Living design philosophy sets out the direction for the development of YIT Homes

YIT continues to develop new housing solutions. Convenience in housing is an issue that goes beyond mere square metres. Comprehensive living design represents a solution to this challenge.

The changing needs of day-to-day life have led YIT to revise its housing solutions. Instead of using traditional design, YIT will respond to housing trends by applying the new philosophy of living design.

According to YIT’s recent Tribe survey*, the rising trends in housing include hassle-free living and the ease of getting around. Interest in the use of services has also increased substantially. The trends that are on the decline include the willingness to spend money on housing and the amount of space people need to have in their apartments. The global megatrend of urbanisation is evident in Finland in the growing popularity of living in city centres and apartment buildings. The developments are also affected by the decreasing size of households and the ageing of the population.

The philosophy of living design sets out the direction for the development of YIT Homes. Eliminating the unnecessary, increasing versatility and providing smart services can turn homes into zones of comfort and convenience in daily life. The location of apartments — relative to effective public transport and local services — is also an important aspect of smooth daily life.

“Paring down to the essentials is good design. People don’t want to waste their time and money on underutilised square metres,” says Marko Oinas, Senior Vice President for Business Development at YIT.

One excellent practical example of the living design philosophy is YIT’s new compact yet accessible bathroom and sauna unit. It is manufactured entirely off-site, down to the millimetre, in dry conditions while using high-quality materials, and then transported as a fully sealed and completed unit to the construction site.

“We have used prototypes and customer observations in our development efforts to optimise everything down to the smallest detail, from storage solutions to the placement of the toilet roll holder. We have studied different materials and sizing alternatives and chosen the most functional options,” Oinas adds.

The next YIT Homes to feature the living design philosophy include As Oy Lahden Vedenvälke, Riihimäen Kultasirkku and Tampereen Niemenrannan Sinfonia.
Many of the cornerstones of the continuously evolving philosophy of living design have already been applied in the solutions underpinning the Smartti housing concept published a year ago.

“Customer orientation, style and modularity,” says Oinas, listing examples of the living design approach. “Customers perceive the changes particularly in the form of greater consistency and functionality. The solutions that have proved useful are repeated and developed with a long-term view. For the property developer, the change is important with respect to productivity and quality,” Oinas explains.

More than 400 Smartti homes have already been sold after the first ones were completed last summer, and there are now Smartti homes, either completed or in construction, in over 10 cities.

The smooth housing services currently provided by YIT include the digital YIT Plus service, Smartpost lockers for food and e-commerce deliveries and the versatile common areas of housing companies. The YIT Plus service makes it easy for people to customise the interior design of their new home.

*YIT conducted an interview survey in 2013 to assess the respondents’ motivations related to housing. The survey divided people into four main groups, or tribes (Nature, Community, Value and Pit Stop). The survey was conducted again in spring 2017.
** see e.g. the final report of the Kuuma resident survey: http://bit.ly/2ws7qSC  

Further reading:
www.yit.fi/kotimuotoilu
YIT introduces Smartti, a flexible and affordable housing solution
The living design philosophy also extends to outdoor areas 

Photos:
http://yit.materialbank.net/NiboWEB/p/scpc/11236510/302928/en

For further information, please contact:
Marko Oinas, Senior Vice President, Business Development, YIT Corporation, tel. +358 (0)40 506 7430, marko.oinas@yit.fi
(living design philosophy and the Smartti concept)
Pekka Helin, Senior Vice President, Living Services development programme, YIT Corporation, tel. +358 (0)40 588 8135, pekka.helin@yit.fi (Tribe survey)
Hanna Malmivaara, Vice President, Communications, YIT Corporation, tel. +358 (0)40 561 6568, hanna.malmivaara@yit.fi

YIT creates a better living environment by developing and constructing housing, business premises, infrastructure and entire areas. Our vision is to bring more life into sustainable cities. We want to focus on caring for customers, visionary urban development, passionate execution and inspiring leadership. Our growth engine is urban development involving partners. Our operating area covers Finland, Russia, the Baltic countries, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. In 2016, our revenue amounted to nearly EUR 1.8 billion and we employ about 5,300 people. Our share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. www.yitgroup.com