Department of Architecture

Department of Architecture

The Department of Architecture at Aalto University is an internationally renowned education and research unit. With respect to Finland’s esteemed architectural heritage, we find solutions to the future challenges of construction. For decades, our teaching has maintained strong ties to the practical work undertaken at architecture firms.

To us, architecture is an art form that require practical knowledge, individual artistic development, as well as technical and economical knowledge regarding construction. We educate critical thinkers who accept their responsibility to research and design a socially, culturally and ecologically sustainable built environment.

Student teamwork at Aalto University. Image: Unto Raunio

Bachelor Programmes

Sisustusarkkitehtuuri - Arkkitehtuuri, maisema-arkkitehtuuri ja sisustusarkkitehtuuri, taiteen kandidaatti ja maisteri

Miten tilan atmosfääri syntyy? Miten rakennetun ympäristön kulttuurisia ja kestävän kehityksen arvoja edistetään suunnittelun keinoin?

Aalto University, photo Unto Rautio

Maisema-arkkitehtuuri - Arkkitehtuuri, maisema-arkkitehtuuri ja sisustusarkkitehtuuri, tekniikan kandidaatti ja maisema-arkkitehti

Maisema-arkkitehtuurissa yhdistyvät esteettisyys, ekologisuus ja toiminnallisuus. Monialaiset opinnot antavat hyvät valmiudet työelämään.

Kaksi opiskelijaa työskentelemässä maisemapienoismallin parissa.

Arkkitehtuuri - Arkkitehtuuri, maisema-arkkitehtuuri ja sisustusarkkitehtuuri, tekniikan kandidaatti ja arkkitehti

Arkkitehtuurin pääaineen tarkoituksena on varmistaa, että opiskelija tuntee arkkitehtonisen suunnittelun perusteet. Kandidaatin tutkinto ei tuota arkkitehdin ammattipätevyyttä, mutta se antaa opiskelijalle hyvät valmiudet toimia avustavissa ammatillisissa tehtävissä esimerkiksi arkkitehtitoimistoissa tai julkisissa suunnitteluvirastoissa.

Rakennettu ympäristö muodostaa maassamme kansallisvarallisuuden perustan. Siksi on tärkeää, että opiskelija oppii jo kandidaattivaiheessa hahmottamaan kokonaisvaltaisesti rakentamisen tehtäväkentän ja ihmisläheisen toimintaympäristön. Kandidaatin tutkinto antaa opiskelijalle hyvät valmiudet toimia avustavissa ammatillisissa tehtävissä.

Students at Undergraduate Centre / Photo by Unto Rautio

Master Programmes

Architecture - Architecture, Landscape architecture and Interior Architecture, Architect, Master of Science

Architecture is technical and artistic, it is a social art and also an artful science.

Masters degree in Architecture

Urban Studies and Planning, M.Sc in Architecture

"A diverse group of students with different backgrounds is inspiring. Every teacher has a different expertise and some different perspective to bring to the discussion, and the topics we learned broadened my knowledge of the city from very different perspectives”

Urban Studies and Planning

Maisema-arkkitehtuuri - Arkkitehtuuri, maisema-arkkitehtuuri ja sisustusarkkitehtuuri, Maisema-arkkitehti

Maisema-arkkitehdit luovat nähtävää, koettavaa ja elettävää ympäristöä. Maisema-arkkitehtuuri on poikkitieteellinen ja -taiteellinen ala, joka yhdistää taiteen, luonnontieteiden ja tekniikan osaamista. Esteettisyys, ekologisuus ja toiminnallisuus ovat maisema-arkkitehtuurin perusarvoja.

Landscape Architecture

Interior Architecture - Architecture, Landscape architecture and Interior Architecture, Master of Arts (Art and Design)

Interior architecture addresses the close human scale of space and furniture to create meaning and value to people and organisations, and to transform and renew the everyday living environment. Dealing with the design of immediate interior and exterior environments, interior architecture requires understanding on human culture, needs and aspirations, the bodily experience and senses, and the spatial, material and technological means to meet these. A skilled interior architect is capable of integrating diverse elements into functional and experiential design solutions that exceed the users’ and clients’ expectations and are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

The programme educates interior architects with a distinct design personality. It comprises studies on spatial design and furniture design. Concrete design assignments form a major part of education. The studies emphasise advanced practical design skills combined with conceptual and strategic design thinking and research-driven design. Students are encouraged to expand the frontiers of the discipline by addressing systems level problems and societal challenges across the scale of built environment.
Students graduated from the programme are eligible to work as professional interior architects.

Aalto Learning Centre Interior

Professional Studies

Aalto WiT Programme is a 5-month transdisciplinary professional diploma programme under the Aalto University World in Transistion LAB (WiTLAB). The Programme focuses on the resilience of human settlements in the Global Majority context. 

WiT Programme

Aalto WiT Programme is a 5-month transdisciplinary professional certificate programme under the Aalto University World in Transition Research LAB (WiTLAB). The programme focuses on the resilience of human settlements in low & middle-income countries.

