According to Aalto University researchers Yichen Lu and Virpi Roto, innovations do not always need to be based on new technology, rather they can also be created by attaching new meanings to existing goods and services.

‘If a designer is able to change the meaning of a product or service, it may be possible to bring about a radical change in significance and a successful product with old technology as well,’ says design researcher Virpi Roto.

As examples of world-changing products the researchers cite the 60's mini skirt, as well as the Nintendo Wii, which made video games social. These were not cases of new technological innovations but rather changes in meaning or use.

‘In the case of the mini skirt the change brought forward a new experience of independence and boldness; in Nintendo Wii's case the new experience was brought about by physical activity and being together.’

The focus of Lu and Roto's research were a group of Finnish metal industry companies from the FIMECC Research Programme in User Experience & Usability in Complex Systems (UXUS). In the research, new uses were found for the services of the companies through experiential rather than functional goals; a company's internal information channel became a personal assistive tool and a metal materials sales brochure was utilised as a professional development support service.

New trend in human-centred design calls for a rich mental life and designing for relevant everyday experiences

Lu and Roto present their research at the Aalto University hosted international NordiCHI 2014 conference, which brings together over 500 human-centred design and interactive technology researchers.

Honorary guests at the conference include Design Guru Don Norman who has worked for Apple and HP and is currently the head of the Design Lab at the University of California. Don Norman wants to promote the idea that designing new uses can bring out radical innovations.

NordiCHI 2014 Conference, 28–30 October at Marina Congress Center, Katajanokanlaituri 6, Helsinki. Yichen Lu and Virpi Roto's research will be presented on Thursday 30 October at 13:30. Conference programme overview: http://nordichi2014.org/program/overview/.

Additional information:

Virpi Roto, Researcher and Conference Chair, Tel. 050 592 4031, virpi.roto@aalto.fi
Anne Tapanainen, Communications Manager, Tel. 050 434 9711, anne.tapanainen@aalto.fi

Music and art educator Alma Muukka-Marjovuo, who is defending her doctoral dissertation at the Department of Art, examines in her dissertation perceptions of art education in the early 20th century. She raises to the forefront the largely forgotten art education methods of Lilli Törnudd (1862–1929), a teacher of handicrafts and drawing.

‘The working methods that unite the arts are of interest to today's art educators.  My research goes back to the roots of this type of education method, because the different areas of art interact closely with each other in Törnudd’s methods. For instance, she applied the working methods of music education and musical terminology in the teaching of pictorial art,’ Mukka-Marjovuo says.

Lilli Törnudd was one of the reformers of art education who were active in the art world in the late 19th and early 20th century, when teaching people as a whole took centre stage. Törnudd wanted to make school a more pupil-centred and inclusive place, where art would be more than a subject – a principle of education work alongside science.

‘Törnudd had a dream about a comprehensive school for all Finnish people, which would be based on working with the hands, appreciation for individual expression and the teaching of independent thought,’ Mukka-Marjovuo explains.

According to the researcher, Finnish schools should be places in which art will continue to have a space and a demand in the future as well.

Practical applications for modern teaching

In her study Muukka-Marjovuo applies the art education ideas of Törnudd to today's art education. The main goal is to develop upper secondary school education and its operating culture to be more communal and inclusive.

‘According to my research, Törnudd's teaching instructions have four different wholes: rhythm, ornamentation, tempo and effect. In my view, these should be made a basic structure of the art education curriculum at schools. Then it would be possible to better integrate teaching in different art subjects.’ 

Muukka-Marjovuo suggests that the tempo teaching instruction could be implemented today in working with groups of people who the teacher does not know.

‘The didactics of ornamentation could be, for instance, giving significance of a rejected recycling article through ornamentation, or by making a musical instrument out of recycled material. The didactics of effect, for its part, emphasise the fun in producing art, and playing with art,’ Mukka Marjovuo continues.

Muukka-Marjovuo has worked as a teacher. She has experience in the teaching of both music and pictorial art. Her doctoral study has been guided by information based on the researcher's own experience, which has also made it possible to make comparisons between the cultures of two different school subjects.

The doctoral study has been implemented by utilising several different research methods. Muukka-Marjovuo has systematically analysed the literary output of Lilli Törnudd, played the part of Törnudd in various performances, and tested Törnudd’s old methods in her work with pupils.

Defence of dissertation

The doctoral dissertation ‘Nurturing the Feeling of Art: Lilli Törnudd creating the worlds of art education’ will be examined at the Aalto University School of Art, Design and Architecture on Friday, 3 October 2014 at 12:00 noon in the Sampo Hall of the Media Centre Lume, Hämeentie 135 C, Helsinki. Her opponent will be Professor Eeva Anttila of the University of Arts Helsinki. Orders for the book can be made at the Aalto University online bookshop shop.aalto.fi, enquiries artsbooks@aalto.fi, tel. +358 50 313 7086.

Further information:
Alma Muukka-Marjovuo
tel. +358 40-5652750
alma-liisa.muukka-marjovuo@edu.hel.fi

Aalto University student Päivi Takala, who defends her thesis in September, claims that the traditional method of describing sound as an emotion-evoking or sub-conscious element doesn't do justice to the way sound is part of the formation of meaning during the film watching experience. Having worked as a film director, a composer, and a sound engineer,  Ms Takala challenges film makers and viewers to consider the meaning of the film soundtrack in a new way.

– A film should be treated as a sensory and all-encompassing experience, which is received through all the senses. Sound can express feelings and sub-conscious meanings, but so can all the other elements of a film, Ms Takala explained. 

By sensory is meant the idea that people essentially understand the world and construct meaning through their bodies and senses.

– Traditionally Film theory and the teaching in the field stresses the narrative structure and visual nature of films. The significance of sound is raised when the film's world is opened up to the viewer (and listener) as an all-encompassing sense experience.

Film makers' thoughts and artistic works

Päivi Takala explains in her dissertation how questions of sound have been approached by film makers and sound engineers. She examined the thoughts about film and sound of film makers such as David Lynch, Walter Murch, Michel Chion and the Dardenne brothers, looking through the lens of sensuality and the new theoretical dimension that this opens up.

