The works, that are of Finnish Aalto University’s student projects are to be displayed at the Wearable Technology Design exhibition. They represent Aalto University's multidisciplinary approach in which technology, design and art are combined into new types of design concepts and prototypes. Included are, among other things, a shoe that monitors orthopaedic weight, a diving suit that can be heated under water, textile-based user interfaces for listening to music, and outfits that interact with the body and physiology of the wearer.

- Persevering development work in research and teaching has made it possible for Aalto University to operate in the forefront of innovative textiles, says Professor Teemu Leinonen, Vice Dean of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University.

At best, new businesses will emerge from the synthesis of design and technology.

One example of this in the exhibition is LeeLuu Nightlights, a startup company utilising innovative textiles. The idea of a children's night light that reacts to touch emerged from a course on interactive prototyping at the Aalto University Department of Design.  The founders of LeeLuu, Emmi Pouta, Hanna Markgren, Lisa Gerkens and Sagnhyun Ryu developed their business idea at the Aalto Summer of Startups programme for growth companies, winning admission to the TechCrunch Disrupt event in London. The designers are now putting the finishing touches on the production prototype of the toy-like night light.

- The exhibition gives concrete meaning to Aalto University's mission to bring together experts in different fields and to create new skill-based expertise for businesses and growth. Entrepreneurship and networking are increasingly important competitive advantages in international arenas – they support national competitiveness and make ground-breaking research possible.

The exhibition has been curated by laboratory engineer Jussi Mikkonen and researcher Salu Ylirisku from Aalto University’s Department of Design.

The Wearable Technology Design exhibition will take place in connection with the 6th European Innovation Summit at the Altiero Spinelli Building on 17–21 November. The invitation to the exhibition was extended and supported by MEP Henna Virkkunen. The exhibition is open to people working at the European Parliament and to visitors.

Further information:

Professor Teemu Leinonen, tel. +358 50 351 6796, teemu.leinonen@aalto.fi
Professor Pirjo Hirvonen, Department of Design, tel. +358 50 363 6011, pirjo.hirvonen@aalto.fi is present at the opening event in Brussels.

Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Photos: http://materialbank.aalto.fi/Default.aspx

(Picture captions open by clicking the right-hand corner)

Photos: (up) George Atanassov,  Kerttu Malinen

The Book Fair is attended by thousands of primary and secondary school pupils and their teachers. While at the Fair, both the pupils and their teachers alike will get the chance to play the FINNLAND.HOT.educational game. The game sees players completing fun and active tasks all around the Fair area.

The game was developed during the we.learn.it collaborative project coordinated by Aalto University. It is based on the SmartFeet platform developed by Finnish teachers.

Playing mobile games together

The school pupils' gaming platform of choice is the tablet computer. The players begin their tasks on the virtual game board and then return their answers to the teacher in charge, who then marks the answers in the online workspace.

The use of mobile technology makes it possible for teachers to follow the game in real-time, even when the teams are spread out all over the Fair area.

The SmartFeet platform is based on a new pedagogical approach in which smartphones and tablets support experiential and explorative learning. The game allows pupils to learn outside of the traditional class room, in authentic real-world environments. Teachers can easily create games for their pupils.

The SmartFeet platform is already being used in several schools and universities in Finland. Students have really been inspired by the new way of learning that the platform facilitates.

– The game was really fun. You learn things without even realising it. The best thing about it was getting to work in teams, says fifth-grader Teemu after playing the game.

European collaboration

Funded by the EU, the we.learn.it project offers schools all across Europe the opportunity to innovatively develop their educational provision in partnership and beyond the standard school experience in the form of so-called research visits.

– The aim is to enrich school work, make learning more fun, and inspire interest in the possibilities afforded by ICT. The game developed by the project is a pedagogically-advanced package that combines both classroom-based learning assignments with post-learning reflection, says project coordinator Anna-Kaarina Kairamo from Aalto University.

The we.learn.it project offers schools support from scientists, artists, and other experts from Aalto University and all around Europe. Aalto University is represented in the project by the university's Design Factory, LUMA Centre, Strategic Support for Research and Education unit, and a host of researchers and teachers from every part of the university.

The FINNLAND.HOT. game is part of this year's FINNLAND.COOL. theme. You can find out more about the game by visiting the Classroom of the Future exhibit at the Frankfurt Book Fair 8—12 October 2014. Thewe.learn.it project is a partner of the Classroom of the Future.

Further information:

Anna-Kaarina Kairamo, +358 50 560 5313, anna-kaarina.kairamo@aalto.fi

SmartFeet,  Riku Alkio, +358 50 531 8044, riku.alkio@lentavaliitutaulu.fi

Jinhee Kim, Anssi Kokkonen and Tommi Leskinen, who are studying for their master’s degree in graphic design, make up the working group that designed the visual identity concerned for Finland, the theme country of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Two words were provided as the basis for the design: Finnland and Cool. They made up the official slogan for Finland’s theme country project.

