Pirjo Kääriäinen
Senior Advisor
Senior Advisor
A803 Dept. Design
I work as an Associate Professor of Design and Materialities at The School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS). I joined the University in 2008, and since 2011 I have been facilitating interdisciplinary CHEMARTS collaboration between ARTS and the School of Chemical Engineering (CHEM), together with a cross'disciplinary team. CHEMARTS is aiming to inspire students and researchers to explore biomaterials together, and to create new concepts for the sustainable use of plant-based materials. Before my career in academia, I worked eighteen years for Scandinavian textile industry, and gained experience also as an entrepreneur and consultant for creative industries.
Full researcher profile
https://research.aalto.fi/...
Sähköposti
pirjo.kaariainen@aalto.fi
Puhelinnumero
+358503810217
Osaamisalueet
Chemarts, Interdisciplinary collaboration, Bio-based materials, Textile design, Design for sustainability, Biomaterials
Palkinnot
CHEM Impact Act of 2025
Authors of the Mainiot Materiaalit / Marvelous Materials book: Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, and Tapani Vuorinen<br/><br/>Workshops and events related to the book have reached more than 1700 children, teachers, and other professionals during 2024-2025. Helsingin Sanomien Lasten uutiset have reached around 100 000 views per episode.<br/><br/>The books have been showcased in several national and international exhibitions with a total of 25000 visitors (e.g. Designs for a Cooler Planet at Aalto, Graphic Days Turin, Italy and Dutch Design Week, Holland).<br/><br/>Seven teacher trainings have been organized to spread the message. Teachers have told that they have used the book in their teaching. Three summer camps were organized for children in collaboration with Aalto Junior, leading to comprehensive learning about bio-based materials.<br/><br/>The book has been featured in 12 national or international media including, e.g. a news item in Wallpaper magazine, a major voice in the forefront of global design and creativity.
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems
Jan 2025
Student prize: Ornamo Award 2024
Awarded in the category of master's thesis. Iines Jakovlev: Kuitukasveja tienpientareelta - Materiaalitutkimus tienvarsien kasveista ja niiden soveltuvuudesta muotoilun materiaaliksi
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Design
Sep 2024
Aalto Awards 2022: Education Impact award
Professor Jani Romanoff and Vice Dean Rasmus Vuori together with their teams, were awarded for their excellent contribution for the reform of the programme portfolios and structures of the education offered by their schools.<br/><br/>In the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, the team led by Rasmus Vuori coordinated the comprehensive reform of the bachelor's and master's programme structure and management model. The reform enables the increase of multidisciplinary cooperation and the balancing of the workload of students and staff.
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Design
Jan 2022
Aalto Awards 2022: Aalto Research Impact Award
Aalto University Bioinnovation Center was granted the Research Impact award.<br/><br/>The Bioinnovation Centre, opened this summer and established with the grant received from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, will accelerate the transition towards bio and circular economy. Building pilot equipment based on the Ioncell® technology has been the centre's first significant investment, enabling a giant leap in the development of the Ioncell® technology. A multidisciplinary doctoral school forms a pivotal part of the centre's operations, with research projects focusing on, for example, eco-sustainable textiles, as well as packaging combining high-quality design and technology.
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems
Jan 2022
Student Prize: New European Bauhaus Rising Stars 2022
Category: Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking > 2022 ‘The Rising Stars’ prize went to Aalto MA student Irene Purasachit’s FLAUX- flower waste project.
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Design
Jan 2022
Suomi-palkinto
Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career
Department of Design
Dec 2019
Dean's Award (Aalto ARTS)
Community building across the University
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Design
Dec 2017
Vuoden tekstiilitaiteilija 2016
Vuoden tekstiilitaiteilija on Tekstiilitaiteilijat Texo ry:n vuodesta 1981 alkaen jakama tunnustuspalkinto ansioituneelle tekstiilitaiteilijalle
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Design
Jan 2016
H&M Global Change Award
Pirjo Kääriäinen & team. Ioncell-F™ waste-cotton into new textile was awarded as one of five winners among 2,700 proposals.