Three artistic works are also part of the doctoral dissertation:  Documentary film ‘Special Cases’, dance film ‘Taking a Deep Breath’, and an audio-visual installation ‘Helsinki's most beautiful sound’.

– Through these artistic works I examined from different angles the concept of sensuality and worked out how the theory opened up by this concept can be made use of in a way that helps understanding of the role of sound in the making and experiencing of a film, Ms Takala explained.

– In the dance film that I directed, the experimental working methods used, such as combining movement with the cutting, editing, and composing work, helped make concrete the concept of sensuality by allowing the viewer to experience it in an all-encompassing way, both visibly and audibly.

Ms Takala's doctoral research offers new viewpoints on the making of film soundtracks and pedagogical developments in the field.

Public examination of the doctoral dissertation

The public examination of the doctoral dissertation "Äänen tunto. Elokuvaäänen kokemuksellisuudesta” will take place in Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on Friday 19 September 2014 at 12:00 in the Sampo hall in the Lume Media Centre, Hämeentie 135 C, Helsinki. Acting as opponent will be Taina Riikonen, Ph.D. Orders for the doctoral dissertation can be made through the Aalto University online store at shop.aalto.fi, enquiries to artsbooks@aalto.fi, tel. 050 313 7086.

Further information:
Päivi Takala
tel. 050 569 1069
paivi.takala-gould@aalto.fi
Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Licentiate of Arts Rauni Ollikainen from Aalto University, who will defend her doctoral thesis in August, investigates the appearance of forest and landscape scenes on Finnish stages between 1860 and 1940 and their relationship with the landscape scenes in Finnish paintings. Ollikainen's dissertation reviews the early history of Finnish stage design.

'Already before the turn of the 19^th century, Finnish forests and landscapes were painted on the type scenes of theatre stages. After that, the use of type scenes took hold in all Finnish theatres', Ollikainen tells.

Type scenes are standard pictorial stage props used by theatres; they were employed especially during the early phase of stage design before modern stage design. Today, it is hard to find any type scenes in professional theatres but painted scenes can still be found on the stages of theatre associations.

'Old type scenes representing illusory-style stage design are still used in surprising frequency by Finnish theatre associations. I documented theatre associations' traditional type scene stage designs as part of my Pelastakaa kulissit ('Save the Scenes') project, the results of which form the central material for my dissertation research. When doing my research on stage scenes, I also discovered some of their authors.'

In addition to the written part, the dissertation includes two exhibition installations constructed by Ollikainen and exhibited in Suomenlinna in 2002–2003. Both exhibits depicted a large scene which showed a typical Finnish landscape.

'My research shows that traditional Finnish forest and landscape scenes, by their subject matter and realization, belong to the same collection of ideal Finnish landscapes that was represented especially in Finnish painting, graphical art and photographs', Ollikainen sums up.

Public examination of the thesis

The public examination of the doctoral dissertation titled ‘Suomalainen ideaalimaisema näyttämön tyyppikulisseina’ (in English: 'Ideal Finnish landscape as a type scene for the stage') will take place on Thursday, 28 August 2014 at 12 noon, at the Aalto University School Arts, Design and Architecture in its Sampo Hall at Media Centre Lume, Hämeentie 135, Helsinki. Docent Pentti Paavolainen from the University of Helsinki will act as the opponent. The dissertation can be ordered from the online book shop of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture: shop.aalto.fi, information: artsbooks@aalto.fi, tel. +358 (0)50 313 7086.

Additional information:
Rauni Ollikainen
rauni.ollikainen@jippii.fi

Initially, postmodernism in Finnish architectural vocabulary was understood just as a fad affecting the appearance of buildings. Buildings with playful forms, colours and imitations of traditional building features rose alongside the ‘box trend’ of the 1970's. Later on, the trend also changed the way the meaning of architecture and its artistic role were understood.

In her doctoral dissertation Anni Vartola, Lic. Sc. (Tech.) from Aalto University, investigated the attitudes towards postmodernism in Finland and the impacts that the trend had on Finnish architecture. The dissertation traces the image of Finnish architecture and architectural values at the end of the 20^th century.

'In the architecture of the 1970's and 1980's, Finland was seen as a single-minded country. Modernism was entrenched as the language of expression. Postmodernism was regarded as light-hearted entertainment, a fad from America, which did not suit to the conditions in Finland. The style was seen as a threat to the legacy of Finnish architecture', Vartola explains.

Gradually, the ideology of postmodernism was accepted, and a new kind of architectural thinking was assimilated among the ideals of Finnish architecture of the 1990's.

'Postmodernism revived forgotten architectural values, including user-oriented design, respect to local traditions and memorable exposure to architecture. These themes were of central importance in the development which raised Finnish architecture to new international fame in the 1990's,' Vartola tells.

The results of the seminal research are based on debates Vartola collected from 1970's–1990's architectural and construction industry publications. In addition, Vartola interviewed ten architects active in that time and visited more than a hundred construction works in different parts of Finland.

Public examination of the thesis

The public examination of the doctoral dissertation ‘Kuritonta monimuotoisuutta: postmodernismi suomalaisessa arkkitehtuurissa’ (in English: ‘Undisciplined diversity: postmodernism in Finnish architecture’) will take place on Friday, 29 August 2014 at 12 noon, at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, in lecture hall E, Otakaari 1, Espoo. Professor Emerita Kaisa Broner-Bauer, D.Sc. (Tech.) from the University of Oulu, will act as the opponent. The dissertation can be ordered from the online book shop of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture: shop.aalto.fi, information: artsbooks@aalto.fi, tel. +358 (0)50 313 7086.

Additional information:
Anni Vartola
tel.  +358 (0)50 320 3580
anni.vartola@arkvv.fi

The project aims to build a methodological frame and to propose methodological tools to research costume. The research area involves the creation, production and function of costume in all fields of the performing arts (theatre, dance, opera, musical theatre, circus, or other), in mediated storytelling (film, television and digital media), as well as in inter-disciplinary creative projects involving costume.

