Small and simple living
The bigger the home, the more resources it consumes
Time Out!
Rethinking Construction
In the time it takes you to read this text, the global construction industry will have poured some 60,000 tonnes of concrete. In just one day, it will have consumed over 250,000 tonnes of fossil-based plastics and close to 1 billion tonnes of steel. As a result, over one third of global carbon emissions are associated with the construction of the built environment. Construction is adversely affecting the climate, ecosystems, humans and non-humans every day.
At Aalto University Finland, we’re calling time out!
We’re inviting policy makers, construction companies, material manufacturers, architects, designers, engineers and everyone living in the built environment to rethink our entire approach.
1 Let’s not build, but use what we already have
We should use vacant, underused buildings as they are, accepting that the user might need to adapt to the spaces, not the other way around.
As an example, could we have adapted to the 1960's office building on Helsinki's high street Mannerheimintie (photo above)? Unfortunately we'll never know, since it was demolished in 2023.
2 Let’s give old buildings a second chance
The next best thing is to repair or refurbish existing spaces. They can be transformed to serve a different purpose. Demolition is not the answer.
A great example is the European Chemical Agency ECHA building in Helsinki, in which an old shipyard workshop was turned into an office building. The main architect was Robert Trapp from L Architects.
3 Let’s build new only within our planetary boundaries
Building something new should be the exception, not the norm. We should build new only when the benefits to people’s health and safety outweigh the harms. Closing the loop, slowing down and adopting regenerative principles is key.
The image is of Little Finlandia pavillion, a fully recyclable modular structure that can be re-assembled for a new purpose.
This exhibition highlights solutions that could help change the mindset and keep the built environment within our planetary boundaries. It’s time to turn our thought process around!
Exhibition Projects
Misfit wood
Challenging the norm
Little Finlandia
Longevity is the real sustainability
Geopolymers– an alternative to concrete
Materials right beneath our feet
Light Clay
A material of the past, present and future
Rammed earth technique
Ancient methods in a modern context
Carbon neutral metals
Less bad, more good
Researchers' Call-to-Action / COP29
Read the collective call for climate action, sign the statement or endorse it!
The construction sector must up its game
We cannot afford to waste the resources that we have already invested into our built environment.
Concept, curation: Professor Matti Kuittinen
Concept, curation, production: Sini Koskimies, Enni Äijälä
Policy advisor: Sarianna Kankare
Exhibition architecture & design: Markus Koistinen
Visual identity & graphic design: Milja Komulainen
A warmhearted thank you to all creators, collaborators and facilitators:
Maarit Mäkelä, Jussi Leveinen, Priska Falin, Amedeo Martinez, Leena Korkiala-Tanttu, Anssi Luoma, Johanna Hyrkäs, Ville Repo, Jaakko Torvinen, Havu Järvelä, Elli Wendelin, Pekka Heikkinen, Jaana Vapaavuori, Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi, Ari Jokilaakso, Mark Hughes, and Saara Kantele.
We are Aalto University, a community and network of academics, architects, designers, artists, scientists, engineers, writers, doers, thinkers, innovators, businesses, brands, consumers and citizens. We believe that if we can imagine radical, revolutionary change, we can make it happen, too.
Interested in collaborating? Contact Aalto University: [email protected]