Kuittinen leads a multidisciplinary group in the Department of Architecture of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture that researches into wood construction, carbon footprints and energy efficiency. It is important that the information is exported to places where houses have collapsed and the need is great.

– In humanitarian tasks, university expertise is being adapted to chaotic and hectic catastrophe construction.

After the 2011 tsunami in Japan, 300 000 people were housed in barracks in which thermal insulation was non-existent. At the same time, energy production gave rise to enormous emissions as nuclear power plants were closed and the import of natural gas increased. Kuittinen was there and is now writing recommendations on energy efficient reconstruction.

Kuittinen values the special recognition given by WCC particularly because research work outside the scientific mainstream is seen as significant.

– Aalto’s top brains and its cutting-edge research should also consider worldwide problems that within the coming two decades will probably be seen in Finland as well.

There are also parties interested in the research within the European Commission. As a carbon footprint expert, Kuittinen is active in speaking in both the Commission and the Finnish Parliament. Work is in progress on the development of an environmental tax on building products.

Schools from Concrete Rubble in Earthquake Areas

Kuittinen was on a Finn Church Aid (FCA) assignment in Haiti in areas destroyed by the 2010 earthquake.

– I designed a simple construction method, in which the concrete rubble formed from the collapse of houses was recycled for the building of schools. The residents of the villages were involved in the construction work so that the commitment of the locals to child education grew. We were able to put up 10 education centres.

Besides research and work as an expert, Kuittinen is preparing a doctoral dissertation on carbon efficiency in humanitarian construction. Where do you want to be working five years from now?

– In an Aalto research group that overcomes worldwide problems of climate and poverty. It would be nice one day to sit in a rocking chair and think that, from the point of view of Mankind, my work was significant.

Text: Marjukka Puolakka

Statovci studies screenwriting at Aalto University and comparative literature at the University of Helsinki.  The winner's family moved from Kosovo to Finland when Pajtim was two years old.

Kissani Jugoslavia tells about a family that moved from Kosovo to Finland and their complex relationships. The novel tells about the identity problems brought on by immigration, homosexuality, and confronting the past and the present.

The prize is worth EUR 15 000. Kissani Jugoslavia was selected as the winner from among 65 debut novels written in Finnish. Helsingin Sanomat gave the annual award to the best debut work for the 20th time.

It is the People's Republic of China's highest award for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress.  This year’s Friendship Award were awarded to 50 foreign citizens in a grand ceremony in Beijing.

Professor Sotamaa is a long-standing president of the University of Art and Design Helsinki (1986-2008) and the first president of CUMULUS, the global association of design universities (2001-2007).  He has actively developed university, innovation and design cooperation between Finland and China. Sotamaa was also the chief representative of the Helsinki World Design Capital 2012 project in China and the leader of its biggest satellite event, the Radical Design Week in Shanghai in 2012.

Aalto University has extensive cooperation with the Tongji University in Shanghai, China. Yrjö Sotamaa first initiated these activities with China and he served in 2010-2013 as executive vice director of the Sino-Finnish Centre established together by Aalto University and Tongji University. An important part of Aalto University operations in China is the Design Factory at the Tongji campus, a pilot project of new learning culture and collaboration in China.

In 2008, Professor Sotamaa was invited as professor at Tongji University and in 2009 he was appointed advisory dean of the College of Design and Innovation, D&I. The college is a part of the ambitious creative industry, design and sustainable development program of China, which aims at turning China from a “world factory” to a sustainable creative economy. Professor Lou Yongqi, Dean of the D&I, has been a visiting professor at Aalto University this autumn.

For more information:

Emeritus professor Yrjö Sotamaa
tel. 0500 503 868
yrjo.sotamaa@aalto.fi
Aalto University

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

The special recognitions are granted to the following talented researchers who early in their careers have had international impact through their research:  Camilla Hollanti, Assistant Professor in Mathematics, Katri Kauppi, Assistant Professor in Logistics, Mauri Kostiainen, Assistant Professor in Polymer Technology, Matti Kuittinen (School of Arts, Design and Architecture), Doctoral Candidate, Jani Romanoff, Assistant Professor in Marine Technology, Hele Savin, Assistant Professor in Micro and Nanoelectronics.

