During the past year, TYS has carried out several renovation projects in its student housing locations. In 2025, the façade renovation of Kotivalo was completed, and the facelift renovation at Auringonnousu renewed the apartments’ bathroom and toilet facilities. Next year, a major overhaul of the I-block in Student Village and a facelift renovation at Kotivalo are on the agenda.
According to TYS’s property services team experts, Construction Manager Johanna Salminen and Maintenance Manager Toni Pohjavirta, these renovations improve living comfort, functionality, and energy efficiency.
“Planning and implementing renovations always start from a need. Whether it’s bathroom surfaces, building façades, or entire apartments, the starting point is that the element to be renewed has reached the end of its lifecycle. It’s time to renovate so that we can continue to offer functional and comfortable apartments for students in the future,” says Salminen.
The renovation projects range from comprehensive building services upgrades to surface material renewals, resulting in updated apartments that make everyday life easier for TYS tenants.
Renovated bathroom in Auringonnousu
In facelift Renovation at Auringonnousu bathroom and toilet surfaces were renewed
In August 2025, a facelift renovation began at Auringonnousu, where a total of 68 bathrooms and 13 toilets were refurbished. The spaces to be renovated were selected based on a condition assessment, so not all bathrooms and toilets in the location were renovated.
The goal of the facelift renovation was to renew apartment surfaces quickly and smoothly without requiring tenants to move out during the work. With minimal inconvenience, tenants receive a modernized apartment without the hassle of changing apartments. At Auringonnousu, each apartment renovation took ten working days.
“Before the renovation started, we created a model bathroom in one apartment for tenants to view. Feedback from tenants has been minimal but positive, which indicates the project progressed smoothly,” says Pohjavirta.
The facelift renovation will be completed on19th December, 2025, but in most apartments tenants have already been enjoying their new bathrooms and toilets before that.
In Kotivalo façades and yards were renewed – interior facelift coming next year
In May, the façade renovation at Kotivalo began. The end façades of the row houses were completely refurbished with ventilated panel plastering, and the long façades were patched and painted. All building roofs were washed and painted, and exterior doors were replaced. In addition, yard fences between apartments and storage façades were painted.
Next year, the renovation will continue indoors with a facelift renovation of the apartments. Bathrooms and kitchens will get a fresh new look.
“The project is planned to start in April–May 2026, with the goal of completing it by the end of the year. The exact schedule will be confirmed as planning progresses,” Pohjavirta explains.
The extensive renovation of the I-block in Student Village will begin in January 2026
Major Overhaul of Student Village I-Block
At the beginning of 2026, a major renovation will start on the west side of Student Village in the I-block (Yo-kylä 1 A–D), covering four buildings. The project will renew all building services and apartment interiors.
A total of 144 apartments will undergo a complete transformation. Each apartment will get its own kitchen, whereas previously apartments had only a mini-fridge and two hotplates, and tenants shared a common kitchen in the hallway. The new kitchens will include a fridge-freezer, a two-zone induction stove, and a combined oven-microwave.
The shared kitchens and one decommissioned sauna area will be converted into eleven new two-room apartments and two shared study spaces. In addition, the laundry in Yo-kylä 1 B will be renovated and machines replaced.
“The renovation will significantly improve the energy efficiency of the apartments. Each apartment will have supply and exhaust ventilation with heat recovery, water and heating systems will be renewed, and individual water and electricity meters will be installed,” says Salminen.
Tenants wishes have also been considered in the design: all apartments will have a four-bin waste sorting cabinet for easier recycling.
The renovation will start in January 2026 with buildings A and B, which will be completed in July 2026. Work will then continue in buildings C and D, scheduled for completion at the turn of 2026–2027.
