Pioneering modern living with advanced digital solutions – Case As Oy Helsingin Casa Urbana
As Oy Helsingin Casa Urbana, a housing company located in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, is a residential building realized through a collaborative construction project. This six-story building features 51 Hitas apartments, with residents having a significant role in the design process. Special attention has been given to the versatile communal spaces and living comfort.
Digital solutions are also a key part of Casa Urbana’s stylish ensemble, with residents benefiting from One4all’s living service platform, which includes a resident app, booking system, and a digital notice board. We interviewed Casa Urbana’s property manager, Mika Rautio from Kiinteistötahkola, to discuss the use of One4all’s digital services in the property.
One4all booking system eases both property management and resident life
Rautio began managing the site at the turn of the year, and as he describes it, “jumped on a moving train.” Initially unfamiliar with the system due to lack of previous experience with such services, he has grown to appreciate its benefits and the features that simplify his work.
Casa Urbana offers an exceptional range of spaces available for resident use and reservation through the system, including a guest room, two sauna areas, a lounge, a terrace, parking spaces, and laundry facilities. This diverse selection is considerable for a single residential association, demonstrating a clear investment in communal spaces and the ease of reserving them.
“Active residents frequently use the spaces and services, so the benefits of the electronic reservation system are clear,” Mika states. “The greatest advantages of digitalization lie in its simplicity – both for the property manager and the residents,” he adds.
“Residents can book chargeable spaces according to their needs and schedule, and the property manager doesn’t need to handle it,” Mika explains. “If I were to manually manage these reservations and their billing, it would be a tremendous task,” he continues. “Now, I can export billing almost ready-made into Excel from the system. One option would be to integrate One4all’s payment service with the reservations, eliminating the need for billing entirely.”
“From the residents’ perspective, there are many benefits. There’s no need to visit the space to book it from a paper calendar; it can be reserved from anywhere. They always see the up-to-date reservation status without having to contact maintenance or property management separately by phone or email. A traditional reservation book wouldn’t be an option in such an active building,” Mika summarizes.
The stylish One4all digital notice board serves a quality indicator
Discussing the use of the digital notice board, Mika highlights its benefits, including easy updates and access to current information. The visual appearance of the display also receives praise.
“The digital notice board is a clear calling card for the site and communicates quality, supporting the overall image of the residential building. The property’s image value increases when guests pass through the stairway to the apartments,” Mika notes.
Alongside ease and style, cost savings are also mentioned, as resident information can be quickly updated from a computer, avoiding the need to send maintenance to the hardware store for missing letters.
Digital Communication for Reaching Residents in Exceptional Situations
Mika sees digitalization as a significant advantage for effective resident communication. He notes that especially in exceptional situations, where quick message delivery or prompt resident response is needed, digital communication proves effective.
“It saves everyone’s time and is efficient when announcements and notices appear on the stairway display and in the app. The property manager doesn’t have to respond to individual emails and calls, as current information is available to residents,” Mika explains.
He reflects that it would be efficient if messages could also be sent to residents via email or text message. The app’s push notifications largely serve the same purpose as text messages – they bring notifications to the smart device’s screen, provided the user has allowed notifications in their settings. We have added the request for email notifications to the system’s development list.