors Helamaa & Heiskanen's positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll Finland: Ramboll is a global engineering, design, and consultancy firm with significant operations in Finland, providing architectural and multidisciplinary design services. They compete on major public and real-estate commissions as a broad incumbent with integrated engineering capability.
• Sweco Finland: Sweco is one of the largest Nordic engineering, architecture, and consulting groups, with a substantial Finnish practice spanning architecture, infrastructure, and project management. They compete with Helamaa & Heiskanen on large public and developer-led commissions but as part of a much broader portfolio.

Others

• A-Insinöörit: A-Insinöörit is a Finnish engineering and consulting firm that has collaborated with Helamaa & Heiskanen on joint commissions such as Tavara-asema. While primarily an engineering practice, they sit in adjacent technical territory and partner with architectural firms on integrated building projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkkitehtitoimisto-helamaa-heiskanen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arkkitehtitoimisto Helamaa & Heiskanen