Award or honor granted for a specific work
Department of Design
Jan 2016
Tutkimusryhmät
- Fashion/Textile Futures
Julkaisut
Marvelous materials / Designs for a Cooler Planet
Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen, Heidi Simppala, Cyrienne Buffet, Jack Kirk
2025
Marvelous materials : Instructions for bio-based experiments
Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen
2025
Everyday Materials / Designs for a Cooler Planet (curator)
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Enni Äijälä, Susanna Ahola
2025
Fostering Bioinnovations : From material ideas towards real-life applications
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei , Susanna Ahola
2024
Mainiot materiaalit : Ohjeita biopohjaisiin kokeiluihin
Greta Salonen, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen
2024
Unlikely materials: Materials for change / Designs for a Cooler Planet
Enni Äijälä, Pirjo Kääriäinen
2024
Materialising the Future: A Learning Path to Understand, Develop and Apply Emerging Materials and Technologies
Venere Ferraro, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Paz Morer-Camo, Anke Pasold
2023
Behind bioinnovations / Dutch Design Week (curator)
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei
2023
Applying DATEMATS Methods and Tools to Experimental Wood-Based Materials: Materiality in an Ideation Process
Tarja-Kaarina Laamanen, Pirjo Kääriäinen
2023
Materialising the Future: A Learning Path to Understand, Develop and Apply Emerging Materials and Technologies
CHEMARTS at Dutch Design Week 2022 (curator)
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei
2022
Designers – the agents of change
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki
2022
Designing Change : New Opportunities for Organisations
Facilitating the future of sustainable textiles and packaging: Aalto University Bioinnovation Center
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Michael Hummel, Susanna Ahola, Greta Salonen
2022
Second Nature by CHEMARTS
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Janika Lehtonen, Tapani Vuorinen
2022
Exploring bio-based materials in an interdisciplinary learning environment: Outlining the design inquiry cycle
Tarja-Kaarina Laamanen, Pirjo Kääriäinen
2022
The Design Research Society Conference (DRS2022)
Materialising the Future – CHEMARTS 10 years
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Saara Kantele, Irene Purasachit, Liisa Tervinen, Tatja Jakovlev, Nina Riutta, Aarni Tujula, Tapani Vuorinen
2021
Muotoilu ja tiede kohtaavat materiaalikehityksessä
Pirjo Kääriäinen
2021
Muotoilun avaimet älykkääseen teollisuuteen ja liiketoiminnan ketterään kehittämiseen
What Biodesign Means to Me
Pirjo Kääriäinen
2021
Biodesigned
Conditions for experiential knowledge exchange in collaborative research across the sciences and creative practice
Camilla Groth, Margherita Pevere, Kirsi Niinimäki, Pirjo Kääriäinen
2020
CoDesign: International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts
The CHEMARTS Cookbook
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Liisa Tervinen, Tapani Vuorinen, Nina Riutta
2020
Towards sustainable textile materials: Potential Pathways and Dialogues between Disciplines.
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki
2019
NORDES 2019: WHO CARES?
Designing Cellulose for the Future
Kirsi Kataja, Pirjo Kääriäinen
2018
Materials Matter exhibition at Slush 2018
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Heidi Henrickson, Liisa Poskiparta, Ariane Relander, Kati Miettunen
2018
Surface tailoring and design-driven prototyping of fabrics with 3D-printing
Tiia Maria Tenhunen, Oldouz Moslemian, Kari Kammiovirta, Ali Harlin, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Monika Österberg, Tekla Tammelin, Hannes Orelma
2018
Materials & Design
"CHEMARTSING" - An Experimental, multidisciplinary, collaborative and future oriented pedagogy with wood based biomaterials
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki, Andreas Lindberg
2017
REDO
Lost in the Wood(s)
Pirjo Kääriäinen, Liisa Tervinen
2017