Meet Lapinlahti people: Santtu Sannemann

Santtu Sannemann works as a vocational special education teacher in ammattiopisto Spesia in Lapinlahti. Santtu originally studied art and specialised in painting and restoring old buildings. However, he has now worked as a teacher at a vocational school for almost 20 years. He currently supervises property management students at the old hospital in Lapinlahti.

First Spesia students started their studies in Lapinlahti in the autumn of 2023. Spesia is a vocational college for students who need personal guidance.
—Lapinlahti offers the students a very different learning environment than a traditional school. Studying is work-oriented and close to everyday life. It includes customer work at all times. Spesia doesn’t have permanent meeting rooms in Lapinlahti, but the facilities and conditions may vary daily, Santtu says.

It took Santtu and the students a little time to settle into the new environment at first, but everyone has since integrated well into the communal atmosphere of Lapinlahti. The students have become familiar with the rest of the people in the building, and they feel safe. According to Santtu, there has been no negative feedback from the students, and the fact that many arrive at Lapinlahti half an hour before the actual start of the day is also a sign of their satisfaction.

“The best thing here is the random encounters”

Santtu describes Lapinlahti as a unique village community. There are people moving around, and there’s always something going on in the area. Spesia students have become a natural part of the house, and their work is a part of the maintenance of the building. When it is needed, they will carry the upholsterer’s sofa to the car or take a load of trash to a Sortti station. Work is a part of everyday life.

—I feel calm, when I come to work across the park to Lapinlahti, Santtu says. —In Lapinlahti, the layers of history and culture are everpresent. Perhaps the best thing here is the random encounters. Work and leisure easily mix when you are left chatting with strangers or people you know.

According to Santtu, Lapinlahti currently offers a framework for a wide range of activities. The whole did not arise by itself, but has taken shape over time. It’s high time to reach a sensible solution for the future of the area, which would recognise the value of current activities and enables the natural development of the area in the future.
—The pursuit of profit does not necessarily serve the activities in Lapinlahti, Santtu Sannemann concludes.

Original text: Juhana Heikkilä
Photo: Taika Korpinsola