The Student Housing Foundation of Northern Finland, PSOAS, and the University of Oulu are jointly organising a general international architectural competition for the new university campus in Kontinkangas.
The University of Oulu will relocate from Linnanmaa to Kontinkangas, and a significant amount of student housing will be included to the new campus. The campus is planned to include around 80,000 square metres of floor area for university use and around 30,000 square metres for student housing, providing approximately 600 to 1,000 residential places. A residential place refers to one accommodation spot per student – for example, a two-room apartment provides two residential places.
Student housing as part of the new campus
PSOAS, celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, aims to make student housing an integral part of the new campus.
“It is a matter of the heart for PSOAS to offer students affordable and high-quality housing in Oulu. Student housing is an essential part of a functional and vibrant campus, a sense of community and the cityscape as a whole,” says PSOAS CEO Ville Isoherranen.
The location in Kontinkangas, closer to the city centre, brings the campus into the urban landscape in a new way. PSOAS already has housing in the nearby Välkkylä and Peltola areas, and the new campus will further strengthen student housing options in Kontinkangas.
Anniversary year and international visibility
The competition was announced in Helsinki on Tuesday 3 February 2026 at the main event of the 150th anniversary of the Finnish Architectural Competitions organised by SAFA. The timing connects both to the 150-year anniversary of architectural competitions and to Oulu’s European Capital of Culture year.
The international competition will bring global expertise and fresh perspectives to Oulu’s university and student housing architecture.
The competition is carried out in cooperation with the City of Oulu, Pohde – The Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia, and the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA.
Competition schedule
The competition will proceed in two phases. The first phase will take place from May to August 2026, and the second phase from January to April 2027. The detailed competition brief and requirements will be finalised in spring 2026 and published in May when the competition officially begins. The winning proposal will be selected in June 2027.
More information:
Article by the University of Oulu: An international architectural competition to design the new University of Oulu campus
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