Photograph by Petteri Bülow/YLE from the YLE news article by Johannes Blom: "Arkkitehtiopiskelijat toivovat, että jatkossa kaupungit rakennetaan ympäristön ehdoilla" 9.11.2021
I am a theory, activism and community oriented architect and a doctoral student living in Helsinki, Finland. While I am by nature more theory oriented, I think we planners should aim to represent and act to use our societal position and practice to increase equality and environmental sustainability. As a nonbinary person I have experienced how societal ideologies are transformed into physical restrictions through institutionalized norms. This experience has led me to research institutionalized economic norms in spatial planning and to speak about the norms that create spatial inequality and ecological degradation, especially in rural-urban metabolism.
I am doing my PhD in Tampere University and I have also been active in the You Tell Me -collective since 2020. In You Tell Me -collective and research my aim is to contribute to the paradigm change in the field of architecture and built environment. Based on my understanding and research of ecological transition so far I think we should abandon mandatory growth in economy and urbanization and demand change in the economic structures and measurements of success globally, but especially in EU and rich countries. We should turn towards quality of life with less resources. This includes reducing new construction of buildings and relocating resources for public/common and accessible transportation, energy, accommodation and ecological production in planetary limits.
Along with my research and activism, my life is merged into artistic practice under the name Ode Ilo. Artistic practice connects me to queer culture, which is the core source of empowerment and joy in my life. By emphasizing that everyone is uniquely different from each other, I support the idea of equality as equity. Equity considers equality of outcome more important because it takes into account and celebrates the differences between individuals.
CV
Education
2023- PhD studies at Tampere university. The faculty of built environment.
2019-2022 Architecture MSc, Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture
2020- Bachelor of Political Science (Societal Change), Helsinki University
2014-2019 Bachelor of Science (architecture), Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Publications
2024/8 “Post-growth prosperity” essay about planning problems of shrinking and non-growing regions and possible solutions. Written to be part of the “Sketchy material wasteland” residency program, in VARES recidency.
2023/11 “Arkkitehdin rooli yhteiskunnallisessa muutoksessa” (eng. Architect’s role in societal change) internet article requested by Archinfo for the series “Kaikkien arkkitehtuuri” (Everyone’s architecture). The series was requested from the You Tell Me -collective’s active members.
2022 Master’s Thesis “Approaching change in rural-urban metabolism: a young planner's approach for ecological reconstruction in rural regions of Finland.” Aalto university, school of Arts, Design and Architecture.
2021/8 Arkkitehtiuutiset “Puu kuuluu metsään ja kiertotalouteen” (Transl. “Wood belongs to the forest and circular economy”) by Emel Tuupainen & Seela Pentikäinen (You Tell Me collective) reporting on the "Hope for Wood" discussion series created for the Ministry of Environment and the Museum of Finnish Architecture.
2021 ”Kirkkohanke ympäristökriisin aikakaudella”. In publication “Suojelun ja restauroinnin muuttuvat merkitykset: Arkkitehtuurin historian ja restauroinnin studiokurssin 2021 tekstit.” / Lauri Kyrö, Hugo Leppäsyrjä, Maarit Malinen, Ella Müller, Anttoni Niskanen, Panu Savolainen (Edit.), Meeri Tolonen, Tapio Tuomi, Emel Tuupainen, Jori Uusitalo, Venla Vanakoski, Aaron Vartiainen. Iloinen tiede Oy, 2022.
2020/10/2 Helsingin sanomat “Nykyinen rakentaminen syö rahat, terveyden ja luonnonvarat” (Transl.“Current construction consumes money, health, and natural resources”) with Matti Jänkälä and Emma Savela (You Tell Me collective). A version of the same text was also published on the Rakentaja PRO web publication October 2, 2020.
Work experience
2024 Advisor in a Master's thesis process, "Koti kohtuutalouden Helsingissä" (Oliver Kärki, 2024) translation: "A Home in Post-growth Helsinki"
2024 Creation and facilitating a learning circle about “Entrepreneurship in architecture and post-growth thinking”, 9 sessions, with Lotta Aulamo.
