Prospects from the Troughs
If there is a silver lining to be found in the current downtrend, it is the fact that it at least offers us an opportunity to evaluate the results of the latest construction boom critically, writes Kristo Vesikansa.
Making Finland Visible – A Response to Rainer Mahlamäki
Finnish architecture arouses interest around the world as long as it is actively promoted in various media, writes Wolfgang Jean Stock.
Where Can One Find Housing Reform?
The reform of housing construction often requires completed pioneering buildings. We asked Jyrki Tarpio, a postdoctoral researcher in housing design, to evaluate the apartment buildings presented in the Housing Reform issue (2/2025) that originate from Housing Reform architectural competitions and the City of Helsinki’s Re-Thinking Urban Housing programme.
What Did We Learn from the Previous Building Boom?
For the past couple of years, housebuilding has been stagnant across Finland. Homes built during the boom years that preceded the downturn have come under sustained criticism for their poor quality. What should the industry do differently when construction activity picks up again? We asked five architects to share their solutions.
Unique, Personalised and Urban Housing
When an architect or client sets out to build a multistorey residential building for their own use, the end result is often more intriguing than what is typically generated through ordinary housing production – for example, a home base for a theatrical community or a combination of a private home and an editorial office for an architectural journal.
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.
Where Did the Landscape Go?
Urban nature is more than healthy and hygienic green space steered by science and technology, argues landscape architect Meri Mannerla-Magnusson.
Natura conclusa
What would cities look like if they were sometimes designed for species others than humans?
Art in the Forest – Two Artist-Architects in Conversation
What values and meanings does the contemporary public art in Finland convey?