In their work, the students wanted to give attention to the alphabet – the building blocks on which literature itself is built.  

‘The boys did a huge job in briefing me on the Finnish identity via the alphabet. For example, I didn’t understand what “sisu” [fortitude] meant. Or what in the world “perkele” [the Devil] referred to!’ Jinhee Kim from Korea relates.

Harnessing a huge space

Kim, Kokkonen and Leskinen wanted to create, in addition to a logo, a visual entity that would rise to the occasion at the world’s largest book fair.

‘In Frankfurt’s seventh exhibition hall, there's an incredible amount of various visual communication. Competitive messages are in abundance, and the sheer size of the space had to be taken into account during the design work.’

The students worked hard, playing with the letters of the alphabet while avoiding the use of pictures. They conceptualized what Finland could tell others with just one letter – in Finnish, German, Swedish, English or Sámi. B could be blomma, blondi, bibliotek or even blue.

‘We started off from something very small in the design work – from a two-word slogan – and then we built a wide concept round it.’

The final result was a suggestion that the customer, literature export organization FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange, selected for its use.

Material packages, business cards, bookmarks, labels, pamphlets and campaign posters grew from this visual identity. Graphic guidelines, logo files and additional colours were required.

An animation was also produced on the basis of the ABCs in which the letters varied and the image of Finland is built on the accompaniment of the tango as well as the music of the kantele, water is throw on the sauna rocks to produce steam, and there is jubilation over tuition charge-free higher education.

The visual identity entity will now be assessed by the exhibition audience at Finland’s theme pavilion, stand 5.0 A79.

Text: Tiiu Pohjolainen

The pavilion area was designed by master's students in spatial and furniture design Natalia Baczyńska Kimberley, Nina Kosonen, and Matti Mikkilä, who drew inspiration from the slogan of this year's fair: FINNLAND. COOL. The aim of the design was to achieve a calming first impression that, upon closer inspection and advancing through the space, gradually opens up to the visitors. The values of the Finnish library, person-centredness and equality, inspired the design team with regards to the intended atmosphere.

The pavilion is made up six rings, which reveal their unique contents, atmosphere, and surprises only once the visitor enters. The exhibits, auditorium stage, and cafe are each situated in their respective ring. The architectural and monumental rings are lightweight and appear to float in the space. The brightness and clean lines of the structures creates a calm environment for the contents of the exhibits.

New Aalto University publications showcased

This year is the fifth time that the Aalto ARTS Books publishing house will be represented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in the Finnish exhibit. For the first time, other academic publishers from Finland will also be represented at the Fair.

Some of the latest Aalto University publications will be showcased, such as the new edition of Professor Pekka Korvenmaa's book, Finnish Design. Korvenmaa's book, co-published with the Victoria & Albert Museum (UK), represents the first time that Aalto ARTS Books' has collaborated internationally. Professor Korvenmaa's involvement in this year's Book Fair also extends to the Fair's design-themed forum, organised by Design Forum Finland.

Representing the works of photographers at Aalto University's, the Helsinki School is set to launch its 20-year anniversary book at the Fair. This celebratory book consists of essays and portfolios highlighting the history of the Helsinki School. The book also offers a glimpse into the future and the ways in which the members of the School are changing the face of photography. The book includes more than 200 photographs and entries from some of the most influential photographic curators in Europe.

Aalto ARTS Books will attend the Frankfurt Book Fair 8—12 October 2014 and can be found at the Finnish publishers' area 5.0 A79.

This year's Finnish theme will see a broad range of Finnish publishers in attendance, a full literary programme, the 2,300 m2 FINNLAND.COOL pavilion, and many other cultural events. This year's event, the largest ever collection of Finnish cultural exhibits, has been coordinated by FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange.

The presence of the university at the Frankfurt Book Fair will be seen in a wide variety of ways. Pupils from German schools will get acquainted with Finnish culture at the fair by means of the inspiration provided by the FINNLAND.HOT. game. This new type of educational game contains functional tasks that the pupils complete in various parts of the fair area.

The game was born as a result of the we.learn.it cooperation project coordinated by Aalto University, and it has been built on the SmartFeet platform developed by Finnish teachers. The we.learn.it project, which is funded by the European Union, offers the possibility to schools across Europe to innovatively develop instruction together in the form of ‘research journeys’ that cross school frontiers.

The School of Arts, Design and Architecture publishing house, Aalto ARTS Books, is participating for the fifth time in the Frankfurt Book Fair. The publisher’s newest books are on display, such as the renewed edition of Pekka Korvenmaa’s Finnish Design, realized with the distinguished Victoria & Albert Museum. In addition, Professor Pekka Korvenmaa from the university will participate in the discussion on design at Finland's fair pavilion, organized by Design Forum Finland.

