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Designs for a Cooler Planet — Helsinki Design Week 2020

Published: 6.8.2020

Helsinki Design Week at Otaniemi showcases inspiring future designs related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Designs for a Cooler Planet 2020: Race for the Future

We are in a race for a cooler planet

The clock is counting down. Current issues concerning energy production, single-use products and packaging, aggressive urbanisation and unsustainable consumption are alarming and require radical change.

Achieving our goal of a sustainable transition requires focused, novel approaches from all areas of society.

Our community has over 30 projects that show how collaboration between designers, researchers and stakeholders can lead to better solutions for people and the environment to help us reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

It’s our future, so there’s everything to play for.

According to the current coronavirus guidelines, only the Aalto students and personnel can visit the Otaniemi campus exhibitions without pre-booking.

Aalto University employees, students and visitors are expected to work and study remotely for two weeks after returning from any trip abroad.

From September 7 onwards, we will organise a few small group visits to the exhibitions at Väre and Vuorimiehentie 2A. Visits must be booked in advance.

Registration to the Väre tours

Registration to Vuorimiehentie 2A

For the time being, we’ll organise all events (except Infrastructure walk) as virtual events.

Attend the online events

Check out the outdoor locations you can visit at Otaniemi, no pre-booking needed:

bio.modules.pavilion is an experimental architecture project. The pavilion is made out of biomaterial that reacts to weather changes. Located at: Alvarinaukio behind the Harald Herlin Learning Center, Otaniementie 9, Espoo. Open for visitors until 09:10:2020.

The Otaniemi campus area exhibitions are in five different locations which all have different opening hours. Please check specific and updated details from the individual event pages. We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely, and the event will follow all of the rules and regulations set by the Finnish authorities. The safety of the employees, students and visitors is always prioritised.

Read latest guidelines about coronavirus

Farewell to fossil fuels

More than half of our energy still comes from fossil fuels. No single technology can replace our reliance on them.

Close the loops

Making things and manufacturing processes produce pollution and environmental degradation, draining natural resources.

Hack our habitat

Aggressive urbanisation is straining our ecosystem. Rising construction volume causes massive demand for energy-intensive construction materials, and construction already accounts for 39 per cent of the global CO2 emissions.

Consume consciously

Household consumption accounts for more than 60 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 50–80 per cent of total land, material and water use.

ONLINE: Designs for a Cooler Planet — online programme

See the virtual event program.

See all virtual events

Designs for a Cooler Planet catalogue 2020

3.62 M

Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the General Assembly of the United Nations introduced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core.

We now have ten years left to reach the SDGs. To make the necessary shifts, we need intelligent and well-designed solutions, designed together as teams.

This race isn’t won with speed, it’s won with creativity.