– FiDiPro funding is valuable because it enables you to connect with other experienced researchers, says Sofia Pantouvaki, principal investigator of the CM project at Aalto University and the first Professor of Costume Design for Theatre and Film in Finland.

– There`s a creative and communicative level in costume that can`t always be expressed in words, and which we hope to bring to the global research community by mapping that intangible knowledge. This will be done by finding methods, tools, and even terminology to be able to discuss it.

Costume design is a largely under-explored area. Research in costume has mainly been done so far from a specific standpoint thus missing out on capturing the full essence of costume as a cross-disciplinary creative component of live and mediated performance.

– This is why it is important to have both artist-researchers and researchers that have different approaches to various types of performance involved in the project, and this is where prof. McNeil`s experience comes in -- to enrich the research, says Pantouvaki.

The FiDiPro professor, Dr. Peter McNeil, is Associate Dean and Professor of Design History at the University of Technology Sydney. McNeil is a leading scholar in the fields of art and design history, as well as production and fashion studies. McNeil`s projects have received considerable international attention in recent years, and he is regarded as one of the most incisive critical writers on the place of dress within contemporary culture.

Building a research environment – and a dialogue

Another aim of the project is to strengthen the research environment in Aalto University. Besides the present post-doctoral researcher in Film Costume, the intention is to employ researchers to specific case studies from different fields involving costume, with the FiDiPro funding. The case studies will function as examples of building and testing specific research methods.

The upcoming event, Critical Costume (http://www.criticalcostume.com/) in March 2015, will support the building of a research environment and the framing of long-term research collaboration at an international level. Critical Costume 2015 includes an academic conference and an exhibition with the participation of international artists and academics from various fields related to costume design.

– We want to show that all these fields can participate in a dialogue. The event holds a lot of potential as it offers Aalto University`s Costume in Focus research group the opportunity to become a centre for international research in the field, says Sofia Pantouvaki.

Within the FiDiPro funding programme, the Academy of Finland funds leading-edge researchers who will primarily be based in strategically important and scientifically significant areas at universities and research institutes. The applications are submitted by a university or research institute and peer-reviewed by esteemed international experts.

Launched in 2006, the Finland Distinguished Professor Programme is a joint funding programme of the Academy of Finland and Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation). With funding from the programme, Finnish universities and research institutes can hire foreign or expatriate Finnish top researchers to work in Finland for a fixed term. The FiDiProprogramme is aimed at achieving long-term international research collaboration with a view to strengthening Finnish scientific and technological knowledge and know-how.

Prizztech, from Satakunta has expressed the interest in the possible cooperation between the technology companies as Technip and Outotec and Aalto University. The companies would like to see the cooperation to create new knowledge, research and ideas, and would offer a mutual opportunity to connect studies with the real world in the fields in question.

With PUPA, Aalto University can carry out their teaching and research-related projects in the Satakunta region. The application round has already been started for next autumn’s funding. Through PUPA, any department, unit or programme can apply for a grant for projects to be organised in the Pori and Satakunta region.   

‘Projects could be courses, seminars or artistic productions. They can be carried out alone by an Aalto unit or made in cooperation with some regional partner,’ says Head of Research Taina Rajanti.

‘Support can be applied from PUPA for covering e.g. student mobility, especially expenses for students’ trips and accommodations, Rajanti continues.

‘PUPA does not fund complete projects but acts as a platform through which projects can be carried out. For example, we offer facilities, help for practical arrangements or in searching for a company partner, and support for seminar or field research expenses,’ Taina Rajanti explains

Cooperation has already started

The new Master’s Degree Programme of the Aalto University Department of Art, ViCCA (Visual Culture and Contemporary Art), is planned to continue next autumn in cooperation with the Pori city planning department.

‘Activities have included artistic interventions in city spaces, and last spring a gallery was built in a public space for a new residential area. The idea is to present the results both to city planners as well as to inhabitants,’ says Rajanti.

Similar urban-space experiments will be continued. A cooperation agreement has been made with the Pori Art Museum and the Master’s Degree Programme on Curating, Managing and Mediating Art (CuMMA). Also the department of architecture of Aalto University has agreed the cooperation contract with the house fair of Pori 2018. In the future, PUPA wants to also include players from the engineering and maritime industry.

For further information:

Pori Head of Research Taina Rajanti, +358 50 3845662, taina.rajanti(at)aalto.fi
Professor Harri Laakso, +358 50 3090654, harri.laakso(at)aalto.fi
Professor  Trevor Harris, +358 50 3416822, trevor.harris(at)aalto.fi

A radical model for collaborative development has been developed as part of Aalto University's Suburb 2072 project. The model is intended to promote the resident-driven regeneration and improvement of suburban areas. The project was organised by a research group at the Department of Design and sparked cross-sector cooperation between the public, private and third sectors.

An essential part of the project was the active involvement of the residents of the suburbs themselves.  This resident activity was strengthened by various means, including ‘housewife’ and ‘househusband’ training. In the future, this training can be organised by adult education centres, trainers in the real-estate and property sector or by building superintendents.

The cooperative model developed by the project was piloted in Finland's largest borough, Mellunkylä in Helsinki. The Mellunkylä suburb was selected as the pilot site for the Suburb 2072 project owing to the fact that the majority of the apartment blocks in the area were built in the 1960s and '70s; in other words, during the suburban boom period. These apartment blocks have been on the threshold of significant regeneration during the project's 2012–2014 cycle.

– In addition to being part of the Suburb 2072 project, Mellunkylä has also been the platform for active regional development and the site of several R&D projects over the course of the last decade. An example of such is the Vetoa ja Voimaa Mellunkylään (Traction and Drive in Mellunkylä) project, aimed at developing an active model of local democracy, explains Director of Research for the project Sari Dhima (Aalto University, Dept. of Design).