The Helsinki School, which represents art photographers from Aalto University, is releasing its 20^th anniversary book at the fair. The commemorative work consists of essays and portfolios through which a review of the history of the Helsinki School’s operations and activities is created, but it is also directed towards the future and how this approach to photography is transformed via its artists. There are over 200 images in this work created by art photographers, as well as commentary from significant European photograph curators.

The visual appearance of the Book Fair theme, FINNLAND.COOL., has been designed by graphic design students Jinhee Kim, Anssi Kokkonen and Tommi Leskinen. Finland’s 2 300-square-metre fair pavilion on its part was designed by students Natalia Baczyńska Kimberley, Nina Kosonen and Matti Mikkilä from the Master’s Degree Programmes in Furniture Design and Spatial Design.

The pavilion (5.0 A79) will be filled by Finnish and Aalto University participants at the Frankfurt Book Fair, 8–12 October 2014.

Read all news related Frankfurt Book Fair:
A new Finnish educational game is set to take this year's Frankfurt Book Fair by storm
Book Fair pavilion brings Finns together in Frankfurt
E as in education. W as in word.

The aim of the project is to research, design, and produce new equipment and extra components for kitchen fittings, as well as food storage, preparation, and serving solutions.

The project's designs focus on the notion of the kitchen as first and foremost being a space for food preparation. Further inspiration comes from people's changing dining and cooking habits, which are simultaneously becoming more internationally and locally-oriented.

According to Aalto University lecturer, Martin Relander, the design process adopted by the project emphasises the ecological and health-related issues associated with food preparation, as well as producing and using organic and local ingredients in a smart and responsible way.

In terms of its fixtures and fittings, the kitchen is one of the most expensive spaces in any home, consuming both a lot of energy and raw materials.

– Using ingredients in a smart and responsible way, separating waste,  and recycling are all important parts of taking care of ourselves and the environment, says Project Assistant Noora Liesimaa.

The results and prototypes produced by the CounterCulture project are on display at the Habitare fair from 10 to 14 September (Aalto University's exhibition section 7p36). In addition to Martin Relander and Noora Liesimaa, Professor Jouko Järvisalo is also involved in the project.

Five entries were shortlisted for the final stage of this year's competition. The competition's May Day theme invited entrants to come up with imaginative designs for objects and structures associated with summer day trips and picnics. The designers were asked to evoke functionality, aesthetic beauty, and fun times with friends and family in their designs.

Jointly organised by the Messukeskus Expo and Convention Centre and Aalto University, the design competition is now in its thirteenth year. This year's head judge was the French architect, Emmanuelle Moureaux.

The judging panel paid particular attention to the artistic, architectural, and design quality of the entries, their functionality and structural elements, and their overall durability and coherence.

Emanuelle Moureaux considered Laura Tourila's entry, Pilvi, which was made from tens of white plastic bags, to be reminiscent of clouds moving through the sky. With its weightless and poetic structure, light filters through Pilvi's air-filled balloons onto the floorspace below.

At the heart of Johanna Brummer and Heini-Emilia Saari's Viivy lies the interplay between light and shade. The design is a picnic blanket that draws energy from the sunlight capturing the shadows of the picnic party and prolonging the evening by emitting a beautiful glow after sunset.

A total of 66 entries were submitted for this year's Habitare design competition. In addition to Pilvi and Viivy, the final was contested by the eventual winner, Havina (Samuli Helavuo, Lahti Institute of Design and Fine Arts), and two other pieces from Aalto University's School of Arts, Design and Architecture (Keinu by Krista Meskanen, Satu Niemi and Annimaija Tarkkanen and Paletti by Saara Inkeri Heikkilä).

The Habitare design competition has a new theme and chief judge every year. In recent years, the themes have been Dreamspace (2013/winner Elina Ulvio),A Private Space (2012/winner Leo Lindroos), Outhouse (2011/winner Yoshimasa Yamada), Recycled Seat (2010/winners Arttu Kuisma and Janne Melajoki) and Sauna (2009/winners Ville Hara and Anu Puustinen). Previous head judges include Boris Berlin, Mikko Heikkinen, Alfredo Häberli, Sami Rintala, and Juha Leiviskä.

Further information:
Timo Sairi, Competition Secretary, Aalto University, tel.  +358 040 582 6505, timo.sairi@aalto.fi

‘Architecturally, this is an interesting project. Designing a cultural building for a location that is important in terms of cityscape is a rare opportunity and a challenging assignment for an architect, and the competition has already aroused considerable international attention,’ explains Pirjo Sanaksenaho, Professor in Building Design at Aalto University.

In practice, various architecture events will be organised, such as lectures intended for students as well as public events. At these events architectural requirements of future museums are discussed from the perspective of visitors' expectations, social and technological aspects and artistic development.

For Aalto University, cooperation with the Guggenheim Foundation provides an opportunity to attract international architects, such as members of the competition jury and other experts, as lecturers.

‘We want to be part of an interesting project and generate discussion and opportunities that help architecture to move forward,’ Sanaksenaho adds.