2023 Assistant researcher/planner at Kati Salonen ja Mona Schalin architects Oy. The Office concentrates on advanced renovation and restoration projects and building history reports.
2021-2023 Teacher at “Fill this Space” -Summer and Autumn Schools (in total 4 courses) by Museum of Finnish Architecture and You Tell Me Collective. Summer School of architecture for young 16-20 year old individuals.
2022 Teaching Assistant in the Studio Course of History of Architecture “Climate Change and Built Heritage: Case Suomenlinna” Aalto University, Department of Architecture
2021 Curator and facilitator: Hope From Wood discussion series by Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Ministry of the Environment, You Tell Me Collective
2019 Assistant Designer at A-live architects Oy.
2018-2019 Assistant Designer at Arkkitehtiryhmä A6.
2017-2019 Lead Designer: Summer Cottage project in Luhanka
2016-2017 Assistant Designer at Arkkitehtitoimisto Arkviiri Oy during the summer months.
2013-2015 Designer intern at Arkkitehtityö Oy during the summer months.
Residencies
6-8/2024 VARES residency, Valga. Sketchy material wasteland -program. My approach considered the underlying economic problem of sketchy materials and the complexity of ecological transition.
Awards, honors and grants
2023 Nessling foundation assigned me a working grant for my PhD process 2024-2028. Working title “Economic norms in eco-social spatial change”
2023 My thesis was selected to the exhibition of the best master theses of the department of architecture of 2022-23. Exhibition was held during November 6.-17th 2023 at Aalto University
2023 Grant from SAFA for planning an open course about Economic policy and Spatial planning
2022 Grant from the Onni and Hilja Tuovinen Foundation for finishing my Master's Thesis
2021 The Ashoka Foundation named You Tell Me Collective as Changemakers of the Year
2020 Honorary medal from the Architecture Guild for environmental activism in the field of architecture
2019 First prize in the Kuopio Savenlahti Bridge Competition, with Olivia Mahlion and Joni Kopra
2017 Urban Log House Redemption Award, with Joni Kopra
Artistic projects and experience
Performances
11.2.2023 Tease and Power club
The performance was separated into two acts by Filip Emil Hämäläinen and Ode Ilo (different artist personas). The performance looks into the artist's relation to their family's generational history and Northern Karelian roles of masculinity.
19.11.2022 Tease and Power club
The performance looks into the demon behind transphobia, personified as Ode Incubus (a demon artist persona) that possesses the souls of transphobic individuals.
Exhibitions
Under the artist name Ode Ilo:
6-8/2022, Kvääristö, Kolmas linja 17, Helsinki
2.6.-30.6.2022 Kaapelitehdas
1.10.2019-31.10.2019 Panema -olutbaari, Helsinki
14.6.2019-8.7.2019 Vapaakaupunki ry:n olohuone REDI, Helsinki
1.6.2019-30.6.2019 Kulttuuritila Nuijamies, Lappeenranta
25.5.2019-13.6.2019 Oranssi ry:n monitoimitila, Valvomo, Helsinki
18.5.2019-31.5.2019 Marakattimarssi, liiketilan ikkuna, Lahti
9/2019 Helsingin taideyhdistyksen jäsennäyttely
6-7/2013 Art-Taarasti jäsenistön kesänäyttely
Presentations, interviews and discussions
2025/ 10 Lecture at Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) "Economic principles for planning sustainability transformation - counteraction to economic injustice and the growth inperative". The lecture is held as part of a Master's course of strategic urban planning along the Tallin-Valga railway.
2025 Lecture at Aalto University, School of Architecture. “Post-growth ja suunnittelu - Ekologinen suunnittelu, taloudellinen oikeudenmukaisuus: Teoreettinen katsaus suunnittelijoihin taloudellisina toimijoina”, 9.5.2025. Part of “Kaupunkiluennot” (Urban lectures) bachelor level lecture course.
2025 Panel discussion event about degrowth in Helsinki “Kohtuutalous Helsingissä”, at Tÿpo café 24.3.2025, Helsinki. The event was organized by Riina Bhatia and Ami Värtö as part of their municipal elections campaign.
