Prepare all you like — becoming a parent for the first time is still going to be one wild ride. Just in case, every expectant mother in Finland receives a Maternity Package free of charge that contains many of the essentials for their baby’s first year of life. Even the box is often used as a first bed for the infant.

Tupa, meaning “great room” in Finnish, is the revolutionary new design for the Maternity Package and is made from UPM Grada™ Plywood. More multi-functional, stronger and more stylish version than the cardboard model, Tupa builds on the advantages and cherished traditions of the original. While it still works as a bed, Tupa also adds the functionality of a rocking crib, table and chairs and even a toy box. Only the unique forming properties and strength of UPM Grada Plywood make this new design possible.

Save Money. Save Space. Gain Peace of Mind

By providing the functions of several essential baby products in one, Tupa saves young families the money of buying these products separately. The functions performed also evolve as the child grows, ensuring the continued usefulness of Tupa for years to come. The new design also saves space by having one dynamic product performing the functions of many. Though a small number of Maternity Packages are already sold to other countries, Tupa can uniquely serve young families in developing countries, disaster zones, or simply act as a thoughtful gift to parents-to-be from friends, family or coworkers.

By helping make the daunting move into parenthood a little easier, Tupa is one product that no young family should go without. It is truly life’s most precious package.

Through its multi-functional design, Tupa acts as several different products all in one. Here are the highlights:

Maternity Box

All of the essentials: With Tupa, young families get all they need to care for their newborns. Fitting all of the original Maternity Package materials, Tupa also adds dividers for additional product organization. Plus, as originally designed the box still acts as a first bed for the baby. While the beauty of UPM Grada™ Plywood will look great in the home, colored fabric accents can also be added if desired.

Rocking Crib

Just add a lullaby: Tupa’s top lid stacks safely and securely under its base section, creating the classic baby bed that has been available in the original Maternity Package which debuted in Finland in the 1930’s. The bed is well elevated off of the ground to ensure optimal sleeping conditions. When turned upside down, the curved design of the dividers enable the crib to move in a rocking motion, gently easing the baby to sleep.

Table & Chairs

Step up or sit down: When junior is old enough to sit or stand, the lid sections can be converted into child-sized chairs or stepping stools, while the base section doubles as a matching table. UPM Grada™ Plywood allows these sections to be both light and super strong. Rubber liners along the bottoms of the sections help prevent slips and slides.

Toy Box

House for play: In later years, Tupa is perfect for storing toys — or just about anything else. Since UPM Grada™ Plywood is free from formaldehyde and other toxins, Tupa is safe to keep in the home for years on end. Plus, Tupa’s simple design allows for plenty of user customization — only a little imagination is needed to think of all the possibilities!

UPM Grada Plywood uses a new patent pending technology based on special adhesive film to manufacture layered composites — like plywood. This technology allows plywood to be manufactured so that it can be formed after production to make bent wooden structures easily and efficiently. The new technology also enables a remarkably shorter and faster form pressing process compared to the traditional technology based on the gluing of veneers. An added advantage of the new adhesive technology is that the final products will be stronger and more stable.

In terms of forming principles, once the panel product is re-heated the thermoplastic foil softens and melts so that the panel can be formed into different shapes. The melted foil allows the veneers to slide and prevents them from cracking. The formability of the product is equals to the formability of Continuously Pressed Laminate (CPL), which means that the shapes that can be formed are two-dimensional.

The adhesive used in UPM Grada Plywood is free from formaldehyde and other harmful compounds and thus is ideal for children’s products. It can also be safely recycled or used as a carbon neutral source of energy after use.

For more information please visit www.upmgrada.com.

Our sponsor: UPM

Headquartered in Finland, UPM-Kymmene Corporation’s primary business sectors include Paper, Engineered Materials, and Energy and Pulp. The focus of the Tupa project is on the Engineered Materials sector, a sector which stands as the largest supplier of plywood in Europe, and second-largest producer of self-adhesive label materials globally.

As the frontrunner of the new forest industry, UPM leads the integration of bio and forest industries into a new, sustainable and innovation-driven future. UPM reshapes markets through cost leadership, change readiness and leading innovation.

For more information please visit www.upm.com.

Tupa is designed by a team of students from ME310, a course run out of Stanford University in California, USA. Eight students in total, five students represent Kyoto Institute of Technology in Kyoto, Japan, and three represent Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland.

Aalto University, Finland

Julia Pettersson Hakava www.jph.fi
Tuomas Sahramaa www.tuomassahramaa.com
Heikki Soininen

Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan

Haruna Kawashima
Paul Warrunthorn Kittiwongsunthorn www.warrunthorn.com
Kento Misawa
Mamiko Nagao
Rumi Yoshida

Watch the ME310 Journey video to see what we have done during the year!