The architecture events organised by Aalto University and the Guggenheim Foundation support the Museum of the Future course aimed at architecture students, starting in September. The members of the competition jury and other experts will hold lectures for students of the Department of Architecture during the autumn. At the course, the students will be given the task of designing a new type of museum building in Helsinki.

Further information:
Professor Pirjo Sanaksenaho, pirjo.sanaksenaho@aalto.fi, tel. +358 50 571 4900

The resulting work is large in size and combines different abstract architectonic elements; it is like a visual story that contains interesting details for people interested in architecture, art and technology. The work is a kinetic installation that continues to delicately alter its shape throughout Helsinki Design Week.

The objective of the university's courses in algorithmic architecture is not just to learn to utilise new design methods but also to learn to actively understand them.

'It is difficult to imagine architecture today without the digital design tools that make work more efficient and reduce the number of mistakes. They also enable the realisation of ideas that before would have been too complex or too expensive to be implemented,' explains lecturer Kai Salmi.

Multidisciplinary cooperation advances the design of computers

Press Play is continuation for the cooperation between LEGO Group and the Department of Architecture. In a Kinetic/Static pilot course that culminated in spring 2013, students were asked to produce algorithms the functioning of which they would understand thoroughly. As a final result, the students let the algorithms create vast, tower-like structures that they would then build from LEGO bricks.

'LEGO bricks, generally thought of as toys, are a feasible option when people require tools for fast-pace prototyping and problem-solving in complex design problems in architecture as well as in other fields,' says Irene Rissanen, Marketing Manager of LEGO Group in Finland.

Press Play adheres to Aalto University's central principle of creative cooperation that transcends boundaries. The work addresses a large number of challenges related to different fields, from structural durability to visual clarity. For this reason, students accepted for the course come from master's programmes in a wide range of disciplines: architecture, landscape architecture, new media, mechanical engineering and industrial design. The construction has been carried out in close cooperation with professionals in the field of lighting from the Aalto University Media Centre Lume and experts in robotics from the Department of Engineering Design and Production.

The Press Play installation is on show in the window display at the information point of Helsinki Design Week in the Kluuvi shopping centre at Aleksanterinkatu 9, starting from 4 September at 11 a.mm until 14 September. The information point is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m on Sundays. The installation is part of the programme for Helsinki Design Week, and it has been produced in cooperation with LEGO Group and the Aalto University Department of Architecture.

Further Information:

Lecturer Kai Salmi, tel. +358 44 011 5522, kai.salmi@aalto.fi

Kansalaistori Square, which is located between Kiasma and the Helsinki Music Centre, is filled with colour despite the cloudy day. The art excursion of second-graders has attracted some 3 900 students together with their teachers. The game themed day includes an art workshop arranged by Kiasma and art education students, and a gaming music concert by the Helsinki City Orchestra at the Helsinki Music Centre.

However the first thing to be done is game buddies for the Kiasma monster. On different-coloured fabrics, all kinds of figures are drawn: round, triangular and rectangular in form, one-eyed, sharp-toothed and horned, people and animals.  

Children have designed game buddies in advance in their own school.  The drafts produced earlier act as models for crafts. A completed character is attached by straps to the class common cord, which the Kiasma personnel hang up to the north end of the museum. Together the cords form a colourful work of art, a large band of buddies.

’In the implementation I had to take into account the huge number of students in relation to the fact that everyone should be able to create something significant of their own,’ says second-year art education student Kaisa Sjövall.

This year, the art excursion was preceded by guided tours, which were organised last spring in Kiasma. One-third of the school children taking part in the art excursion trip participated in the game-play monster tours led by students.

Opportunity to become acquainted with the daily work of the museum

The art excursion has been organised in cooperation between Kiasma and Aalto ARTS since 2012, when the first excursion day was organised.

‘We have wanted to offer art education students the opportunity to share in the organisation of a mass event. As an art institution, we also want to get fresh ideas and perspectives from students in the field. Working with the students from Aalto ARTS has always been truly fruitful,’ says Kiasma Producer Maria Rantamaula.

‘The nicest part has been the guided tours held for children, participation in the activities at Kiasma and meeting people working there. Nothing has felt overwhelming, but suitably challenging,’ is how second-year art education student Annika Sohlman describes her experiences.

The art excursion of second-graders is a part of the Helsinki Festival programme, and its implementation has involved the City of Helsinki Education Department, the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the Helsinki Music Centre as well as the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.  The work carried out in the art workshop is on display at the north end of Kiasma until 7 September. 

Text and picture: Noora Happonen

‘The new building represents a massive opportunity for reinvention and renewal. We chose to take a participatory approach to the design and planning in order to work out spatial solutions that better support our activities and strategy,’ Project Manager Tapio Koskinen explains.

The project was intended to produce designs for inspirational and interactive working and learning environments that also use space more efficiently.

