The Change of Our Surroundings

This building is from the 1920s and contained a sauna bath, a laundry and a bakery. The bakery was closed down in 1978, the sauna and the laundry were used till 1998.

Nowadays the paper mill doesn't build cheap houses for the workers anymore because society has changed and people want their very own homes. Wooden walls have changed into brick. Houses are warmer, more beautiful and well-planned. In the old times the workers needed houses fast so there wasn't always time to build them carefully. The trend today is to build a "dreamhouse”, a house you build for yourself with personal solutions. Apartments become more and more stylish because the inhabitants can make them look the way they want.

Apartments are also larger because people are more demanding and want more space. There's a toilet indoors, on every floor. There's running water and modern plumbing in every house. Technology has brought all kinds of household devices to help in the kitchen. Cellars have changed into refrigerators and baking ovens are electric. There are only a few common saunas left because everybody has their own.

	The sulphite cellulose factory is being built in 1901 while log floaters are busy at their work on the river.
	In 1937 blocks of flats were built for the functionaries of the factory. They represented the functionalistic style and were regarded as very modern.
	A view of the present paper mill area in Voikkaa.

People used to care more about nature and didn't pollute their environment as they do today. Since the 60´s people have gathered garbage, waste and dangerous materials that didn´t even exist before at the dumping grounds. The vanity of humans has expanded. People want more and more for themselves and don't think about anything but their own needs. Not even the needs of nature.

At the beginning of the 20th century Voikkaa mill had grown to be the biggest paper producer in Finland. The factory, however, neglected the development of the surrounding community. Factory workers built their homes on privately owned land. This building process happened without any major control. The house in the picture was built at the end of the 19th century in the village of Kuusanniemi but similar houses were built in the Voikkaa area, too.