– The area's residents were really keen to get on-board with the project and our partner organisation, the Helsinki Deaconess Institute, will continue working on the ‘housewives and husbands' network. The institute is working with us on looking more deeply at social challenges and seeking out meaningful ways of organising collaborative measures and promoting togetherness. Our newly-trained ‘housewives and husbands’ have also agreed to keep on meeting each other, Sari Dhima continues.

Economic Success

One of the most important outcomes from the project has been the increase in awareness and understanding of energy-related issues by the housing associations in the area.

– For example, in a sub-project carried out with Helsingin Energia, energy-efficient repairs lead to an increase in annual heating savings by more than 25 %.  In addition, the water flow fee for the district heating system was reduced by 5 %. In area-wide terms, this means that similar measures could lead to savings of around 500 000 to 800 000 euros a year, remarks Senior Advisor at Helsingin Energia Turo Eklund.

The project's final report, Yhteistoiminnallinen lähiökehittäminen. Kokemuksia yhteisöllisestä ja tulevaisuusmyönteisestä korjauskulttuurista. (Cooperative development of suburbs: experiences of a community-minded and future-thinking culture of regeneration) will be published in September, as part of the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland’s (ARA) publication series.

Further information:

Director of Research for the project Sari Dhima (Aalto University, Dept. of Design), tel. +358 (0)50 3716949, sari.dhima@aalto.fi

Project Manager Katja Soini, tel. +358 (0)50 374 4830, katja.soini@aalto.fi

https://blogs.aalto.fi/lahio2072/

http://issuu.com/lahio2072

The project partners for the Suburb 2072 project are: Aalto University (Living Places research group, School of Art, Design and Architecture, Dept. of Design; BES research group, School of Engineering), Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, the Helsinki Deaconess Institute, Helsingin Energia, the Vahanen Group, the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA),  the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, the Vetoa ja Voimaa Mellunkylään project, and the City of Helsinki's Environment Centre.

The Dream Home study completed at the Aalto University Department of Architecture examined the demand for townhouse-type residential buildings. Alongside families with children, the study identified different kinds of groups of various sizes and lifestyles who are interested in townhouse living. Interest in townhouses is greatest in groups which appreciate an environment resembling that of a city centre. However, those appreciating a greener living environment also take a positive view of townhouses.

The study put special emphasis on the preconditions with which townhouse living could correspond to the residential needs of different kinds of households, and how these needs might be considered in the urban planning of townhouse areas.

Significant factors concerning the planning of townhouses include opinions on the density of a residential area and attitudes towards social contacts and the feeling of community. Four different lifestyle groups were identified in the study.

‘Using these factors we identified four groups: busy and social, busy and private, spacious and social, and spacious and private. What was remarkable about identifying the measures was that an urban, built-up city space does not correlate with the feeling of community. Density does not directly create community spirit,’ says researcher Anne Tervo.

The study also examined the interest shown toward different methods of construction. The target groups found buying directly from a contractor and using the services of a building consultant as the most interesting options. The responses to the questionnaire also suggest an unexpectedly great interest in shared space. The study gives indications that townhouses appeal to pioneering residential groups who are willing to compromise on residential space in exchange for a better environment. 

‘Townhouses are currently larger than the respondents' ideal living space would be.  The result could move the development of the concept in a new direction,’ Tervo says.

The results of the research are to be used when planning and developing townhouse-type buildings in a Finnish context. In light of the results it is apparent that increasing the popularity of townhouses requires design solutions that are tailored to different lifestyles and residential styles. This would help to create successful buildings which would showcase townhouses to target groups. In addition, building standards require more flexible application from the point of view of accessibility and divisibility.

In the background of the study are zoning projects in the Helsinki region, whose goals include enhancing the versatility of residential alternatives with the help of new urban types of housing. As a building type, the term townhouse refers to small houses attached to the neighbouring houses on the sides, with a street-level entrance and small front and back yards. The rows of houses bordering on the street form a dense city structure on a small scale.

The project resumes in the autumn of 2014, when material from the questionnaire will be given closer examination in workshop activities. The results of the research for the entire project are to be reported in early 2015.

Further information:
Professor Hannu Huttunen
tel.+358 40 0844967
hannu.huttunen@aalto.fi

Researcher Anne Tervo
tel. +358 40 776 9814
anne.tervo@aalto.fi

In her doctoral dissertation Vähän väliä – näyttämön mediaalisuus ja kosketuksen arkkitehtuuri (Something in-between – the mediality of the stage and the architecture of touch), Maiju Loukola from Aalto University's Department of Film, Television and Scenography examines the ways in which video and image projections are integrated with staging and how these affect the audience's experience of a theatre performance.

The intersectionality of the physical stage and the multimedia elements creates a multi-sensory and corporeal experience for the audience. According to Loukola, the viewer's body can even be thought of as a site in which the theatrical performance and scenography take shape.

– Scenography allow us to understand a space in terms of relationships and dynamics. The stage becomes an experiential and sensory element; a space and a situation, Loukola explains.

In both her research and artistic work as a scenographer, Loukola considers issues related to the audience's comprehensive sensory experience of the media theatre’s stage.

– Media scenographers are not only concerned with the visual elements of a performance, which would sublimate the other senses in favour of sight. A sensory experience is always real and concrete, regardless of whether it is affected by physical, tangible materials or by virtual, mediated effects, Loukola stresses.

Mediating corporeality in scenography

In experiencing a piece of media theatre, the viewer is simultaneously a corporeal subject and a member of the audience – the experience is both personal and shared. Indeed, the core of the experience, i.e. the viewer's experiential body, is already in and of itself mediated and mediating. Media theatre empowers the spectator as a self-mediator in the theatrical setting.

– The space created by media projections is not actually tangible; it remains at a distance. On the other hand, it may approach the viewer, penetrating the audience's experiences. Difference and similarity are created in the lived and mediated space, transforming the stage into a subtle and game-like current, Loukola continues.

This current or spark can, according to Loukola, enrich and aid our understanding not only of art but also of people's own conceptions of themselves and the world around them.