‘The utilisation rate of our current spaces is as low as 20 % and this has significant ecological and economic implications for us. We've got to think about how spaces can better support and foster interaction – getting people to meet one another – and multi-disciplinary collaboration and cooperation. For example, there's a big need for students to have spaces for different types and sizes of group and project work,’ Koskinen continues.

The concept work was carried out as a collaborative and open process with members of the Aalto ARTS community. This involved workshops, field trips to the new working environments, and a crowdsourcing survey that produced a wide range of ideas for developing spaces in the new premises and across the whole campus. An open workplace seminar was also organised, with domestic and international experts invited to talk about new working environment solutions and research in the field. In addition, all the heads of department and some of the service managers were individually interviewed. A student project was also carried out. This project used user profiles to examine the spatial needs of the students over the course of a day on the campus.

New solutions promote interaction

The final outcome of the working environments project is an activity-based office concept. The workstations in the new Aalto ARTS office spaces are located in common team rooms, but it is also possible to work in many other spaces too. The team rooms support the project rooms, meeting areas and quiet areas intended for concentrated work, private phone calls, and virtual meetings. At the heart of the office space lie the working cafés, which can be found in the middle of every floor. These cafés serve as a meeting place for various groups. Researchers are now able to reserve rooms on a short-term basis, allowing the space to be used in a more flexible way.

The concept also takes the multi-locationality of work into account; an office is just one place in which work is done. This means that work can be carried out using electronic communications and collaboration tools in the office itself, around the campus, in restaurants and cafés, when travelling, and at home. The project divided users of the Aalto ARTS premises into three groups on the basis of their mobility: i.e. ‘dedicated’, ‘campus mobile’, and ‘mobile’ users. These categories helped in the allocation of desks and workstations, with some users being assigned a workstation and others being more suited to shared workstations or hotdesks.

In planning the new office spaces, it is important to consider where the units will be located in order to ensure the promotion of interaction between different academic fields, incidental meetings, and spontaneous conversations.

‘The new Aalto ARTS office concept represents a courageous step for Finnish universities,’ says Aalto University's Working Environments Manager Päivi Hietanen.

‘In recent years, flexible and versatile spaces have become more common in the private and public sectors and this way of thinking has also started to enter the academic world. The Aalto ARTS concept supports the university's goal of being a pioneer in the field of new working and learning environments.’

The intention is that concept will be implemented in the school's new building complex and in other Aalto ARTS premises across the university's Otaniemi campus. According to ARTS Dean Anna Valtonen, the concept will be piloted in the dean's office. This pilot office will be set up on the Arabia campus during 2014 and the users' experiences will be utilised in the further development of the concept and the planning of the new building complex. The pilot office will be project managed by Esmi Santamäki and Antti Rouhunkoski will take responsibility for the interior design. Efforts will be made to involve the staff in the project.

The working environment project was commissioned by Aalto University Properties Ltd. and is part of RYM Ltd.'s Indoor Environments Program conducted with Tekes. Workspace Ltd. operated as a project consultant and the crowdsourcing survey was carried out by ThinkIf Ltd.

Read more:

Office Space Concept

Report of Student Project

The guests came from different units around the Government of Moscow, among those came e.g. Mr Kirill Batarin Head of Special International Projects Division, Department for External Economic and International Relations, The Government of Moscow; Tatyana Sarayeva Counsellor, Regional Affairs Division, Department of Culture, Daria Pustovalova Counsellor, Special International Projects Division, Department for External Economic and International Relations, Maria Rogacheva Head of Cultural and Youth Policy Division in Moscow North-East Administrative Area and Anna Rudakova Expert, Special International Projects Division, Department for External Economic and International Relations.

The guests got a shortcut what is up in Aalto University and School of Arts, Design and Architecture by the former vice-dean of research Professor Mr Pekka Korvenmaa. The visit was also a consequence of the deepening partnership of School of Arts, Design and Architecture with Russia and Moscow.

School of Arts, Design and Architecture has been active over the past years in Moscow whereas World Design Capital 2012 headed the school to Moscow to present and share in a new way its knowledge in the creative fields. The School has been also intensifying over the past few years its partnership with a number of prominent universities in Russia and Moscow and gathering colleagues; academics, students and professionals into actions in the future.

Among those very important is the partnership of Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges in Art, Design and Media with the Association of the Russian Designers that has its headquarters located in Moscow. Cumulus secretariat is hosted by Aalto University. The guests also learned a bit about an EU Tempus funded project in collaboration with the University of Saratov in the field of media where Aalto plays an important role to develop together the education and research of new media in Russia. An instant reaction was to figure out any potential to collaborate together with the Government of Moscow in the future.

Contact: eija.salmi@aalto.fi

Aalto University has long term relations with the different institutions in Hong Kong but especially there is the strong partnership with the different stakeholders in art, design, media and architecture and those representing education and research, the different universities partnering with School of Arts, Design and Architecture are among those for the kick-offs for the visit.