WiT Programme

Faculty

Research

The research done at the Department of Architecture produces knowledge about architecture, landscape architecture, urban studies and planning, design practice, the role of architecture in society and the future of construction. We also study architectural history and conservation. Furthermore, our focus areas include construction in the social and health sector, construction for a sustainable future, computer-assisted design methods, and humanitarian architecture. Our research profile covers both basic research in architecture and applied research answering the needs of the industry and public sector.

The research relates to multidisciplinary research areas at Aalto University, especially the human-centred living environments, supported by the Living+ Platform.

TIME – History of Architecture and Architectural Conservation

The research group concentrates on architectural-historical research, heritage and architectural conservation.

Picture of some members of the research group

Sotera

SOTERA is the research group for Health and Wellbeing Architecture within the Department of Architecture at Aalto University. Our work supports Aalto University’s focus areas of Health and Wellbeing and Human-centred living environments.

Aalto

Wood Program

The Wood Program is a one-year program of study that focuses on wood architecture and industrial building. The program is intended for architects, engineers and other students with a background in design and strong interest in timber construction.

Architect doing handson work at the Wood Program of Aalto University. Photo by Anne Kinnunen

Group X (external link)

A focus group at the department of architecture at Aalto University

group x logo

Landscape Research Laboratory

Landscape laboratory brings together landscape architecture research projects, collaboration networks, publication projects and dissertations

Kaavio _ Paula_Piirainen

Design of structures (external link)

Digital technologies as means of production in architectural practice enabling new methods of design and enlarged possibilities of architectural expression.

Aalto University Design of structures research group

WiTLAB

An interdisciplinary cross-school research and education unit hosting collaborative initiatives across Aalto University

WiTLAB logo

SPHERE

SPHERE Spatial Planning, Housing, and Environment Research

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Student Works

A collection of Department’s student works

Aalto Stoa (external link)

A collection of Department’s student works on Aalto campus 2015–

Future Media Centre Yizhou Zhao Aalto University

Thesis Works

A collection of thesis works from Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Studies and Planning, and Interior Architecture programmes.

thesis_poster_by lumikari_oskari

Aalto University Department of Architecture Yearbook 2020-2022

Writing the yearbook 2020-2022 of the Department of Architecture at Aalto University was inspired by the Department's 150th anniversary. 

Architecture Education in Finland 150 years: Aalto University Department of Architecture Yearbook 2020-2022

The yearbook 2020-2022 of the Department of Architecture at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University introduces pandemic period student work, but also describes architectural education over a 150-year period between 1872-2022.

Mustavalkokuvassa arkkitehtiopiskelijoita vuodelta 1921

Aalto ARTS' Communications Guide

Easy access communication tools and help for everyone! This guide is updated according to the needs of ARTS members. Login (top right) to view all content. Some pages are internal, so they are only visible to logged-in ARTS members.

Aalto ARTS Handbook

Aalto ARTS Handbook/ communication guide

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Where to find us

School of Arts, Design and Architecture by Sari Dhima

Väre

Otaniementie 14
School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Locations
Otakaari 1
Locations

News

Tiny plant with text aside Unite! Seed Fund 2024
Awards and Recognition, Cooperation Published:

Unite! Seed Fund 2024 awards funding to three collaborative teaching projects involving Aalto

The Unite! Seed Fund aims to stimulate and support bottom-up proposals by teachers, researchers and students for collaborative activities.
Students in fron of the Incomplete City architectural concept
Cooperation, Studies Published:

Aalto University students designed a fictional city in Paimio

In October 2024, students from Aalto University participated in the Incomplete City project, a globally recognized architectural exercise where participants design a city.
Sienikasvustoa lasipurkissa läheltä kuvattuna.
Research & Art Published:

Kudos asks why we fear fungi but not microplastics

The Kudos Pavilion, a so-called “library of material relations”, blurs the boundaries between buildings and living organisms
Aalto Open Science Award 2024. A light blue podium hovering over a blue-pink gradient background with the help of squishy-looking balloons with colored lights inside.
Awards and Recognition, Research & Art Published:

Call for nominees for Aalto University’s Open Science Award 2024

Nominate yourself, your colleague, a research group, a department, or a project for the award.

Events

Artificial intelligence, medical decision making and research ethics
Lectures and seminars, Staff trainings, Support for teams, Training to support research

Artificial Intelligence, Medical Decision Making and Research Ethics, Oct 31, 2024

Learn about artificial intelligence, medical decision making, and research ethics with Professor Riitta Salmelin.
AI in research work
Lectures and seminars, Staff trainings, Support for teams, Training to support research

AI in Research Work, Nov 4, 2024

Learn about artificial intelligence in research work with Data Agents Dr. Pedro Silva and Dr. Enrico Glerean.
Otaniemi campus
Conferences

ATUT 2024 - 16th annual symposium of architectural research (external link)

The 16th ATUT Symposium 7-8 November 2024 invites explorations of potential roles of architecture for Regenerative Futures.
Research ethics and legal questions in web-based research
Lectures and seminars, Staff trainings, Support for teams, Training to support research

Research Ethics and Legal Questions in Web-Based Research, Nov 7, 2024

Learn about research ethics and legal questions related to web-based research with Legal Counsel Anniina Harju.

Visit the School of Arts, Design and Architecture

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Visit the School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Information for visitors and guests

Aalto ARTS Handbook
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