The ASUTUT research group is currently working with sociologists (Hannu Ruonavaara and his team at Turku University, Department of Social Research) and environmental policy researchers (Markus Laine and his team at Tampere university, Faculty of Management) in the research project focusing on the attractiveness of urban housing from the dwellers’ perspective. The research project, entitled Miksi Turkuun?, is part of and funded by the Turku Urban Research Programme. Researchers involved in the project from ASUTUT group are Sini Saarimaa and Jyrki Tarpio, the first of which is responsible of the design and execution of the focus group discussions concerning dwellings and buildings.

The project is divided into three parts. The first part analyzes the housing supply and housing environment types in the Turku region. The second part explores dwellers' needs and wishes targeting both residential area scale and building scale. Based on the results, the project presents recommendations for the development of attractive residences and residential environments.
 
The focus group discussions of the project are currently underway. In these discussions, people from similar life situations are gathered together to discuss several topics related to experiences and usage of housing environments. More participants are currently sought to some of the project’s focus group discussions, that are held in the beautiful and inspirational environment of Turku Main Library. You can find more information about focus groups and the possibility to participate the research (in Finnish) here.
 
Although the project takes its first steps, researchers have already published a professional article related to the challenge of using the growing knowledge of dweller preferences in the practice of housing design. Sini Saarimaa's and Niina Nieminen's short article titled “Asukaskeskeisyys asuntorakentamisen haasteena: kommunikatiivisesta kuilusta yhteistyöhön?” (“Dweller-centricity as a challenge in housing: From the communicative gap to collaboration?”) is available from ARAViesti 2/2019 (and below).

ASUTUT researcher Sini Saarimaa participated in the multidisciplinary Finnish Conference of Environmental Sciences, that took place on the 10.-11.12.2019 in Mikkeli. The theme of the conference was the topical Circular Economy and Sustainable Growth. The conference brought together scholars from numerous disciplines, from natural to social sciences, and it included a variety of topics from research on road transport to invasive species and for example various technologies for environmental remediation and toxicity measurement. Researchers, academics, scholars, and other attendees of the conference enjoyed the various perspectives of research presentations, poster sessions, motivational keynote speakers and well-organized dinner celebrations.
 
The growing understanding of the limited raw materials has shifted the perspective, also in the context of buildings, towards the use of renewable and recycled materials and extending buildings’ life cycles. Hence, the link between circularity and Saarimaa’s research topic, idea of spatial adaptability (i.e. physical space accommodating changing conditions over time) is widely acknowledged. Saarimaa introduced a qualitative way to assess an apartment’s adaptation potential. Also, she demonstrated the model in the context of Finnish apartment buildings and presented their capacity to accommodate dweller-driven changes.
 
Saarimaa’s presentation underlined, that there are lessons to be learned from our existing housing stock for future developments. For example, the increased efficiency of 21st century’s Finnish apartment buildings (e.g. deeper building frames, lower degree of natural light, etc.) leads to lower ability to accommodate spatial changes unless specific design considerations are taken into account. On the other hand, for example, a structure consisting of load-bearing walls is not an obstacle to adaptability, if other design considerations are included. For this reason, the title of the presentation highlighted that it is wise to look back to see forward: to make wise decisions for the future, we need to know better the performance of the existing built environment.
 

Katja Maununaho talks about how communal living can break the bubbles of loneliness - multipurpose communal spaces can give support in getting to know others. Listen to it here (in Finnish) 

ASUTUT researchers Tapio Kaasalainen and Taru Lehtinen with colleagues from TAU Civil Engineering and Tampere University of Applied Sciences have published a new paper titled ‘Architectural window design and energy efficiency: Impacts on heating, cooling and lighting needs in Finnish climates’ in the Journal of Building Engineering. The presented research explores the energy use effect that various window related design decisions have, alone and combined with each other, highlighting the importance of a holistic design approach. The paper is freely available until December 17th 2019 from the following address:
​https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Zzdu8MyS8uOk~.

The University awarded €20,000 seed funding related to Sustainable Welfare Systems to support our interdisciplinary collaborative research project looking at ways to reimagine social futures for independent living for the ageing population in the Nordic countries.

ASUTUT are a small, yet fundamental part of the interdisciplinary team in which we provide expertise in elderly housing design aspects, and are co-developing the research project with Tampere University colleagues in solar cells technology, social psychological field study, and nursing studies, and others outside of TAU.  The seed funding is in support of developing larger funding bids and to support our interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as establishing collaborations with other Nordic experts in this area. 

So watch this space!

Please come and join us! ​https://www.atut.fi/asutut
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We invite ATUT delegates, and others, to a pre-symposium conversation about recently finished and ongoing research projects related to aspects of sustainable housing design and architecture. This will take place on the afternoon of October 2nd, starting at 2pm promptly.
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Venue: Kampusklubi Workshop-center (in KampusAreena; take lifts to 5th floor, between 13.45 to 14:15pm, to private members area.*)

Following projects will be presented:
14:00 - 14.25 KARKIT Project and its Approach to Affordable Housing - Jyrki Tarpio
14:30 - 14:55 Architectural Design and Energy Efficiency – Findings from the COMBI Project - Tapio Kaasalainen
15:00 - 15:25 A Cookbook for Agile Housing - An Application Developed in Multidisciplinary DAC (Dwellers in Agile Cities) Research Project - Jyrki Tarpio
15:30 - 15:55 Nordic Sustainable Architecture by transnational researchers Elizabeth Donovan and Ula Kozminska (Aarhus school of Architecture, Denmark), with Sofie Pelsmakers (Tampere University, Finland)
16:00 - 16:25 Urban Nature in the Finnish Context - Laura Uimonen
The conversation will be followed by an Urban Nature Walk guided by Laura Uimonen, starting no later than 16:45 (unless weather events prevent us).

* if any access issues to the top floor on KampusAarena, please text Sofie Pelsmakers on +358 (0) 50 4478491

Collaborative research project DAC (Dwellers in Agile Cities) was awarded Tampere University Societal Impact award in September 2019. ASUTUT researchers Jyrki Tarpio and Katja Maununaho were involved. See more here. 

Come study with us! An International Masters Programme in Sustainable Architecture​ at Tampere University in Finland.

Taru Lehtinen has been invited to hold an interactive workshop on "Architectural spatial design solutions for sustainability" at the SBE19 Sustainable Built Environment conference, Helsinki, Finland, 23.5.2019 (15:30pm). She will be joined by Dr Sofie Pelsmakers.

See you there! 

The ASUTUT - Sustainable Housing Design team invite ATUT delegates to a pre-symposium conversation about the team's recently finished projects related to aspects of sustainable housing design and architecture. This will take place on the afternoon of October 2nd, o the day before the main ATUT symposium. Venue to be confirmed. Following projects will be presented and discussed:

• COMBI project: Form, Fabric and Fenestration ­– Findings on Energy Efficient Architecture 
• COMBI Project: The Impact of Spatial Design and Building Use on Energy Efficiency 
• A Cookbook for Agile Housing – An Application Developed in Multidisciplinary DAC Research Project
• KARKIT Project and Its Approach to Affordable Housing