School of Arts, Design and Architecture has linkage also with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London that a regular sharing knowledge and best practices happen through e.g. visiting Helsinki and staying on line of areas of interest. The key driver for the reciprocal interest is the development that is going on in Hong Kong by the creative industries. They are among the hot spots of the city and region where School of Arts, Design and Architecture is also playing a role.

The Cumulus International Association of the Universities and Colleges in Art, Design and Media is hosted by School of Arts, Design and Architecture and Cumulus with its 250 institutional members will go to Hong Kong late 2016 to learn and share knowledge in a conference to be hosted by the Hong Kong Design Institute HKDI in collaboration with other members and partners.

The other guests were:

- Dr Catherine Chan Deputy Secretary for Education

- Ms Erica Ng Director-General, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London

- Mr Kenneth Cheng Administrative Assistant to Secretary to Education

- Mr Roger Cheung Press Secretary to Secretary for Education

- Mr Joe Leung Chief Curriculum Development Officer, Education Bureau

- Mr Dennis Ching Deputy Director-General, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London

- Mr CS Lau Assistant Director-General, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London

-  Prof Chan Shui Duen Associate Dean, Faculty of Humanities; Professor, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and member, Standing Committee on Language Education and Research, Hong Kong

Contact: eija.salmi@aalto.fi

“It’s like Christmas,” was the reaction of Mari Vaattovaara, Professor in Urban Geography, to the launch of the Urban Academy.  

“We have a massive amount of urban research at the University of Helsinki, but academic wisdom becomes confined in individual subjects whose perspective is necessarily narrow. The Urban Academy is a fantastic start to cross-disciplinary cooperation.”

“Historically the relationship between urban researchers and urban planners has been discordant,” observes the Head of the Department of Architecture at Aalto University, Professor Antti Ahlava:

“The planners often think that all the urban researchers can do is to explain how it should have been done differently in history and carry out fun analyses of the current situation, but these humanists are of no help when you need to develop something new! For their part, urban researchers consider that planning is backward, that it is based on an understanding of urbanism that is past its sell-by date and that it does not take the clients’ opinion into account.”

Messages such as these gave an impetus to the actions taken by the president of Aalto University and the rector of the University of Helsinki. The University of Helsinki set up the Urban Academy in May last year and Aalto then joined it. The new minor module will begin this autumn.

The objective is to respond to the complex problems caused by urbanisation by creating bridges between urban research, planning and design, as well as by increasing mutual understanding and interaction between future experts in these fields.

In addition to joint research projects, joint teaching is also being constructed. Students will be offered courses in sociology, geography, environmental science, land use studies, architecture and design.

The scope of the minor module will be from 15 to 25 credits and it is intended particularly for second and third year bachelor’s students.

The application period ended on 15 May and there were many more applicants than can be accepted onto the module.

“Only 40 students in total can be accepted in the first year, so for example, I would not be able to enrol yet, even though I would really like to,” says Mari Vaattovaara.

Within Aalto University, the Urban Academy is part of its strategic focus on the People-centred living environment which is headed by Antti Ahlava.

“Instead of setting up a new organisation, appointing a director, steering group and various sub-committees, we wanted to get straight into hands-on work. I have high expectations of this module. The only way of following this is by a quantum leap to a new level!”

A group of architectural students leapt at the challenge and embarked on designing transferable schools. Together with the City of Espoo, the actual results of the course as realised can be enjoyed by the schoolchildren themselves.

‘Often the most convenient solution for interim space is to erect a so-called “school hut” in the already existent schoolyard, so that the pupils' trips to school don't change, and going to school can continue in a familiar milieu without interruption during the repairs going on in the regular school building,’ Pirjo Sanaksenaho, Professor of Building Design, says in explaining the background.

School huts have indeed already been implemented throughout Finland, but the design of transferable school buildings has, up to this point, hardly been given any appreciable attention. During the Public Building Studio course, facilities to encourage new learning were particularly examined.

‘Teaching methods these days are interactive, and flexibility as well as various possibilities for furnishings are required by instruction facilities. This must also be taken into account in designing and realising schools,’ Professor Sanaksenaho emphasises.

Espoo’s building design division is able to incorporate the works created by students during the architectural course. The students have designed the modular secondary school in the schoolyard of the Viherlaakso school in Espoo, and the same elements have been planned for another, slightly smaller school for primary education use next to Kirsti School in Suvela.

As the final result, 13 alternative designs were born for a modular, transferable school. Five individual designs for transferable schools are currently featured at the Schulbau Fair in Hamburg, Germany (13–14 May). On display are the works of Niko Cederlöf, Leo Lindroos, Maija Parviainen, Antti Soini and Kia Taegen. It is also possible to get acquainted with the school designs conceived by the architectural students at Germany's Hafen City University.

