The lift ride feels like going up the Näsinneula tower in Tampere. Even though the distance between the ground and the highest floors is exceptionally long, it doesn’t take long to travel it. After 27 floors, the doors open to views that give the Lumo One skyscraper in Kalasatama, Helsinki its unique allure.

You can see the sea, forests and the metro from the windows. The scenery is familiar to Spike, the family’s dog, who is the first to greet visitors at the door. Spike licks my hand and begs to be scratched.

“We have a little bit of a circus going on,” says Miia, 39, who moved to the Lumo home with her family in August. 

The children, Mandi and Noah, decide to play with the nearly 6-month-old puppy, and soon the living room echoes with shrieks of joy. As a toy mouse gets thrown around the room, it becomes clear that the puppy is a welcome and long-awaited addition to the family.

“There was a lot of begging and pleading. My husband initially insisted that we wouldn’t get a dog. Then, his friend’s dog had a litter,” says Miia.

With its big paws and clumsy ways, the puppy completely charmed the family of four, and there was nothing else to do but to bring him home. When Spike arrived, the family was still living in Arabianranta. However, with two lively children and a puppy, the home started to feel cramped. It was time to look for a bigger space.

At first, Miia, who works as a seamstress and interior designer, tried to suggest reorganising the furniture, but the idea wasn’t met with great enthusiasm.

“Actually, it all started because I wanted a room of my own. Then daddy found this home and sent a message to mummy,” says Mandi.

When the family started looking for a new place, the rental homes in the Lumo One skyscraper had just become available. The optimal location, pet-friendly building and the services of Shopping Centre Redi made the decision easy.

“We wanted to live as high up as possible. At this altitude, everything is really peaceful, and we share a wall with only one other neighbour.”

Miia was a little nervous the first couple of nights in the skyscraper but soon got used to the new home and, above all else, the views. Admittedly, anyone’s jaw would drop the first time they saw the view. The floor-to-ceiling windows even allow Spike to gaze upon the cityscape of Helsinki.

The puppy soon gets sleepy after all the playing and falls asleep on the sofa. Apparently, it’s the youngest family member’s favourite spot. It’s easy to see why; the sofa is the perfect place to see everything going on both inside and outside. According to Miia, the family have been fortunate enough to see both rainbows and thunder storms from their windows.  “I’m still waiting for a foggy morning when we won’t be able to see out of the window at all,” Miia says with a laugh.

When Spike wakes up from his nap, it’s time to take him for a walk. This means taking the lift to the fifth floor of the skyscraper where a terrace offers the perfect spot for a quick outing. Miia was surprised to see how well the needs of dog owners have been taken into account in the Lumo building, including the need for rubbish bins. Spike sniffs around for the messages left by the other dog residents and seems particularly interested in the planted shrubs.

The curious puppy has been a source of delight for passers-by when walking with his family in the surrounding areas, such as Mustikkamaa and Sompasaari. So far, no one has been able to guess his breed. Many see the black fur and think Rottweiler, but actually, Spike is a pocket American Bully. At the moment, this US-based breed is not recognised as an official breed in Finland.

The currently 15-kilo Spike looks small but has a heavy build and loves to wrestle with the larger dogs in the neighbourhood. Wherever Spike goes, his puppy-like appearance attracts plenty of attention. He has had no shortage of scratchers in the Lumo One skyscraper as there are many dog owners living in the building.

According to Miia, moving to a bigger home was a great decision. The whole family, including the dog, enjoys the space.

“Before the move, I kept wondering if having all the services so close to us would make our lives too easy. Here in the skyscraper, you’re close to the city centre while enjoying peace and quiet,” says Miia, picking up Spike while he is still small enough to carry.

It’s time to return to the lift.