The Award Ceremony for these special recognitions and for the WCC Scientific Awards 2014 will take place on 17th November in Finland within the framework of the Aalto UniversityAcademic Summit on "The Impact of Universities on Economic Growth".

Academic Summit in Aalto University 16th -20th November, 2014

The Academic Summit will focus on how universities contribute in creating knowledge societies thereby facilitating economic development, job creation and well-being. The symposium will feature leading scientists and experts from all over the globe, including Nobel, Millennium and Marcus Wallenberg prize winners.

The World Cultural Council presented in June the 2014 Albert Einstein World Award of Science to Professor Sir Philip Cohen from University of Dundee, United Kingdom, and the 2014 Jose Vasconcelos World Award of Education to Professor Federico Rosei, from Université du Québec, Varennes, Canada.

The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose objectives are to promote culture, values and goodwill throughout the world.

Read more:

Special Recognitions by WCC
WCC World Awards
wcc.aalto.fi

UNICEF Finland invited graphic design students from around the world to design bold, simple and contemporary posters to benefit children. The UNICEF poster exhibition will be on display in the City of Lahti at the market square on Aleksanterinkatu all summer.

The theme of the poster competition was reducing child mortality. The posters should impart the message that the topic is very serious, and the objective of the posters was to help young adults understand the significant results achieved through international cooperation and that no child should die, if the cause of death is at all preventable.

The message of the entries must evoke hope and motivate young adults to participate. The artists’ task was to find a contemporary and fresh visual language for the poster and avoid stereotypes related to the topic.

Ten art schools and universities from nine countries were invited to participate; entries came from Ecuador, Israel, Japan, China, Poland, Finland, the Czech Republic, Russia and the United States. A total of 100 entries by young artists were entered into the competition.

The competition’s jury includes graphic designers Timo Berry, Jenni Kuokka, Ilkka Kärkkäinen and Linda Linko. Jussi Kivipuro, Director of Communications at UNICEF Finland, was the jury’s chairman and Grafia ry’s Executive Director Katri Soramäki its secretary.

The exhibition is part of the Lahti Poster Triennial and Lahti’s UNICEF city 2014 programme. The poster competition was organised by UNICEF Finland and Aalto University in cooperation with Multiprint Oy.

UNICEF Outdoor Poster Exhibit 12 June –12 August 2014
Aleksanterinkatu market square, Lahti, on the wall of the parking area’s construction site

www.unicef.fi/julistenayttely

3rd year graphic design student Samuli Saarinen was awarded in the Book & Editorial Illustration category. The award was given for the illustrations in the book ‘Designkuplia’ published by Aalto ARTS Books and written by Hannu Pöppönen.

The book ‘Designkuplia’ deals with upheaval in Finnish design. At the same time that retro products and re-decorated classics fill the shop shelves, design has become immaterial. Design is a major element in services, user interfaces and games. The book examines design changes and the possibilities they bring.

Anssi Räisänen from Aalto University also made it to the finals.

The European Design Awards evaluate European graphic design, illustration and digital design. The jury consists of representatives from the the European design press. Grafia − the Association of Visual Communication Designers in Finland and the Grafia magazine were cooperation partners for the competition from Finland.

The competition was held for the eighth time and the award ceremony was held on Saturday 24 May in Cologne, Germany.

http://www.europeandesign.org/

The service has been developed by Claudia Treuthardt from Aalto University's Department of Media.

The service's concept – a low-threshold source of help for dealing with everyday problems – rose to the head of the field in the competition aimed at finding the everyday innovations of the future.

Using the Heippa service is like making a call to a wise acquaintance or grandparent and not to a health or pastoral care professional. The intention is that help can be sought via Heippa before the questions and doubts going around one's head have a chance to cause anxiety or distress. Heippa functions as a social search engine that lowers the threshold when seeking help at the same time as creating an ethical code for voluntary work.

The competition's jury praised the simplicity of the service's look. The Heippa concept has a lot of development potential as a stand-alone service in which associations and individuals can operate on an equal footing. The self-assessment and controls are functional and the e-authentication of the helpers increases the system's security.

– The service has been planned for use in Finland but the technological platform and approach are also internationally scalable. Different languages are supported in the service, with minority language speakers in Finland being able to benefit from the service just as much as the Finnish-speaking majority.  I primarily see Heippa as a non-profit service that could be backed, for example, by a charity or foundation, Claudia Treuthardt remarks.

The inaugural Everyday Innovations of the Future competition is aimed at students, with solutions being sought for environmental problems, climate change, population ageing, loneliness, youth unemployment, mental health issues, poverty, clean water preservation, and the position of women in society. In judging the entrants, the panel focused on their level of innovation, problem-solving, ability to stand out from the crowd, visual appeal, and future orientation.

The competition is part of the Future Infinite conference, held at Wanha Satama, 11 to 13 June 2014. The winners will receive their prizes at the conference on 12 June 2014. The winner will receive an award worth 2 500 euros. The award has been kindly donated by Suomen Messusäätiö.

Source: Messukeskus

Further info on the conference: http://www.wanhasatama.com/Sites1/FutureInfinite/en/Pages/default.aspx

The Footbalance Kiosk was chosen as both the Sheet Metal Product of the Year and winner of the design category. Aalto University alumni Jari-Petri Vuotilainen, Matias Halmeenmäki, and Sauli Suomela, all from Pentagon Design Oy, worked on the winning product. The product in question is a foot analysis kiosk, which was launched by Footbalance Systems Oy last year.

Aalto University alumnus Lauri Aaltio received an honourable mention in the design category for his Jukola7 beam product family.

Student of industrial design at Aalto University, Tuukka Kingel also received an honourable mention in the competition's design category for his Spintones omnidirectional hi-fi speaker, produced by Uploud Audio. Uploud Audio is Kingel's own company.

The winner of the educational establishments' category was the Indie bicycle frame, which was made using sheet metal technology. Aalto University students Juho-Pekka Virtanen, Kim-Niklas Antin, and Jaakko Kuukasjärvi were all involved in the design and manufacture of the bike.

Honourable mention in the same category went to Tuukka Klingen for his work on the Boomstack modular subwoofer.

Plootu Fennica is a design competition for sheet metal products. The competition is organised by the Sheet Metals branch of the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries  The aim of the competition is to seek out new kinds of products that utilise sheet metal as a key component; either in terms of their design process, structurally or with regards to innovation.

Professor Raimo Nikkanen from Aalto University served as chair of the judging panel.

In the Habitus Baltija contest held in April in Latvia, student Anna Alanko won the Grand Prix prize for best designer with her master’s thesis-based collection. Ms Alanko and bachelor’s programme student Antti Peltoniemi jointly won the best fashion school award for the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture as well. A total of 53 young fashion designers from 12 countries participated in the competition.

Ilona Hackenberg, studying for her master’s degree, ranked third in the Apolda European Design Award 2014 contest which took place in April in Germany. Arranged for the eighth time, participation in the competition reached a total of 32 entries from 16 European schools in ten nations. Well-respected European fashion schools were invited to take part in the event, and its goal is to support and encourage promising young European designers.

Sophie Sälekari, working towards her bachelor’s degree, likewise finished amongst the group of eight finalists at the H&M Design Award competition arranged by the retail clothing giant in London. All in the group came from internationally renowned fashion schools. Aged 22, Ms Sälekari was also the youngest finalist. An overall total of 32 fashion schools took part in the contest from both Europe and the United States. Finland and Aalto University were included in the invitation for the first time. Launched in 2012, the target of the competition is to support the creativity of young designers and to encourage them to build a career in the fashion world.

‘The world’s leading companies and top-level media in design have discovered our promising young candidates. Leading international fashion firms are asking for more information about our students and will be coming to our spring fashion show with recruiting in mind as well. We are proud of our successful young people and the fact that our school is also gaining more recognition at the same time,’  says a delighted Pirjo Hirvonen, who is head of the Department of Design.

Put Näytös14 into your calendar!

The new collections designed by the students in the Degree Programme in Fashion and Collection Design at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture shall be presented to the audience attending the Näytös14 Fashion Show on Friday, 23 May 2013 at 18.00h in Suvilahti (Kattilahalli). The International Aalto ARTS Fashion Seminar, accompanied by celebrity guests, will be held the day before, on 22 May.

For further information, contact:

- Head of Department, Professor  (fashion design) Pirjo Hirvonen, Aalto University’s Department of Design,+358 (0)50 3636 011, pirjo.hirvonen@aalto.fi

- Näytös14: Tuomas Laitinen, Lecturer (collection design and costume art), Aalto University’s Department of Design,+358 (0)9 470 30357, +358 (0)40 9526 024, tuomas.p.laitinen@aalto.fi

- Habitus Baltija competition: bt1.lv/habitus/?link=10100020&subid=3798, video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk2TmCGoAXY&feature=youtu.be

- Apolda European Design Award 2014: http://www.apolda-design-award.de/index.php/en/news/108-aktuelles-eng/268-the-award-winners-2014-more

- H&M Design Award Competition: hm.com/press

Janne Saario's master's thesis is a design for a skatepark in the city of Luleå, Northern Sweden. The work was commissioned by Luleå Exstremsport Förening. The park was built according to plan, with the construction work carried out by the city's streets and parks department.

The fact that the plans have come to fruition speaks volumes about the high standards achieved by the designer. Saario is himself a professional skateboarder and has a unique perspective and knowledge garnered from his time travelling and skateboarding all over the world - his expertise and awareness of the physical and structural requirements of a skatepark site are widely-appreciated.

The finished park is a work of art, with functionality at the very core of its sculptural character. The park references the industrial heritage of the site in an attractive way, by using, among other things, remnants of a steel plant in combination with skilfully moulded concrete structures. The design was realised through interaction with the youngsters who use it.

The planning and construction work are clearly documented in the written report of the master's thesis. This presentation is complemented by a video that provides a particularly effective insight into the architectural dynamism of the project.

The Lappset Group Ltd awards an annual stipend as a recognition of the best master's thesis work in the field of landscape architecture.

http://www.jannesaario.com/Steelpark

Further information:

Degree Programme in Landscape Architecture
Pirkko Hiort af Ornäs
pirkko.hiortafornas@aalto.fi

In the frame of the European Commission Culture Programme 2007-2013, the City of Venice obtained financing by the European Commission for the implementation of the project “EGE - European Glass Experience”. The project aims at giving to glass a full acknowledgement in contemporary art and at fostering its value as an intangible cultural heritage of Europeans. The selected works will be exhibited in a touring exhibition in Finland, Spain and Venice in spring 2014 and summer 2015.

Finland alongside the Czech Republic was most successful in the competition. Young glass artists (18–40 years) from 22 European countries participated in the competition. A total of 40 works representing 17 countries were selected in the exhibitions. In addition, the international jury selected 38 drawings, of which Murano glass masters will realize works for the final exhibition in Venice. A proud number of 13 Finnish glass artists were selected in the project.

The first exhibition "The European Glass Experience: Undiscovered Potential - Eurooppalaisen lasitaiteen nuoria lupauksia " is held at the Finnish Glass Museum March 28 to June 8, 2014.

 More information:
http://egeglass.eu/
http://www.finnishglassmuseum.fi

The competition was arranged by Aspire Katara Investment Company.

This design, “Rousku Villas” is based on an imaginative use of wooden structures. The name refers to the Finnish, organic floor of a forest, which the entry is imitating spatially. The local housing preferences in Qatar had to be taken into account in the competition.

The organizer of the competition has announced to build Rousku Villas.

Master's students Ilmari Mansikkamäki (industrial and strategic design), Emmi Pouta (textile art and design) and Jenni Simanainen (fashion and clothing design) won the Safety & Technical Products Student Design Challenge competition.

The winning product was a riding suit with an integrated chest protector, designed for motorcyclists. The work was implemented as a year-long project in collaboration with the Rukka brand.

The project required that the students have extensive knowledge of the field, including the newest materials and techniques, such as 3D printing, and background information about consequences of accidents and medical approaches. A large part of the time allocated for the project was taken up by research work.

Combining the form with everything that had been observed was a demanding and difficult process. Trade fairs and other activities gave students the required understanding of the significance of the field. The project was supervised by Jasmiine Julin-Aro, Professor of Functional Design and Materials at the Department of Design. Winning the competition is an impressive indication of the students' capabilities and teamwork.

The Safety & Technical Products Student Design Challenge is a prestigious and international design competition. The prizes will be given out in Orlando, Florida in the USA on October 23 - 25. The students will be there to receive the prize and to introduce themselves to the US media and stakeholder groups.

The competition jury selected the entry Väre, designed by the Finnish firm Verstas Architects and its team of architects, Väinö Nikkilä, Jussi Palva, Riina Palva and Ilkka Salminen, as the first prize winner. According to the jury, this scheme most successfully solved the challenges and conflicting demands of the competition. The results were announced at the Aalto University Otaniemi campus today.

Second prize was awarded to the entry 492700 Leap, designed by Esa Ruskeepää Architects Ltd from Finland. The entry had a number of very strong and laudable qualities and it was in close competition with the winner all the way until the end. Third prize was awarded to the entry stay strong sweetie by Luis Martínez Santa-María from Spain.

In addition, the jury decided to purchase three entries and grant six honourable mentions. Please see below for details on the teams who won the awards.

The aim of the Campus 2015 competition was to design a new core campus for Aalto University in Otaniemi and the competition process was arranged in two phases. The 1st phase attracted 189 entries. Six of these entries were chosen for the second phase, the goal of which was to create a unique solution and a usable learning environment for the new building and its immediate surroundings. The quality of the architecture as well as cost efficiency and ecological sustainability were among the assessment criteria.

The jury describes the winner, Väre, as a strong and convincing entry, which has been developed positively and has managed to answer most of the queries posed by the jury after the results from the first phase of the competition. The layout offers its own structural DNA matrix as the organising principle for the new buildings; it forms this pattern based on two of the principal coordinates taken from the nearby old main building of the former Helsinki University of Technology and the main library, which were designed by Alvar Aalto.

According to the jury, the winner’s approach is fresh: the simple basic module produces a convincing variety of spatial arrangements, and it is adaptable and flexible but with a clear and distinct architectural character. The spatial concept has also found a fitting form, in which users move from the general public areas upwards towards more private and intimate places or from interdisciplinary to more specialised activities, a mode of operation completely in tune with the expressed aims of the university.

The entry was also one of the entries with the most energy-effective and economic potential during the 2nd phase of the competition.

- I am pleased to say that the quality of the competition was very high. We had hoped for designs that inspire studying and working in the area. The jury expects this winning entry to set a new standard for future university learning environments, not only in Finland but also within the international arena, explains Dean Helena Hyvönen, chairperson of the competition jury.

- We are a new university and we want to pay respect to the originality of all of our founding schools as we build our central campus in Otaniemi. The winning entry reflects well our shared values and respects the existing environment, while it also has a clear vision of what the future university will look like, says President Tuula Teeri from Aalto University.

The new building and its surroundings are examined as part of the university’s broader campus programme, whose goal is to strengthen the operational preconditions for research, artistic activity and teaching.

The six finalist entries in the competition will be on display at Aalto University Otaniemi Campus, Otakaari 1, in the Hall A lobby on 27.9 and between 30.9 and 4.10, Mon-Thu 7.45-20.00 and Fri 7.45-18.00.

Video of the winning entry model: http://youtu.be/3oK_uKWozYE

Prizes
First prize: Väre by Verstas Architects, Helsinki, Finland
/ Väinö Nikkilä, Jussi Palva, Architect M.Sc. SAFA, Riina Palva, Architect M.Sc. SAFA and Ilkka Salminen, Architect M.Sc. SAFA with assistants and specialists.
Second prize: 492700 Leap by Esa Ruskeepää Architects Ltd, Helsinki, Finland
Third prize: stay strong sweetie by Luis Martínez Santa-María, Madrid, Spain

The purchased entries
1st purchase: Ainoa by Lahdelma & Mahlamäki Architects, Helsinki, Finland
2nd purchase: HIPSTERKASBAH by ALA Architects, Helsinki, Finland
3rd purchase: NOLLI by Allies and Morrison Architects, London, United Kingdom

Honourable mentions
The Butterfly Effect by ma0 / emmeazero studio d´architectura, Rome, Italy
ARTery by PO 2 ARCHITECTS, Madrid, Spain
TAHBAJP by MOXON ARCHITECTS, London, United Kingdom
A* by Tuomo Siitonen, Helsinki, Finland
0073 by OOZE Architects, Rotterdam, Netherlands
STUDIO CLOUD by Manuel David Romero Rodriguez, Salamanca, Spain

The Competition Jury members
Helena Hyvönen, Dean, Professor (chair), Aalto University

Tuula Teeri, President, Aalto University

Turkka Keinonen, Professor, Aalto University

Aija Staffans, Architect, Aalto University

Johan Celsing, Architect, Professor, Stockholm, Sweden

Elina Tenho, Architect, student representative, Aalto University

Kari Kontturi, Managing Director, Aalto University Properties Ltd

Vilhelm Helander, Architect, Emeritus Professor, nominated by Alvar Aalto Foundation

Tuomo Hahl, Architect, Senate Properties

Jukka Mäkelä, Espoo City Mayor

Olavi Louko, Head of Technical and Environment Services, City of Espoo

Ossi Keränen, Architect, Director of City Planning and Urban Design, City of Espoo

Aaro Artto, Architect, nominated by SAFA

Trevor Harris, Architect, Professor, nominated by SAFA

Eija Larkas-Ipatti, Architect, Pöyry Finland Oy acted as project specialist and jury secretary.

For further information
Dean Helena Hyvönen, chairperson of the competition jury (competition and architecture), +358 50 324 3657, helena.hyvonen@aalto.fi

CFO Marianna Bom, Aalto University (Aalto University campus development and financial issues), +358 50 575 3762, marianna.bom@aalto.fi

CEO Kari Kontturi, Aalto University Properties Ltd. (technical issues, town planning), +358 40 569 3244, kari.kontturi@aaltonet.fi

The winner’s representative:
Jussi Palva, Architect SAFA, Verstas Architects, +358 50 582 3958 or +358 9 6877270, jussi.palva@verstasarkkitehdit.fi

Professor Emeritus Yrjö Sotamaa has worked perseveringly to make Finnish design known around the world. His influence on Finnish design as a professor, pedagogue and long-time rector of the former University of Art and Design Helsinki has been considerable.

Sotamaa received the award this week at the Muoto event, where awards were given to Finnish designers. The jury referred to Yrjö Sotamaa as the godfather of Finnish design, who has transformed the University of Art and Design Helsinki into an international institution of learning and who has, through his persevering work, been instrumental in building the success of Finnish design around the world.

Yrjö Sotamaa was also one of three people awarded for developing this year's Shanghai Design Week. Sotamaa has had an active role in the development of the event through his own work at the Sino-Finnish Centre in Shanghai. The Sino-Finnish Centre is an international cooperation forum set up by Tongji University and Aalto University in 2010.

Read more:

http://news.cision.com/fi/aller-media-oy/r/muoto2013-palkinnon-voittajissa-design-kohtaa-kaytettavyyden,c9460694

http://sinofinnishcentre.org/beta/2013/09/06/prof-yrjo-sotamaa-was-awarded-as-the-people-of-the-year-in-shanghai-designweek-2013/?lang=en

Petteri Nisunen, Professor of Contemporary Art at Aalto University, and his collaborator Tommi Grönlund are highly accomplished artists with an international reputation. Their interdisciplinary approach brings together art, design, architecture and science. In their large-scale spatial interventions and installations, the artists use a variety of materials and technologies from three-dimensional objects to light and sound.

The World Cultural Council awards are granted in recognition of significant achievements in science, art and education. The Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts celebrates the interdisciplinary approach and interaction between art and science.

‘In their works, Nisunen and Grönlund combine art, design, architecture and science. All of us at Aalto University are delighted with the way they approachthese themes. The fascinating feature in their works is that they leave the audience plenty of space for their own interpretations’, says Tuula Teeri, President of Aalto University.

In addition to his artistic work, Nisunen teaches at the Department of Art of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Nisunen has a degree inarchitecture, and he combines an artists’ hands-on experience with a theoretical background. Besides being a visual artist, Tommi Grönlund also produces music through his record company Sähkö Recordings.

Nisunen and Grönlund operate on the interface between art and science. They frequently work together with artists, musicians and professionals of other fields, including scientists and engineers. They have also completed a number of public commissions and held exhibitions in significant international forums.

The artists will accept their World Award of Arts 2013 on 2 October 2013 in Singapore.

Further information:
Professor Petteri Nisunen, tel. +358 50 588 7262, petteri.nisunen@aalto.fi

World Cultural Council
www.consejoculturalmundial.org

The judges were unanimous in their view that Satu Maaranen’s collection was superior. They were also unanimous in their decision of the winner.

-Satu Maaranen’s work with the material that she uses completely convinced us. Her use of colours is also strong, said Felipe Oliveira Baptista, the head of the panel of judges.      

-Aalto University has made it to the top tier of the most internationally interesting fashion schools! Aalto University is the first school whose students have won this competition in two consecutive years. Our success is the result of persevering and goal-oriented teaching and development of education. We give our students creative freedom, support, and encouragement, but much is also demanded of them, says Professor Pirjo Hirvonen, Head of the Department of Design.

One of the most prestigious competitions in the field

The event, which has been held at the famous Villa Noailles in Hyères on the French Riviera already since the early 1980s, is considered one of the world's most prestigious competitions in the field. The contest is organised by the same producers and casting directors who are behind shows put on by large fashion houses such as Chanel and Balenciaga at Paris Fashion Week.

Each year the panels of judges in the competition are composed of some of the most influential international figures in the fashion business. The works in the competition were showcased on three different days in three different shows to fashion professionals, experts, and the public at large.

The competition has served as a springboard for many international names in design, such as Viktor & Rolf, the main designer of Thierry Mulger Romain Kremer, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, and Henrik Vibskov.

Satu Maaranen was chosen as one of the ten finalists from among 355 entries. The 28e Festival International de Mode & de Photographie Hyères 2013 took place on 26-29 April 2013 in Villa Noilles, France.

First prize in 2012 to Finnish Aalto University as well

In 2012, three young clothing design students from the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture won the main prize at the Hyères Fashion Festival. At that time second-year students Siiri Raasakka, Tiia Sirén and Elina Laitinen won the Grand Prix for their men's fashion collection, whose fundamental idea was an imaginary urban tribe of nomads. Now the three had been invited to display a collection that they had been working on in the past year called “The Voice of Unheard”, which the head of the festival Jean-Pierre Blanc said was “full of creative energy” and ready for commercialisation. The collection will be displayed again at the Paris Men’s Fashion Week in the summer of 2013

Winning collection at Näytös13 show

Satu Maaranen's collection will be included in the Näytös13 show on 24 May 2013 at 18:00 in Suvilahti, Helsinki, Finland The show, which is organised each spring, showcases to the public the new collections designed by students who are graduating from the school's Degree Programme in Fashion and Clothing Design.

Further information
Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Tuomas Laitinen, Lecturer, tel. +358 40 952 6024
Anne Tapanainen, Communications Manager tel. +358 50 434 7911

Hyères Fashion Festival competition website
www.villanoailles-hyeres.com/hyeres2013

www.satumaaranen.com

In the synopsis of the film by Jussi Lehtomäki  there is a question 'When is the last time you've been to the woods'? It continues by quoting the famous Grimm fairy tale: 'Once upon a time a poor woodcutter lived with his wife and two children in a small cottage next to a great forest. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel.'

Lehtomäki is a third-year documentary film directing student at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki, Finland. He both directered the film and wrote the script for it. Out into the woods is Jussi Lehtomäki's second film as a director. The film is subtitled in English.

Out into the woods: Jussi Lehtomäki (director & script), Mikko Peltonen (producer), Hannu Käki (cinematography), Tuukka Nikkilä (sound), Niina Vornanen (editing), and Juulia Jokinen (set design).

More information:

Jussi Lehtomäki, mobile +358 44 313 0666, jussi.lehtomaki@aalto.fi
Mikko Peltonen, mobile +358 40 720 7671, mikko.peltonen@aalto.fi

Tampere Film Festival website

Image: Peter Salovaara