When Söderfjärdsbacken Daycare in Malax was completed in summer 2025, more than 100 children got new premises for their daily activities. An important part of the 1,600-square-meter building is its approximately 100-square-meter civil defense shelter. For the project’s main contractor, Byggtjänst H-E Storlund, JTK Power was a natural partner from the outset.

– We were already familiar with JTK Power and its products, so we contacted them during the quotation stage and received a preliminary quote for the civil defense shelter components, says Staffan Julin, Managing Director of H-E Storlund.

From Casting Parts to a Fully Equipped Civil Defense Shelter

A civil defense shelter requires careful planning to ensure that all details are right from the start. Doors, hatches, wall sleeves, and ventilation equipment must be compatible with both the building structure and the requirements that apply to civil defense shelters. JTK Power’s delivery for the daycare project included casting parts, doors, hatches, and wall sleeves for ventilation and electrical installations.

– It made things easy for us that JTK took care of the entire delivery. They made sure that the right products arrived at the right place at the right stage of construction, Julin says.

As the construction work neared completion, JTK Power also took care of installing the ventilation unit. The delivery also included the equipment and accessories required under Finnish legislation for a completed civil defense shelter.

The Civil Defense Shelter Serves an Important Everyday Function

A modern civil defense shelter does not stand empty waiting for a crisis – ideally, it will never need to be used for its intended purpose. At Söderfjärdsbacken Daycare, the space is used in everyday operations as staff changing rooms and a central storage area. Behind these everyday functions, however, is a fully equipped civil defense shelter that can be put into use when needed to protect people during emergency conditions.

For Julin, this was the first project in which he had completed an entire civil defense shelter as the main contractor. The project also highlighted how much planning and specialist expertise go into what is ultimately a relatively small part of the building.

– Planning and constructing a building with a civil defense shelter adds a considerable amount of work to the project. That is why it is valuable to have a supplier that knows the field and is easy to reach whenever questions arise. We have also appreciated being able to communicate in Swedish, Julin says.

Söderfjärdsbacken Daycare

Location: Maalahti, Finland
Completed: 2025
Size: 1,600 m², including a 100 m² civil defense shelter