Brainstorming students of architecture and engineering come up with smart solutions and wild ideas

Like the year before, the ARTS+ENG project course was directed to first-year students, and this year over 400 students from various fields of architecture and engineering enrolled.

On the course the students work together closely for a period of approximately six weeks. The course culminates in an event open for all, with presentations of the projects generated in small groups.

This project course was arranged for the first time last spring. It intensifies collaboration between architects and engineers at Aalto University and creates a sense of community between the different fields of study.

'We hope the course will stimulate a collaboration between architects and engineers that will continue through the degree – who knows, maybe even through to a doctorate,' says Head of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering Juha Paavola.

Professor Paavola summarises the benefits of multidisciplinary team work:
'When working in a multidisciplinary team, not everyone needs to know quite everything, but someone in the group will always know the answer!'

In his speech at the closing ceremony of this project course, Professor of Wood Architecture Pekka Heikkinen emphasised learning by working together as well as learning from others and from mistakes.

The end product of the course comprised 54 ideas in favour of better everyday life and a better university campus. Students demonstrated their projects in various ways from water colours to posters and models.

Lotta Harjula's team designed an underground leisure pool underneath the sports grounds in the Otaniemi campus.

How could we make Otaniemi the best winter-time campus in the world? The team behind the idea of Loistava proposed one solution: by installing light art activated by movement along the jogging path in the Teekkarikylä student village.

The ARTS+ENG project course is taken at the beginning of the study programme and promotes group dynamics as well as skills in communication, group work and general academic study. Students work in small groups and implement projects in the fields of engineering sciences and architecture. Groups demonstrate and present the results of their projects. The teacher in charge of the course is Lauri Salokangas.