House Aukia (House Luhtala) is situated downtown Kurikka. On the opposite of the house is the church of Kurikka (Carl Ludvig Engel, 1845–1847). In 1953 architect Aarne Ervi designed this detached house for the Luhtalas. In 1971 the building was extended towards west and included a swimming pool and a sauna by architect Riia Hakola. The current situation of House Aukia is that it is empty and searching for new use.
The thesis is concept–oriented and the target of the work is to find an answer for House Aukia’s future function by means of design.
The initial part includes sketches of potential new uses, namely a vacation house for lease, a multipurpose cultural facility and a bathhouse, play their roles as the evaluations of the new function for the building.
The bathhouse, as a developed example, consists of House Aukia and a new extension. The house is restored to be a bistro operating in parallel with the sauna. The intervention is minimal so as to keep the authenticity of Ervi’s design. The extension offers a sauna to the public and a transition to the house through a new entrance and a semi–outdoor yard.
The project is designed so as to feature the architecture of House Aukia and its surroundings. The church, the sloppy terrain, the nature and the elegance of Ervi’s architecture are all taken into consideration. The bathhouse in combination with House Aukia and the new elements on the yard enable the visitor to experience a corner of Kurikka, and to see “Ervi in Kurikka”.