2025 Lecture at Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA): “Kväärikus: Stories about planning, queerness and post-growth economy” 20.3.2025. Part of “Social Design” course for master students.
2024 Lecture: Economic inequality, extractivism and post-growth planning. EASA rhizome lecture series 2.10.2024
2024 Panel discussion event 12.6.2024 “Morbus Aboensis – kaupunkimaiseman muutos 1960-luvulta nykypäivään” about Change in urban landscape in Turku from 1960 to now. Representing You Tell Me collective. Short lecture about post growth urban planning.
2024 Interview Nessling foundation 8.2.2024 about the topic of my PhD “Economic norms in eco-social spatial change”.
2024 Presentation “Post-growth planning: Extractivism in architecture and rural-urban metabolism” in EXALT dialogues: “Extractivisms and neoliberal urbanization” 25.1.2024, by research programme EXALT, The Global Extractivisms and Alternatives Initiative in Helsinki University, the faculty of Global Development studies
2023 Featured as one of the representatives of the You Tell Me Collective with Matti Jänkälä and Siiri Hänninen in the documentary “Rehellisesti ruma betoni” ("Honestly Ugly Concrete"), YLE, published on April 10, 2023.
2022 Presentation of the master's thesis "Approaching change in rural-urban metabolism" at the ATUT symposium (the annual symposium of architectural research) on October 20, 2022.
2022 Panel discussion with Maiju Suomi on a panel at the EMMA museum: EMMA talks "Arkkitehtuurin visionäärit ennen ja nyt" ("Architectural Visionaries Then and Now") in June 2022. Representing You Tell Me collective
2022 Panel discussion at the Eläköön Wivi Lönn! Festival: Discussion on “Kollektiivit kokoontuu – Arkkitehdin rooli tulevaisuudessa” "Collectives Gather - The Architect's Role in the Future" on Friday, May 20, 2022, at the Architecture Museum. Representing You Tell Me collective
2022 Featured in Arkkitehtiuutiset on April 26, 2022, in an article titled "Kestävyysongelmaa ei ratkaista rakentamalla" ("Sustainability Problems Are Not Solved by Building.") Representing You Tell Me collective
2021 Facilitation of the "Hope from Wood" discussion at the Architecture Museum on October 14, 2021, with the theme of forests. Representing You Tell Me collective
2021 Featured in YLE news article “Arkkitehtiopiskelijat toivovat, että jatkossa kaupungit rakennetaan ympäristön ehdoilla” “Architecture students hope that in the future, cities will be built in accordance with the environment”. Representing You Tell Me collective
Initiatives:
Education initiatives:
2025/2 event series “Nollakasvun kuntien kestävyysparadoksi ja talous” (The sustainability paradox and economy in non-growing municipalities) with Yhdyskuntasuunnittelun seura (The Finnish Society of Urban Planning), Elsa Kivinen and Timo Heikkinen.
2024/8-12 A learning circle about “Entrepreneurship in architecture and post-growth thinking” during the fall 2024. The learning circle dives into post-growth entrepreneurship through the open lecture series by dr. Melanie Rieback about the subject. The course emphasizes peer learning through reflection of the lecture themes. Participation includes 9 sessions. With You Tell me Collective, Rethinking economics Finland and Lotta Aulamo.
Activity in You Tell Me collective:
- Since 2020, the You Tell Me collective has organized open evening sessions addressing themes related to the ecological and social sustainability of architecture and the built environment. Starting from the fall of 2021, the collective has collaborated with the Architecture Museum, and the evening sessions have mostly been conducted there or remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Fill this Space summer schools in collaboration with the Architecture Museum in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
- Survey on curriculum content at Aalto University in 2021, aiming to assess whether students feel that the curriculum adequately covers a wide range of environmental and sustainability-related topics.
- Curating and organizing the "Toivoa puusta" (Hope from wood) discussion series commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment and the Architecture Museum in 2021.
- "Buildings we live in" campaign on environmental issues in construction in 2020.
- Authoring texts on construction sustainability issues for Helsingin Sanomat and Arkkitehtiuutiset (see the section on publications).
- “Entrepreneurship in architecture and post-growth thinking” (2024, in collaboration with Lotta Aulamo)