Olokoto is the most unique spatial solution in the world.
Its beauty is striking and its practicality is unmatched.
Olokoto is one of the most copied spatial solutions. Only one can be unique and original, and that is Olokoto. Olokoto is a modular spatial solution for those who appreciate beauty and quality and want something unique. Olokoto’s unique design, refined details, and internationally acclaimed interior solutions will satisfy even the most demanding tastes.
Despite its small size, Olokoto is functional. Olokoto is built almost entirely without moldings and carefully finished. Olokoto has carefully thought out technical details and smart solutions tailored to modern living. We only use high-quality products from high-quality partners.
The floor plan of the Olokoto is based on the ancient 2:1 ratio. The classic proportions are familiar from Japanese tatami or the Lego blocks familiar to children. The modularity of the Olokoto allows for expansion afterward as well.
The creator of Olokoto, Ilmari Mäenpää, was born in Oulu in the 1970s to a family with Inari Sámi and North Ostrobothnian roots. At that time, Oulu had countless valuable wooden buildings that were demolished in good condition in the rush of industrialisation. Ilmari’s parents bought a reasonably well-preserved log house built in the 1870s as a summer residence in Kiiminki, near Oulu.
As a sensory-sensitive synaesthetic child, Ilmari wondered endlessly why adults didn’t lie on the grass and look at the sky like children. The sky is infinite and full of incredible colours, movement, and birds! He also wondered what was the secret behind the longevity of the houses built in the 19th century in Alatalonmäki.
Ilmari studied science and art at the University of Helsinki and the University of Art and Design. His passion for composition, the arts, and aesthetics was enormous. The family returned to Oulu and soon began restoring the log house next to the summer residence. If the building, which had been abandoned for thirty years, had been made of anything other than logs, it would certainly have had to be demolished. The North Ostrobothnian house was transformed into an aesthetically uncompromising and technically modern home for a family with children.
In his heart, Ilmari has always wanted to create something aesthetically beautiful and completely new. He turned his passion and attention to composition, technology and sustainable architecture. After realising that solid construction is the only durable building method, he began to design the basic philosophy of Olokodo: ecological solid wood structures, glass surfaces for an unobstructed view of the sky and nature, and modularity.
In the past, log cabins had very small windows, but the buildings grew modularly with the family. However, the modern glass industry can meet the increasing demands for energy efficiency. Olokoto creates a unique “inside but outside” experience. This is how Olokoto’s foundation pillars were born.
The first Olokoto was launched at the Seinäjoki Housing Fair in 2016. Initially, nearly 200 modules were manufactured under contract in large log factories. However, it soon became clear that the traditional construction industry was unwilling to innovate. It was time to set up our own factory.
The Olokoto factory was established in Oulu in 2021. Initially, the product was made of logs, but Ilmari soon discovered the challenges of log processing. Fortunately, the answer was found in CLT solid wood, which was seen as a continuation of the log tradition. This product seemed to meet all expectations!
Today, the family business already employs the next generation. Olokoto modules have been implemented all over the world, and the company’s future looks very bright.
