Ylöjärvi Upper Secondary School and Tampere Region Vocational College Tredu have operated in the Ylöjärvi Education Centre Valo since its completion in 2012. In early spring 2025, the expansion of the facilities began. The new 2,000-square-meter building will include classrooms, small group spaces, and pleasant lounges for studying, relaxing, and working. This prepares for the upper secondary school’s new technology-oriented study program and Tredu’s future educational needs.
As the construction site began, eGate’s air quality monitoring sensors were installed in the education centre. These sensors transfer environmental data to the cloud-based Site Impact Monitor service, where the indoor air status can be viewed in real time. The system immediately alerts users when predefined thresholds are exceeded. This ensures that dust from the nearby construction site does not endanger the health of students or staff.
Peace of mind next to a construction site
Jarkko Tuomennoro, principal of Ylöjärvi Upper Secondary School, understands the importance of a healthy learning environment. In many Finnish schools, indoor air quality is a real and sometimes costly issue.
– At Valo, we operate in modern facilities and are satisfied with the good indoor air quality. Some students have even transferred to our school from others because of this.
The principal’s core task is to lead the school, and he prefers not to spend unnecessary time on property matters. Automation of environmental monitoring next to the construction site is a welcome development for Tuomennoro.
– It’s good that we receive information about possible issues and their source quickly. This way, we can react in time.
Lance Cagle, Property Manager at Tredu-Kiinteistöt Oy, also emphasizes the importance of quick response. It’s essential to ensure the facilities remain continuously usable.
– Real-time monitoring allows us to address malfunctions quickly. Customers don’t need to adjust building systems themselves – they can focus on their own work.
Cagle believes environmental monitoring provides peace of mind to both the property owner and tenant.
– It also helps rule out suspected causes of problems and always brings reliable measurement results into discussions about indoor air quality.
A preventive investment against problems
Tampere Facilities Services participated in a four-year study on dust control measurement accuracy, which concluded in February 2024. As a result, eGate’s measurement method was deemed suitable for real-time dust measurement and monitoring the effectiveness of dust control on construction sites. The work continues at Facilities Services with dust measurement guidelines, which are scheduled for implementation during the current year. Internal practices have also been improved.
According to Heini Koiranen, Project Manager at Facilities Services, and Arto Ylinen, specialist in moisture and cleanliness control, early intervention in air quality issues can prevent greater harm, costs, and disputes later on.
– In future projects, air quality monitoring can be integrated into contracts, especially when construction sites are located near buildings that remain in use. This approach supports building trust with both users and property owners.