Stories

Research

Research — 10.12.2025

Photorealism reveals assumptions and values rooted in architectural culture

Photorealistic perspective images are often disparaged as illustrations and marketing detached from the actual design, even though in reality photorealism is deeply intertwined with architects’ thinking.

Research — 1.3.2025

The Promise of Medium-Density Housing

A city that provides room for both people and nature might be found somewhere between apartment blocks and detached houses. The Asuma research project gives a new benchmark for optimal urban density.

Research — 1.2.2025

Towards Housing Design for Shared Living

Shared living challenges the established principles of what is considered good housing design.

Research — 1.1.2025

A Child-Friendly City is Slower, More Permissive and Better for Everyone

In a child-friendly city, play spreads beyond parks, and car users have to be flexible, envision landscape architect Mari Ariluoma and researcher Veera Moll. Through discussion, they found eight principles for planning a child-friendly city.

Research — 1.1.2025

The Metabolic City

A nature-inspired concept from the 1960s helps to outline flexibility on a city scale.

Research — 1.5.2024

Planners of the Global South

The Finnish architects’ work in development cooperation has been more diverse than has been understood so far.

Research — 1.4.2024

Short Syllabus in Colour Research

The research-based colour design is weakly known in Finland. Colour researcher Saara Pyykkö shares her insights on what an architect should know about colour.

Research — 1.1.2024

Helsinki is a Prisoner of its Geography and Government

The growth of the Helsinki region is a challenge for the development of Helsinki’s city centre. The urban development ideals that have taken over the planning in Helsinki over the last few decades have failed to recognize the nature of urbanization in the long term.

Research — 1.1.2024

Urban Greenery as a Climate Action

To date, urban planning has failed to pay due consideration to urban carbon sinks and the numerous other benefits of urban green. Researchers in the Co-Carbon project compiled a set of tools for architects and landscape architects to foster carbon-smart solutions.

Research — 1.2.2023

Towards a Pattern of a Healthy City

Along with the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a growing interest in the impact of the living environment on health and wellbeing. A research consortium led by the University of Oulu is trying to find out how future epidemics can be tackled by means of urban planning.

Research — 1.5.2022

Architects as Mediators of Change

Over the recent decades, the temporary use of vacant spaces has been recognised as a sustainable and inclusive approach for managing urban change. For architects, working with temporary uses can be an opportunity to challenge structures that restrict typical architectural work.

Research — 1.5.2022

Learning from the Ugliest Building in Oulu

In the middle of a residential area in Oulu, a silo designed by Alvar Aalto is decaying as one last remnant of a pulp mill that operated on the site in the 1900s. In its unmaintained state, the building offers a lesson in the time of an eco-crisis.

Research — 1.5.2022

Construction Waste and the Fiction of Purity

Modern architecture has made a clear distinction between waste and new construction. A more comprehensive understanding of the concept of waste could help us in understanding the issues of demolition and preservation.

Research — 1.4.2021

The Rise of Solo Living

Almost half of Finnish households have only one member, and the same development can be seen in other Western countries. In her PhD dissertation, architect Anne Tervo found out that spatial needs of solo dwellers are rarely met in apartments typical in contemporary Finnish housing. One solution could be sharing.

Research — 1.2.2021

Zero Arctic

What are the lessons to be learned from the traditional building methods of indigenous peoples in future sustainable construction? The Arctic Council’s project sought alternative views to current planning and designing practices.

Stories

Photorealism reveals assumptions and values ​​rooted in architectural culture

The Promise of Medium-Density Housing

Towards Housing Design for Shared Living

A Child-Friendly City is Slower, More Permissive and Better for Everyone

The Metabolic City

Planners of the Global South

Short Syllabus in Colour Research

Helsinki is a Prisoner of its Geography and Government

Urban Greenery as a Climate Action

Towards a Pattern of a Healthy City

Architects as Mediators of Change

Learning from the Ugliest Building in Oulu

Construction Waste and the Fiction of Purity

The Rise of Solo Living

Zero Arctic

Photorealism reveals assumptions and values rooted in architectural culture