– The embodied mediation of media technologies shapes our understanding of place, time, presence and identity, and it has long-since pervaded debates in the world of art and humanist philosophies. We are connect to the world through our senses and are most certainly not alone in this.

Mediation is an increasingly relevant and current theme in scenography, with new experiential and performative spaces taking physical form alongside media spaces and virtual environments.

– Intermediation becomes visible in the fragmentation of moments of discovery, stage elements, the relationships and fractures between actors and events, and in the unlimited potential for virtual transformation.

– Here, the mediation we experience is more pronounced than in theatrical situations in which we encounter people and physical objects on the stage.

Further information:

Maiju Loukola
maiju.loukola@aalto.fi
tel. +358 50 523 1910

In his doctoral dissertation defended at Aalto University's Department of Architecture, Harri Hautajärvi, Lic.Sc.(Tech.), describes the ways in which tourism and architecture impacted on each other in Lapland from the 19th Century onwards.

Hautajärvi's research shows how construction work in Lapland changed from the 1960s as a result of mass tourism: buildings that were architecturally conceived and finalised, with attention also paid to their interior design, were replaced by aesthetically standardised holiday cottages.

‘Right up to the 1960s, tourism in Lapland was promoted precisely on the basis of the landscapes and high quality architecture and interior design,’ Hautajärvi observes in relation to the shift in artistic eras.

In the 19th century, the impact of international, national and local tourism could already be observed in the architecture of Lapland. The Aavasaksa pavilion built in the old Norse style in Ylitornio, Lapland, was followed by the typical inns and classic holiday cottages, whereas the log holiday cabins and youth hostels of the 1950s and '60s evoke Finnish peasant culture and a flavour of national romance. For their part, the sumptuous décor of the Pohjanhovi, Pallastunturi and Petsamo hotels of the 1930s reflects the international functionalism of the time. Famous Finnish architects and interior designers were behind some of Lapland's tourism buildings.

Owing to the surge in popularity of skiing from the 1960s onwards, the familiar Lapland attractions became tourist centres or even holiday towns. Indeed, cheap and fast building methods, standardisation, and the use of industrial materials all became much more common.

‘Rather than the state and community-minded actors, private tourism operators who lacked the necessary know-how started to take over the building of such sites. This led to construction of many poorly designed and visually uninteresting buildings, which were also out of keeping with their surroundings,’ remarks Hautajärvi.

State and EU funds were directed at a lot of these kinds of projects. According to Hautajärvi, there has not been enough input and guidance from the regional authorities regarding the quality of building works and land use.

With more regulated and professional design work, however, Hautajärvi believes that all is not lost. The mistakes of past decades can be corrected.

‘Lapland can still retain its mass tourist appeal, but with everything a bit more carefully planned than before. The current holiday towns and villages should be streamlined, but this requires particular professional skills and, for example, the organisation of architectural tenders and design competitions.’

Lapland has a lot to offer: unspoilt nature, forests, wilderness areas, glacial mountains, bodies of water, and tranquillity. According to Hautajärvi, these things should all be preserved with high quality and faithful building and landscape architecture, as well as better interior and general design.

‘In this way, we'd get durable and appealing tourism destinations, with as carefully designed architecture and interiors as in the best examples found in the history of Lapland's tourism architecture,’ Hautajärvi concludes.

Hautajärvi's research is grounded in broad-based archive studies and in-situ observations. The dissertation also handily includes 240 photographs representing the history of and changes undergone in Lapland architecture. Many of the images are being published for the first time.

Orders for the dissertation can be placed with the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture’s online bookshop: artsbooks@aalto.fi.

Further information, an e-copy of the dissertation, and image requests:

Harri Hautajärvi
hautajarvi(at)nic.fi
tel. +358 45 2331 310

In his doctoral dissertation written at the Department of Design at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Antti Pirinen examines the complicated way in which the planning living arrangements relates to the residents, and production.

Focusing on residents is a recognised and important goal in housing production. However, this is not necessarily realised in practical planning and construction. Pirinen wants to fix the shortcoming by approaching housing production from an atypical angle - that of user-oriented design.

‘Although we know much about people's needs and hopes with respect to housing, they often do not translate into solutions in design,’ Pirinen says, describing the problem addressed by his research.

‘From the residents' point of view much more needs to be designed than the physical building.’

Concepts of dwelling link individuality and reproducibility

The interests of industry and those of residents can converge in a so-called dwelling concept. In his thesis Pirinen has studied five different Finnish dwelling concepts. In them construction companies, for instance, offer a service allowing residents to make individual choices concerning a dwelling, or residents can commission the construction of a house within the framework of a concept.

Pirinen seeks to close the gap between products and processes standardised by industry on the one hand, and very resident-oriented concepts on the other.

‘How is it possible to establish differences in repeated concepts, and how could users participate in the planning process, bringing their own values and needs into it?’ Pirinen asks, as a way of defining the challenges related to planning.

‘It is necessary to ascertain what elements of a dwelling and the environment, and their fixed establishment and variation in housing production - will bring residents value and individuality,’ Pirinen says.

High-quality planning exceeds users' expectations

In user-oriented design, qualitative differences in people's needs, lifestyles, and values are examined. This differs considerably from the statistical and demographic methods of housing research. Pirinen compiles the dwelling experiences of people of very different socioeconomic backgrounds and suggests how to include the needs of the residents in housing production in a concrete manner.

"User orientation does not only mean asking people what kinds of dwellings or products they want and need. The value of professional and creative design and planning is that the final product is always better than the user could have imagined", Pirinen emphasises.

According to Pirinen, housing planners and developers do not sufficiently utilise information about the residents.

"It is known that nearly everybody appreciates peacefulness and proximity to nature. However, they also mean different things to different people, and therefore require different design solutions.

