Tredu Student to Showcase Sensory-Friendly Saikan portti Apartments at Lempäälä Housing Fair

Interior design student Ella Heiskanen will present sensory-sensitive furnishing solutions at the Lempäälä Housing Fair this summer, guiding visitors through the Saikan portti apartments she helped plan and stage during a work placement with Lempäälän Vuokrakodit. She will be on hand to explain the choices and point out features tailored to residents' needs.

During a lengthy placement at Lempäälän Vuokrakodit, Heiskanen produced room cards, resident profiles and mock-ups used to style the show apartments. Tredu says the placement gave the first-year student an unusually broad brief, and the assignment continues into summer employment where she will deepen her skills by showing the flats to fair visitors.

The Saikan portti units are designed for people with sensory over-responsivity, dementia and autism. The scheme reduces noise and overwhelming stimuli, emphasises acoustic treatments and uses a mix of surface finishes and textures to support a calmer sensory experience. Scented items, including perfumed plants, are avoided.

One bedroom aimed at a young person on the autism spectrum includes sound-absorbing panels and spatial arrangements to ease daily routines. Siblings' bedrooms are not placed next to each other, and a sheltered, nest-like spot on the balcony provides a quiet retreat. In the memory-friendly apartment, clarity, careful use of colour contrast and practical solutions were prioritised to help everyday living.

The project was run as a start-to-finish learning opportunity, letting a student follow ideas from concept to furnished home. Heiskanen will use the Housing Fair to explain the design decisions to the public and demonstrate how small interventions can support residents' wellbeing.