The Public Building Studio course has been realized together with the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at Aalto University’s School of Engineering. Various perspectives to the design work have also been introduced by the variety of cultural backgrounds amongst the students. Students from four countries have participated in the course. In addition to Aalto University professors and teachers, specialists have been involved from the City of Espoo and the University of Helsinki.

For further information, contact:

Professor Pirjo Sanaksenaho, tel. +358 50 5714900, pirjo.sanaksenaho@aalto.fi

The website and programme for the fair can be found here: http://www.schulbau-messe.de/de/

Students on the Wood Programme at the Department of Architecture designed and built the entrance way to the Millennium pavilion. The winning Kierre (Spiral) design showcases Finnish carpentry and the use of wood as an architectural medium. The structure was realised in collaboration with the Metsä Group.

The extravaganza organised by Technology Academy Finland (TAF) saw the over 1,500 square metre Millennium Pavilion erected as its main attraction. Students at Aalto University were then invited to build the impressive entrance way from Metsä Wood's Kerto^® products and plywood. Metsä Wood also provided the steel frame that formed the base for the final structure.

‘ It's not easy to make a spiral out of wood, but the structure does a good job of conveying the possibilities afforded by modern wood architecture. Key to the realisation of challenging structures is not only the quality of the products used, but also the level of expertise at every stage of the construction process – from the design itself to the machining and assembly. Projects such as Kierre provide students with an excellent learning opportunity and a testing bed for new ways of using wood,’ remarks Professor of Wood Architecture Pekka Heikkinen  

The Kierre entrance project began with a concept competition. The winning concept was then refined into the final design as a group work exercise, with particular attention paid to the structural possibilities afforded by the realisation of the Entrance. The challenge of manufacturing the entrance's components was met by the use of Metsä Wood's Kerto^® products and long birch plywood sheets. Machining interconnecting wooden components is precise work and places strict demands on the materials used. 

The students involved in the project come from Aalto University's Wood Programme, organised by the Department of Architecture. The programme is intended to provide students with a deeper understanding of and expertise in the use of wood as a building material. Fifteen students from ten different countries were selected for the year-long course, which is organised annually. The course saw the students become familiar with the use of forest wood and various machining methods, right up to the realisation phase of large wooden construction projects.  

Source: Metsä Group/Metsä Wood

Further information:
Professor Pekka Heikkinen, Wooden Architecture Programme, Aalto University, tel. +358 (0)50 377 3786

Aalto University's Wood Programme: www.woodprogram.fi

http://kierrepavilion.wordpress.com/ 

http://taf.fi/tapahtumat/millennium-paviljonki/

http://kierrepavilion.wordpress.com/ 

http://taf.fi/tapahtumat/millennium-paviljonki/ 

The project for the Master Class course in architecture originated from a prize from the Asko Foundation won by the architectural working group of Saija Hollmén, Jenni Reuter and Helena Sandman.

The reason why the group received the Asko Avonius prize in the autumn of 2013 was the group's praiseworthy work with architecture adapted to culture and among communities in the developing countries.

‘In the aftermath of getting the prize we discussed the possibility of holding a Master Class course for architectural students.

During the course we would learn about a foreign culture and the same kind of participatory planning that we apply in our work,’ Saija Hollmén says.

The idea developed into a plan for a Kigali Master Class course, for which the Department of Architecture got funding from the board of the Asko Foundation.

The goal of the course on construction planning was to use the methods of participatory planning to study the possibilities for architecture to improve the quality of life in developing countries.

Field trip to thought-provoking Rwanda

At the beginning of the course, a two-week field trip was arranged to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

The students acquainted themselves with local conditions and visualised their own planning tasks together with local residents.

‘We learned about Rwandan history, politics, construction, urban planning and research at lectures in Kigali.

With the help of local architecture students we interviewed village residents and investigated what they might need for the improvement of their quality of life,’ says architecture student Pyry Kantonen.

‘In the interviews we tried to read between the lines and find common ground and problems for which we would seek solutions.

The most educational experience was, nevertheless, to walk around in the city, eat in local restaurants, and spend time with local students with whom we made friends.

The image that we get about Africa from the media is quite one-sided, and not necessarily even up-to-date.

For instance, in Rwanda we were surprised by the clean streets, the safety and the ease with which everything worked - we had not expected those based on previous information.

The trip was an eye-opening experience,’ Kantonen says.

Peter Rich's infectious energy

The construction design part of the course took place in Finland.

One of the instructors was South African architect Peter Rich, whose previous experiences in Rwanda had also been a factor in the selection of the target country.

Rich was in Kigali and guided the students over a period of several weeks in Otaniemi.

Rich's deep understanding of the African concept of space and African culture was definitely a high point of the course.

‘Peter was full of energy and had an appropriate amount of creative madness, which inspired us to work in a liberated manner.

With the help of his Rwandan contacts he organised wonderful lectures and visits in Kigali for us.

We immediately got the feeling that we are involved in a real project with meaning, not just an ordinary course at school,’ Pyry Kantonen says.