The doctoral dissertation Master of Arts Antti Pirinen, ”Dwelling as Product: Perspectives on Housing, Users and the Expansion of Design”, will be examined at Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design, and Architecture on Wednesday, 16 April 2014 at 12.00 noon in lecture room 822, Hämeentie 135 C, Helsinki. His opponent will be Prof. Sten Gromark from the Chalmers University of Technology. Serving as custos will be Prof. Pekka Korvenmaa. Orders for a copy of the dissertation can be made to the online bookstore of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design, and Architecture: books.aalto.fi, enquiries: artsbooks@aalto.fi.

Further information:

Antti Pirinen
antti.pirinen@aalto.fi
tel. +358 40 5300 828

It was supposed to be just a year-long visit, but the things turned otherwise. Atsushi Takano, who graduated as architect in Japan, came to Otaniemi five years ago to take part in an intensive course on wood construction – and he is still here.

– Once the course was over, I started hankering after extra knowledge on wood from the perspective of material sciences.  I was accepted as a student to the Department of Forest Products Technology, where I had the luck to work with Professor Matti Kairi and Professor Stefan Winter investigating environmental questions concerning wood construction.  After graduating as a Master of Science in Technology, I therefore already had three specialities: architecture, wood engineering and environmental science. Combining these seemed like a good idea, and thus I started working on my dissertation, he smilingly tells.

Learning from traditional building construction

In his dissertation, Atsushi Takano wants to examine and find out about the best alternative for a building structure from the environmental point of view.  He is especially interested in traditional vernacular buildings in Finland and Japan as good reference of sustainable living solutions. He is aiming to develop sustainable massive timber structure in a cold climate area by learning from the past. .

– I have studied traditional building techniques in Finland and Hokkaido, the climate of which is very similar to that of Helsinki.  In both places, due to the conditions, people have learnt to build homes suitable for a cold climate while using materials that are available close by, energy efficiently and not needing any advanced technology. I believe that Finnish traditional log cabins and Chise buildings in Hokkaido have a lot of which we can learn even in modern times.

In a cold climate, one of the greatest factors that affects living condition is the heating in homes. In traditional log cabins and Chises, keeping the building warm is further aided, among other things, by its simple form, frugal ventilation and building material that stores heat. In addition to warmth, wood has the ability to store and release humidity.

– As far as indoor air quality and living comfort are concerned, it is an excellent property, Atsushi Takano explains.

New kind of city living

In addition to the dissertation research, Atsushi Takano works in the Energy-Efficient Townhouse project run by the Department of Architecture. Its purpose is to develop new housing typologies that are both energy-efficient and affordable by referring common housing type in Central Europe which might be suitable for Finland.

– In addition to environmental issue, we are also interested in economic and social questions, in the way people experience and feel about their homes. In a Finnish townhouse, compact living is, in fact, combined with individuality and privacy. Based on the project, we can provide the stakeholders (e.g. City of Helsinki, housing companies and constructors) with guidelines to back construction in new areas, Atsushi Takano hopes.

Text Minna Hölttä, photos Minna Hölttä and Atsushi Takano

In his doctoral dissertation for the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Batsirai Chivhanga examines how research into design can be applied in developing the production of mobile content services.

‘The use and demand for mobile applications has grown alongside that for smartphones. For instance, in Africa, various applications are used for the achievement of development goals. However, many unrealised possibilities still exist in the utilisation of these services - for example, as part of the activities of organisations,’ Chivhanga says.

Chivhanga developed a design research approach with the name Mobile Phone Transformation (MPT). With its help it is possible to evaluate the needs linked with mobile services before the actual design takes place. In practice this happens, for instance, by observing or interviewing the target users of the service, or by carefully sniffing out future developments in technology.

‘On the basis of data collected from real life, it is possible to design more innovative applications and features for mobile telephones which serve the real needs of the target group. The MPT model can be used by organisations when there is a need to design apps that support their core activities.’

According to the dissertation, mobile applications that are planned based on the needs of the users - that is, for their benefit - make it possible, for instance, to bring about new, more efficient ways to deal with daily tasks.

‘The tools and software that I have developed can have transformational effects in the use of the target audiences,’ Chivihanga explains.

Multidisciplinary approach tested in practice

Concepts in the background of the Mobile Phone Transformations approach are derived from different areas of science, such as activity theory, information theory, and design and future research.

‘The concepts also work on their own as benchmarks for design - they can be used as a barometer when evaluating the impact of mobile applications,’ Chivhanga says.

The approach was tested in a practical research project, MobiLeap, which was implemented in Finland and Estonia in 2006-2007. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the use of multimedia telephones by young people, and especially the features designed for searching and collecting content.

Defence of dissertation

The doctoral dissertation ‘Designing Beneficial Mobile Content Services: Sourcing Design Ideas from Real Life’ will be examined at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture  on Friday, 4 April 2014 at 12:00 noon in the Sampo auditorium at the Lume Media Centre, Hämeentie 135 C, Helsinki.  Serving as opponent will be Senior Lecturer, Ph.D. Stephen Andrew Roberts (University of West London). Orders for the thesis can be made through the online bookstore of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture: books.aalto.fi, enquiries: artsbooks@aalto.fi

Further information:
Batsirai Chivhanga
Tel. +358 46 906 9957
batsirai.chivhanga@aalto.fi

To avoid various problems, architects should pay more attention to the fact that an image is open to many interpretations, says Architect Sari Tähtinen in her doctoral dissertation.

Tähtinen, who is defending her dissertation at the Aalto University School for Arts, Design and Architecture, presents a textual approach to architecture and architectural research. This means, for example, the understanding of images as textual, multidimensional structures.

‘Images and their use are considered to be an unambiguous and unproblematic way of communication. The prevailing representative concept of images works under the assumption that an image would disclose some kind of a commonly shared content about itself. This notion should be expanded’, Tähtinen says.

In her study Tähtinen stipulates that pictures are textual, layered structures which need interpretation and reading to be dealt with. The different backgrounds and education that people have influence how images are made and interpreted. For this reason, architects often encounter problems when others do not read their plans - that is, their images - in the same way that they do.

‘If architects were more in tune with the textual structure of images, we would have better instructions for participatory planning, for example, in which the planner should be able to work together with people other than experts of their own field’, Tähtinen suggests.

