Topic outline

  • General

    • Description


      The Living+ Forum is an open course and lecture series where guest lecturers offers a view on the research and planning of human centered living environments. The guest lecturers are from different fields and the aim is to give a multidisciplinary viewpoint to the issue. The course is open to any Master or Doctoral level students at Aalto University and the lectures are open to anyone.

      Grading: The grading is pass-fail, where a pass require that you attend 80% of the seven lectures and return a written reflection by the end of the course.
      Workload: lectures + adoption 7 x 4h = 28h + reflection essay 26 h = 54 h

      The overall theme of the Living+ Forum 2019 is Inclusive environments, the study of creating environments that accommodate the needs of, and therefore feels welcoming to, everyone regardless of their physical, cultural or economic disposition.

      During 7 sessions, experts from academic, public, private and NGO sectors present research, challenges and successes in their specific fields. The lectures, two per session, take place every Thursday afternoon for 6 weeks in the Undergraduate Centre at Aalto Campus. The Forum ends with a separate 7th lecture on March 14, by Professor Joel Sanders from Yale University.

      The Forum is hosted by the teachers of the course, Professor Pirjo Sanaksenaho and Senior Research Fellow Aija Staffans.

      Course Schedule


      January 10: Libraries as Public Living Rooms

      Hanna Harris, Director, Architecture Information Centre Finland
      Juho Grönholm
      , Architect, ALA Architects

      January 17: Multicultural living environments

      Mariana Salgado, Design and Research Lead, Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)
      Hossam Hewidy
      , Lecturer, Aalto University

      January 24: The segregated city

      Venla Bernelius, Assistant Professor, Helsinki University
      Tuukka Saarimaa
      , Assistant Professor, Aalto University

      January 31: Environments for the aging population

      Raija Hynynen, Senior Housing Adviser, Ministry of Environment
      Ira Verma
      , Architect, Aalto University

      February 7: Architectural democracy

      Sofia Amberla, Development Architect, Association of Finnish Architects’ Offices ATL
      Pedro Aibeo
      , Architect and Engineer, Aalto University

      February 14: Design for all

      Tapio Haanperä, Accessibility Adviser, The Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
      Kirsti Pesola
      , Tech.lic., Finnish Association of People with Mobility Disabilities

      March 14: Body Politics: Social Equity and Public Space
      Joel Sanders, Professor, Yale University