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Customer Story: Vuosaari Manor

Finnish Innovation Solved the Ventilation Problem at Vuosaari Manor Without Major Renovation Last summer, a decisive moment arrived at Vuosaari Manor. Ranskalainen Kauppa Oy had been renovating the historic manor for nearly three years, and everything was supposed to be ready for opening. All that remained were the ventilation measurements before the launch. However, those measurements revealed a problem: the manor's existing ventilation unit was not supplying enough fresh air to meet the requirements for the planned number of people in the restaurant. The values did not match the specifications on which the operating permit had been applied for. Vuosaari Manor has two floors of customer spaces. On the ground floor are the restaurant hall, a food store, a service area, two clothing store spaces, the restaurant kitchen, and three restrooms. The upper floor has three retail rooms and a private dining room. When many people are present at the same time, a large supply of fresh air is needed. The architect suggested to the City of Helsinki that operations could initially be run with a smaller number of people, matching the ventilation unit's actual capacity. The city did not agree to this. The remaining options were either a completely new ventilation unit or supplementing the fresh air supply in another way. Procuring a new ventilation unit quickly proved problematic, as a suitable unit could not be found in Finland and delivery times stretched out. At the same time, the scheduling pressure grew. Mobair Found Through Recommendations Riikka-Maria Lemminki, CEO of Ranskalainen Kauppa Oy, says she had heard about Mobair from owners of older properties who had positive experiences with it. In public spaces in particular, Mobair had proven to be an effective solution where doors are constantly in use and the demand for fresh air changes rapidly. Hepacon's designer immediately understood that fresh air supply could be increased using Mobair. City building inspectors were initially skeptical of the solution, particularly regarding winter use. Those doubts were dispelled when it was pointed out that VTT, NCC, and YIT had tested Mobair in various sites and confirmed that it works reliably even in winter conditions. Mobair is a Finnish innovation developed specifically for Finland's climate and building stock. It works by supplying electrically powered fresh air that is pre-warmed and then mixed with the warm air already present in the room. Draft Sensation Disappeared and Energy Consumption Fell Experiences from other installations pointed in the same direction: the sensation of drafts had disappeared, indoor air quality had improved, and energy consumption had even decreased. This is because Mobair warms the incoming air while also mixing the warm air that has risen to the top of tall, old spaces back down into the occupied zone. As temperatures even out, the need for supplementary heating decreases. In the manor's case, it was decided to install four Mobair XL units to supplement the existing ventilation. Fast and Unobtrusive Installation The Mobair installation was completed quickly. Fitting the units required only four wall penetrations of around 20 centimetres each, and no major drawing changes were needed. The exterior-facing penetration was finished to match the colour of the manor's wall. Lemminki notes that she herself did not even notice the Mobair units when she visited the manor, neither inside nor outside. The unit is also extremely quiet, quieter than an air-source heat pump, thanks to its effective sound dampening. Being electrically powered, it requires only a standard outlet or other electrical connection point. In older buildings, exhaust air often functions reasonably well, but fresh air supply is simply insufficient. Vuosaari Manor receives many visitors, and when a large number of people gather in the same space at once, the importance of fresh air becomes particularly pronounced. With Mobair, the manor was able to open its doors with the planned occupancy levels, without a costly and time-consuming ventilation overhaul. The solution proved to be functional, unobtrusive, and above all practical, exactly what a historic building and a modern restaurant operation required.