Help in visualising complicated projects

The concept of imagery put forward in the dissertation leans on the so-called textual approach, investigating the way things are linked with each other and how they form a certain kind of texture that is open to analysis. A significant part of the approach is context-based: how something appears depends on how and when it is observed.

According to Tähtinen, the textual approach offers new possibilities to an architect's work. As an example, she mentions the large-scale Euralille urban project, which can be difficult to approach and understand by itself.

‘In large and complex projects, such as Euralille, it is impossible to present everything as an image, as they do not form a work that can be easily identified and demarcated. Such projects are easier to visualise and control by seeking out different contact points from them and by reading them as a textual structure’, Tähtinen says.

Defence of dissertation

Architect Sari Tähtinen graduated from the Helsinki University of Technology in 1998. Alongside her further studies and her research work she has planned and implemented various visual materials at Open Design Oy for clients including Kone, Marimekko and the City of Espoo.  Tähtinen has spoken at several seminars and conferences. She has also  taught at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki.

The doctoral dissertation ‘Writing Architecture. Textual image practices – A textual approach in architectural research’ will be examined at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on 22 November 2013 at 12.00 noon. Location: lecture hall E, Otakaari 1, Espoo. The opponent will be Assistant Professor Hélène Frichot of the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. Orders for the dissertation can be sent to the Online Bookstore of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture: books.aalto.fi, enquiries: artsbooks@aalto.fi, tel. +358 50 313 7086.

Further information:
Architect Sari Tähtinen
Tel. +358 50 304 7434
sari.tahtinen@aalto.fi

M. Sc. Salu Ylirisku, who is defending his doctoral dissertation at Aalto University, examined a design process in which a new kind of multi-channelled map service was developed for those moving around in nature. Ylirisku examined what happens when the same people meet each other repeatedly and talk about the concept of a mapping service.

The study revealed that the idea of a concept emerges only after the initial phase. That is when the resources for an idea are built, and it may take a long time before anyone knows where things are going.

Principles emerge from profound learning

In the mapping service conceptualisation process, the so-called project-specific learning emerged clearly. The term is of Ylirisku's own creation, and it refers to learning that takes place during a project. The initial vision of direction and goals can be quite different from what comes out at the end of the process.

‘In project-specific learning, the moment of insight is significant. That is when a change takes place: people start to speak differently about the object being planned and about what is good and appropriate. The significance of the moment does not come out until later in action and in speech.’

If learning is profound, principles emerge which guide choices that are made in the planning process. Maximising the map experience became a principle in the mapping service project. The aim was to make the map dynamic in a way that allows the user to be in as direct interaction as possible with the map's contents.

New theory of design

Ylirisku's dissertation is both empirical and theoretical. It examines the much talked-about conceptual design - planning that moves forward primarily with the help of speech, drafts and modelling.

For academic research the work offers a theory on project-specific learning. Learning taking place in design projects has not been examined as closely or as deeply in previous studies.

For a designer, the work offers both practical hints as well as a basis for planning the process.

"Uncertainty is worth tolerating. Even if there is initially no clear view of the final outcome, it is still possible to move systematically ahead in the right direction, to produce resources for thinking, and finally to reach a clear perception.

Defence of dissertation

Salu Ylirisku's dissertation ‘Frame it simple! Towards a theory of conceptual designing’ will be examined at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on 15 November at 12:00 noon, lecture hall 822, Hämeentie 135 C, Helsinki. The opponent will be Professor Ellen Christiansen of Aalborg University. Professor Jack Whalen of the Department of Design will act as custos.

Further information:

Salu Ylirisku
tel. +358 40 720 2778
salu.ylirisku@aalto.fi
Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture

The dissertation is based on pragmatic philosophy. It especially applies edifying philosophy developed by philosopher Richard Rorty. The goal of edifying philosophy is to engage in open discussion without the foundation of absolute truths.

‘I aim to create open and sufficient tools to coherently describe the connections within art, not a theoretically sound approach’, the author states.

According to the doctoral candidate, different types of artistic techniques and areas are needed to convey experiences.

‘The content of art is in its ability to convey social experiences, develop our thinking, share experiences, engage in discussion and, through these, expand our understanding of the world.’

The doctoral candidate feels that the history of art is also societal history. According to the author, in order to express multidimensional experiences in art, the artist must comprehend social experiences and their multidimensional and inconsistent structures that affect his or her existence.

Through the pieces on exhibit in his three art exhibitions, Karhu addresses areas such as Christianity, insecurity and fear experienced in societies, social inequity and the effect of shame on the emotions and behaviour of those who are socially rejected.  

According to Karhu, the work of an artist can be seen as that of an educator, who aims to express the dimension of social experiences.

‘Man is fundamentally a social being. We comprehend the world as social beings. Our consciousness is formed in relation to the prevailing social practises and conditions. Art is a tool for engaging in communication in a social world where the significance of experiences is always somewhat abstract.’

Public examination of the doctoral dissertation

Mika Karhu, M.A. (Art and Design), is a visual artist, curator and art teacher. He has curated several exhibitions in Finland and abroad and has worked as a teacher at Aalto University, Lahti University of Applied Sciences and the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts. For his work as a visual artist, he was granted the William Thuring award in 2008. His doctoral studies included three private exhibitions held between 2002 and 2004, which included pieces created using different techniques.

The dissertation ‘Taide sosiaalisen kokemuksen ilmaisuna. Taiteellis-teoreettinen tutkielma taiteen tekemisen lähtökohtiin’ will be reviewed at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on 23 August 2013 at 12 noon (Sampo Hall at Media Centre Lume, Hämeentie 135 C). The opponent is Professor Jan Kalla from the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts.  Orders for the dissertation can be placed with the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture’s online bookshop:books.aalto.fi, inquiries:artsbooks@aalto.fi, tel.+358 (0)50 313 7086.

For further information please contact:
Mika Karhu, M.A. (Art and Design)
mika.karhu@aalto.fi

 According to Jan van Boeckel, M.A.(Art and Design), who is defending his dissertation at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, an art-based environmental education can play a crucial role in remedying this shortcoming. It can also promote new learning and an understanding of complex scientific phenomena.