‘Peter Rich's down-to-earth attitude, his infallible architectural instinct, and his dedication to teaching brought depth and energy to the course.

We are privileged to have had an architect, who has won international awards, teaching such an intensive course for Aalto students,’ notes Saija Hollmén.

An exhibition on the results of the course will be compiled for display at the Artek store on Pohjois-Esplanadi in Helsinki between 25.4.- 10.5. 2014.The exhibition will present content of the course in photographs and drawings, and two areas that were targets of the planning. Each student will also produce a scale model of his or her design.

In addition, a short documentary shot by Pyry Kantonen in both Rwanda and Finland will be presented.

The trailer is available on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b8ASy0W5BY&feature=youtu.be.

The project can be followed on line http://masterclass.lumihub.com/

The first garment made out of birch cellulose fibre using the Ioncell method is displayed at a fashion show of the design company Marimekko in Finland on 13 March. The Ioncell method, which was developed by researchers at Aalto University, is an environmentally friendly alternative to cotton in textile production. The dress produced for Marimekko is a significant step forward in the development of fibre for industrial production.

Researchers were looking for new alternatives to cotton, because demand for textile fibres is expected to nearly double by 2030. The raw material for the Ioncell fibre is a birch-based pulp from Finnish pulp mills. Growing birch wood does not require artificial irrigation, for instance.

The production method for Ioncell has been developed by Professor Herbert Sixta's research group. The method is based on a liquid salt (ionic liquid) developed under the guidance of Professor Ilkka Kilpeläinen which is a very efficient cellulose solvent. The fibres derived from it are carded and spun to yarns at the Textile University of Börås in Sweden.

‒ We made a breakthrough in the development of the method about a year ago. Progress has been rapid since then.  Production of the fibre and the thread is still a cumbersome process, but we have managed to triple the amount of fibre that is produced in six months. The quality has also improved: the fibers are stronger and of more even quality, Professor Sixta says with satisfaction.

The surface of the ready textile has a dim glow and it is pleasing to the touch. According to Sixta, because of its strength, the strength properties of the Ioncell fibre are equal or even better than other pulp-based fibres on the market. The fibres are even stronger than cotton and viscose.

‒ If everything goes well, it will be possible to produce Ioncell fibre on an industrial scale in 3-5 years. Before that the process needs to be developed in such a way that the solvents that are used are completely recovered. This is an absolute necessity from the point of view of economic profitability and that of the environment, Sixta says.

Marimekko started cooperation with Aalto University

The Finnish textile and clothing design company Marimekko became inspired by the new fibre at an event organised by the Finnish Bioeconomy Cluster FIBIC, which coordinates bioeconomy research, and immediately got in touch with Professor Herbert Sixta at Aalto University.

‒ Marimekko wanted to know if we can produce enough material for a dress. Cooperation with the company went very well, Sixta says.

‒ We monitor product development for materials closely in order to be able to offer our customers new and more ecological alternatives. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to join this Aalto University development project at such an early stage. Fibre made from birch pulp seems to be a promising material by virtue of its durability and other characteristics, and we hope that we will soon be able to utilise this new material in our collections, says Noora Niinikoski, Head of Fashion at Marimekko.

Further information:

Professor Herbert Sixta
Aalto University School of Chemical Technology
+358 50 384 1764
herbert.sixta@aalto.fi

Professor Ilkka Kilpeläinen
University of Helsinki Department of Chemistry
+358 50 5181148
ilkka.kilpelainen@helsinki.fi

PR Manager
Merja Paulamäki
Marimekko
+358 9 758 7473
merja.paulamaki@marimekko.com

The theme of this year's Frankfurt book fair is Finland. There was a strong desire to visually bring education to the fore via the fair's theme, with students being involved right from the design phase.

The visual look of the book fair, FINNLAND. COOL., is the work of Aalto University graphic design students Jinhee Kim, Anssi Kokkonen and Tommi Leskinen. The 2 300 m² pavilion area was designed by spatial and furniture design master's students Natalia Baczyńska Kimberley, Nina Kosonen and Matti Mikkilä.
 
The pavilion design drew inspiration from the FINNLAND. COOL. slogan: the aim of the design was to achieve a calming first impression that, upon closer inspection and advancing through the space, gradually opens up to the visitors. The values of the Finnish library, person-centredness and equality, inspired the design team with regards to the intended atmosphere.

The pavilion is made up of six rings, which reveal their contents, atmosphere, and surprises only once the visitor enters. The exhibits, auditorium stage, and cafe are each situated in their respective ring. The architectural and monumental rings are lightweight and appear to float in the space. The brightness and clean lines of the structures create a calm environment for the contents of the exhibits.
 
The pavilion is home to the Finnish literature programme at the Frankfurt Book Fair from the 8 to 12 October 2014. The Finnish literature programme begins in German-speaking Europe next week, at the Leipzig Book Fair and continues until the end of the year.

Further information: FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange