Visualising Our Future Public Realm (VOF)
It is already widely known that architecture and construction is the largest sector in economies causing huge numbers of emissions and negatively affecting the natural environment. This requires industries to change their operations and deliver the green transition urgently. One of the underutilised forces is the creativity of design agencies. However, Finnish design-related companies face challenges in navigating new sustainability goals, as the concept is complex and unclear, extending beyond aesthetics, functionality, and even technical aspects.
The project partners with leading architecture and engineering firms from Finland: ALA Architects, Lukkaroinen Architects, Olla Architecture, Muuan, and Sitowise. These companies already have exceptional foundational skills for the green transition and they seek to deepen their understanding of sustainable architecture and refine their services. Architects are ambitious to demonstrate international examples in sustainable design and make this expertise their competitive advantage. The VOF project will assist architectural offices in developing new sustainable design skills and practices, enhancing the global recognition of Finnish architecture.
The project focuses on digital tools to enable neighbourhood green transitions through improving public spaces, local services and transport systems, and social practices. It questions which tools best support architects and urban planners to deliver this transition and how to integrate them into professional practices. We aim to create a prototype of the tool and a series of scientific publications answering this.
Business Finland funded Visualising Our Future Public Realm Together in 2023-2024 aiming for structural renewal in business and industry, while gaining a competitive advantage in sustainable solutions.
Antti Nousjoki, architect SAFA, founding partner at ALA ArchitectsWe are able to deal with the quite large projects and systems and take big technically elaborate responsibilities. We learn the kind of more intimate community engagement skills and more nuanced approaches, but we can certainly be proud of capability of handling quite large issues.
Professor Antti AhlavaFinnish Architecture is maybe missing communication skills and beneficial unique selling points.
Mikko Lahikainen, architect SAFA, CEO at Olla ArchitectureWe need to create a common understanding of what is sustainable and how can we achieve it.
Director of the project, Professor of Emergent Design Methodologies Antti Ahlava (Aalto University, Department of Architecture, Group X); Professor of Architectural Design Fernando Nieto (Tampere University, School of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, SPREAD research group). Along with Post-doctoral researcher Laura Berger and Doctoral researcher Natalia Vladykina (Department of Architecture) and Doctoral researcher Simon Kay-Jones (Tampere University, School of Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment).
In collaboration with Senior Research Fellow Dan Phillips from the Royal College of Art (Intelligent Mobility Design Centre) and SmartViz company led by Shrikant Sharma.
Finnish architecture firms:
ALA Architects, represented by founding partner, architect SAFA Antti Nousjoki and business development manager Essi Rautiola, and concept designer Thomas Miyauchi;
Lukkaroinen Architects, represented by Laura Sorri and Satu Fors;
Muuan, represented by CEO and founding partner, architect SAFA Aleksi Rastas;
Olla Architecture, represented by CEO, architect SAFA Mikko Lahikainen and partner, interior architect Tea Ellala;
Sitowise, represented by head of department, Urban Design Kirsi Rantama, design manager Matias Halmeenmäki, and service manager and BIM expert Jarkko Männistö.
The team produced a Book of VOF publication featuring chapters: “Social Media and Video for Sustainable Architecture” by Antti Ahlava & Fernando Nieto, “Qualitative Evolutionary Design for Social Innovation in Architecture” by Antti Ahlava, “Nooks and Corners of Architectural Knowledge” (based on a presentation by Laura Berger and Rosana Rubio Hernández at Kaupunkitutkimuksen päivät/Urban Planning Days 2023) by Laura Berger and several scientific articles, that are listed below.
- “Exploring the Meta-plasticity of Digital Tools Through Emerging Trends in Design Processes”. Author: Simon Kay-Jones. Presented at the Urban Planning & Architectural Design for Sustainable Development conference (UPADSD) at the University of Florence, Italy, 2024. Will be published in Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI), Springer, during 2025.
- “Assemblies: Service-Oriented Digital Platform for the Green Transition in Architecture”. Authors: Natalia Vladykina & Antti Ahlava. Presented at the Urban Planning & Architectural Design for Sustainable Development conference (UPADSD) at the University of Florence, Italy, 2024. Will be published in Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI), Springer, during 2025.
- “Libraries as Generators of Peace” (working title). Author: Laura Berger. Presented at the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) conference in Paris, France, 2024. To be published in an edited book by Routledge during 2025.
- “Engaging Autonomy: Helsinki Central Library Oodi”. Authors: Fernando Nieto & Laura Berger. Presented at the International Conference on Architecture between Autonomy and Engagement (CICA), 2024. The article will be published as a book chapter in a proceedings book by Park Books, Zurich, during 2025.
- “Conviviality and Urban Planning” (in Finnish). Author: Laura Berger. Will be published in Yhdyskuntasuunnittelu journal in Finnish during 2025.
- Wisdom Letters | University of Jyväskylä. Authors: Antti Ahlava, Laura Berger, Simon Kay-Jones, Fernando Nieto, Dan Phillips, Natalia Vladykina. Will be published during 2025.
The project involved master-level students into exploration through two university courses. A cross-disciplinary Capstone Project studio course for students in architecture, urban geography and interior architecture took place at Aalto University with a trip to London for a site visit and a workshop in the Royal College of Art in autumn 2023. Titled THE DANCE OF LIFE, it explored a new direction for evolutionary architecture and social innovation. Another Architectural Design course was held at the Tampere University’s School of Architecture during spring 2024.
VOF project concluding seminar at the Department of Architecture
Welcome to the closing seminar of the Visualising Our Future Public Realm project at the Department of Architecture 12.12.2014