The material van Boeckel used in his dissertation comes from three different arts-based environmental education (AEE) activities, which the author planned and realised in several countries on several different occasions. AEE participants were encouraged to step outside familiar territory. For example, participants painted a familiar landscape in intensive, complimentary colours or made a self-portrait in clay with their eyes closed.

By examining his own observations, notes, memories and audio-visual recordings as well as interviews conducted with participants, teachers and involved outsiders, van Boeckel interpreted his own experiences and those of the participants. He used interpretive phenomenological analysis and autoethnography as interpretation methods.

As he found in his dissertation research, it remained uncertain whether AEE activities, in and of themselves, caused the participants to experience the natural environment in new and meaningful ways.  Instead, most of their awareness was focused on the level of their own embodied presence, while any connection to the activity's place seemed less important.

According to van Boeckel, AEE activities do indeed help to, above all, inspire and enhance the interest and curiosity of participants. This, in turn, increased the awareness of one's own body and its interaction with the natural world. The teacher plays an active and crucial role in this. The co-ordinator's job is to create a situation in which the making of art encourages participants to experience familiar things in a whole new way.

‘Science education sometimes does its best to eliminate the enchantment, mystery and poetry of the world. In learning new things and understanding complex scientific phenomena, the ability to imagine and look at things differently is, however, an absolute necessity’, explains author and documentary filmmaker van Boeckel.

The study is part of a research tradition, in which innovative forms of sustainable education are sought.

Dissertation

Jan van Boeckel, M.A.(Art and Design), will defend his dissertation At the Heart of Art and Earth. An Exploration of Practices in Arts-Based Environmental Education at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on Friday 16 August 2013 at 12:00 p.m. Location: Media Center Lume, Sampo Hall, Hämeentie 135 C. Dr. Sacha Kagan (Fach Kulturvermittlung und Kulturorganisation der Universität Lüneburg) will act as the opponent.  Copies of the dissertation may be ordered on the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture online bookshop at: books.aalto.fi Enquiries: artsbooks@aalto.fiTel. +358 (0)50 313 7086.

Further information:
Jan van Boeckel, M.A.(Art and Design)
jan.van.boeckel@aalto.fi

The multidisciplinary research project deals with body learning linked with creativity and design and the neural mechanisms involved. It combines approaches of neuroscience, psychology, design and education in the study of corporal thinking and creativity. The approaches of the various disciplines link the themes of mind, experience and social interaction, revealing new information about the relations of socio-emotional and corporal learning in the processes of art, craft and design. The goal of the research is to open a new kind of research tradition in neuroscience that targets the processes of art, craft and design.

Only a small amount of neurological research linked with design thinking has been carried out, which gives the research consortium excellent possibilities of reaching world class in the fields neuroscience and design research. The Creative Mind research project creates and tests hypotheses linked with the tasks and activities of different areas of the brain, and studies the processes and learning of skills linked with design activities.

Objective: Results applicable to different areas of research

The study comprises four partial studies which complement each other. They will be used to assess how participation in creative craft and design processes will affect the socio-emotional experiences and neural responses of the participants.  In addition, the nature of the related corporal knowledge will be analysed, with a special emphasis on the interaction of the mind, body and materials.

The procedural and theoretical development work that takes place within the framework of research, and the empirical results that are gleaned from it, can be applied further to many areas of research. The results are also expected to promote the development of teaching practices of people of different ages, and to be applicable to service design in the social and health care sector, as well as in therapeutic decisions. It is hoped that the research results will promote more multifaceted design practices and achievements that transcend the boundaries of the environments of today's art and design education and working life.

Further information:
Professor Maarit Mäkelä
maarit.makela@aalto.fi

These are findings from a dissertation by Petra Ahde-Deal, in which she explores the social reasons for women to wear and possess jewellery. Ahde-Deal will defend her dissertation at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture on Friday 25 January 2013. The study is first of its kind, since research in the field of design has not focused on the significance of personal experiences as a motive to wear and possess jewellery.

- Pieces of jewellery are not just contemporary objects; they also function to bring together past, present and future generations. They carry with them memories of relationships, family ties and important milestones in life. Pieces of jewellery that stay in the family for several generations carry particular significance, as they contain so many meanings,' Petra Ahde-Deal explains.

A jewellery box tells a woman’s life story

As her research methods, Ahde-Deal used design probes and in-depth interviews. A total of 28 women from southern Finland and the United States documented their use of jewellery for nine days by keeping a diary and taking photos of themselves. The women were between the ages of 33 and 89, and came from very different backgrounds. Based on this self-documentation, Ahde-Deal conducted in-depth interviews that often evolved into personal discussions.

- Many times, going through the person’s jewellery box meant going through their life story. The pieces of jewellery are associated with a great deal of emotion, and their histories are linked with loved ones and significant life events, Ahde-Deal describes.

Preliminary material for the dissertation research also consisted of extensive story material written by Finnish women, including 464 stories of pieces of jewellery significant to the writers. The theoretical foundation for the study is largely based on sociology, but its results also contribute to the areas of design and jewellery research.

Public examination of the doctoral dissertation

Petra Ahde-Deal graduated as jewellery designer from the Lahti Institute of Design in 2002 and gained a Master of Arts (Art and Design) degree from the University of Art and Design Helsinki (since January 2012 the School of Arts, Design and Architecture) in 2005. She worked as researcher at the School of Art and Design between 2007 and 2012. She has previously worked as a jewellery designer and goldsmith. Ahde-Deal is currently living in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The dissertation was published in January 2013 in the Aalto University publication series Doctoral Dissertations. Orders can be placed with the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture’s online bookshop: books.aalto.fi, enquiries: artsbooks@aalto.fi, tel. +358 50 597 5802.

Further information:
Petra Ahde-Deal Tel. +45 3138 9196 E-mail. petra.ahde-deal@aalto.fi