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Aalto is a partner in the New European Bauhaus initiative

The EU initiative imagines future ways of living by combining design, culture, social inclusion, science and technology.
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Camilo Cortes' Reina bench Photo: Karoliina Paappa

The New European Bauhaus initiative connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces. It calls on all Europeans to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls.

The initiative will mobilise designers, architects, engineers, scientists, students, and creative minds across disciplines to reimagine sustainable living in Europe and beyond.

The built environment causes more than a third of our carbon footprint and half of the world’s natural resources are consumed in construction each year. It also has a strong impact on our daily lives, our identities, wellbeing and biodiversity.

In Europe, the Green Deal aims to make significant improvements to the sustainability of the built environment in the coming years.

Kokoon is a portable, prefabricated wooden house prototype. Photo: Anne Kinnunen
Kokoon is a portable, prefabricated wooden house prototype. Photo: Anne Kinnunen

As a Bauhaus partner, Aalto focuses on the following three themes that build on the Nordic values in urban living environments: 

  1. Decarbonising design by balancing carbon emissions to sinks and storages. As Finland is pursuing carbon neutrality as the first EU member state, we are exploring how wood architecture, landscape design, circular economy, urban metabolism and sustainable financing can contribute to the aspiration of carbon neutrality. 

  1. Strengthen local identities and cultural resilience through sustainable architecture and settlements. The architect’s role becomes one of a socially involved designer, who understands the needs of the community and functionality of the living environment—but this requires real shifts in mindset. Inclusive design is especially relevant in low-income areas that are exposed to climate-related hazards and disaster risks. 

  1. Building a digital community around new ways of thinking and building methods. The plan is to create digital learning materials and participatory platforms to develop built environments. 

Aalto has tentatively committed to organise the following events during the co-planning phase of the New European Bauhaus: 

  • An online workshop for professionals and researchers during the co-design phase of the New European Bauhaus (Beyond sustainability-as-usual: co-creating transformative change in sustainable living 5 May, 2021) 

  • A national Bauhaus happening for citizen participation (Spring 2021) 

  • Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition that presents inspirational projects and transformative ideas on the Otaniemi campus and an online exhibition as part of Helsinki Design Week. (September 2021) 

More specific dates and information will be updated later. 

Additional information: 

Specialist Enni Äijälä, Aalto Leadership Support Services 
+358 50 359 4810 
[email protected] 

The New European Bauhaus home pages

New European Bauhaus: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together

The first Nordic co-design event on March 24, 2021

https://www.nordicbauhaus.eu/

Aalto Everyday Experiments Design for Government Photo: Valentina Casalini

Beyond sustainability-as-usual: co-creating transformative change in sustainable living

Aalto's main event in New European Bauhaus concentrates on radically bold questions.

Events
Aalto New European Bauhaus proposals Photo: Aleksi Poutanen

Contribute to the New European Bauhaus initiative this Spring

We all have the possibility to contribute to the EU’s Green Deal pilots and agenda during Spring 2021. 

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Designs for a Cooler Planet logo

Designs for a Cooler Planet 2021

In a world of plenty, what is wise to design for the next generations? This year's theme is Resource wisdom, and a university-wide event will take place in September 2021.

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Student teamwork at Aalto University. Image: Unto Raunio

Department of Architecture

We train professionals to design human-centred environments.

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Department of Design

The Department of Design is a diverse community of competent, creative and responsible individuals. In design, we appreciate technical skill, social significance and artistic expression.

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Department of Built Environment

Water resources, spatial data, sustainable asset management and safe transportation.

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

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.

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