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Group X

A focus group at Aalto University Department of Architecture

Group X has developed programmatic ways to approach current development-related subjects
in the field of design. The subjects are approached from an architect’s point of view.
We bring the architect’s way of operating to new fields of culture.

Themes

What we focus in doing

Metaxography

Metaxography means the study of relationships. We work on the speculative hypothesis that architecture is not only about designing entities – such as buildings and blocks – but also about designing relationships between them and between people and the object world. Might there be types and dynamics of relationships that can be classified?  Could they help us in recognizing hidden logics and exploring unknown territory in architecture? Can we learn from the study on relationships made in other fields – drama, literature, painting, or music? Can we read classics of architecture and urban design from a new perspective on relationships? Is it possible to liberate architecture from the tyranny of technocratic problem-solving? Metaxography can contribute to the theoretical and experimental development of computational architecture, where there may be found new algorithms for relationships in architecture. This emphasis concerns for example our Advanced Building Design course.

  • Relationships
  • Art
  • Creativity
  • Typologies
  • Anthropology
  • Ontography

Cross-disciplinary architecture

We have had many joint design projects with friends from other fields outside architecture and especially interior design, fashion design, service design and environmental design. We have accomplished integrated projects, where designers from different fields have analyzed a design task and created a concept together, followed by discipline-specific designs fitting nicely together. Almost all of our cross-disciplinary projects in building design have also been international collaborations with such institutions as Royal College of Art (service design), Shibaura Institute of Technology (urban planning), Tongji University (environmental design) and Donghua University (fashion and interior design). Our USP Capstone course is part of the interdisciplinary programme in urbanism, including political and social sciences as well as art and landscape architecture.

  • Cross-Disciplinarity
  • Art
  • Creativity
  • Fashion Design
  • Interior Design
  • Service design
  • Environmental Design & Landscape Architecture
  • Urban Planning
  • Social & Political Sciences

Social sustainability

Instead of concentrating in technical (environmental) sustainability, which is definitely also important, our focus is on social sustainability. This refers to such themes as diversity, tolerance, memory and projection, belief and meaning, enquiry, learning, consumption, livability, cultural explorations and competence, quality of life and identity. We let others  work on CO2 and the energy performances of materials and technical installations. Our past projects related to social sustainability include speculative design explorations based on the consumer generations of Japan, streetification (turning modernist road environments into lively streetscapes) and School as a Service (school environments supporting social learning).

  • Space
  • Placemaking
  • Use & Civilization
  • Creativity
  • Freedom
  • Recreation
  • Community Development
  • Room Programming
  • Walkability
  • Consumer Generations

Projects

Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
​​METAXOGRAPHY IN ARCHITECTURE
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
From Gen Danso to Gen Tsukushi: Japanese Generations and Architecture
Education, Exhibitions, Fashion Design, Teaching
Art of Heat Exhibition
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Light & Space, Research, Teaching
Teaching at USN
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
Architecture and Design Museum
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Fashion Design, Interior Design, Teaching
The Art of Heat
Building Design, Emergent Design Methodologies, Exhibitions, Research
Exit School of Architecture
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
Thinking Incubator in Otaniemi
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
DM in AU
Emergent Design Methodologies, Research, Service Architecture, Teaching
City Science Lab @ Aalto
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Light & Space, Research, Teaching
Light & Space Academy
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Housing Design, Teaching
Superimposed Verticality
Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
Service Logic in Architecture
Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
New Learning Environments
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
Typological Hybridizations
Research, Service Architecture
School as a Service
Building Design, Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
Labs for Learners studio course
Building Design, Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
Labs for Learners summer workshop
Emergent Design Methodologies, Exhibitions
Aalto Festival 2015
Emergent Design Methodologies, Research, Service Architecture
Human Cities
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
The Design of the Future
Other
Other

Education

Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
​​METAXOGRAPHY IN ARCHITECTURE
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
From Gen Danso to Gen Tsukushi: Japanese Generations and Architecture
Education, Teaching, Urban Studies & Planning
Capstone Project, AUTUMN 2020
Building Design, Education, Teaching, Wellbeing Architecture
Identity of Space, Building Design Studio 2, Autumn 2019
Education, Teaching, Urban Studies & Planning, Wellbeing Architecture
People-Driven City 2019
Education, Exhibitions, Fashion Design, Teaching
Art of Heat Exhibition
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Light & Space, Research, Teaching
Teaching at USN
Education, Light & Space, Teaching
Light and Space Academy
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
Architecture and Design Museum
Building Design, Education, Teaching
New School in Puotila
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Fashion Design, Interior Design, Teaching
The Art of Heat
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
Thinking Incubator in Otaniemi
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
DM in AU
Building Design, Education, Teaching, Wellbeing Architecture
Urban Villages – Xixi Studio
Education, Teaching, Urban Studies & Planning
USP Urban Challenge Studio 1
Building Design, Education, Teaching
Psychiatric Hospital in Laakso
Building Design, Education, Teaching, Wellbeing Architecture
Urban Villages – Lanxi Studio
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Light & Space, Research, Teaching
Light & Space Academy
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Housing Design, Teaching
Superimposed Verticality
Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
Service Logic in Architecture
Building Design, Education, Teaching
Future Media Center
Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
New Learning Environments
Building Design, Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
Typological Hybridizations
Building Design, Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
Labs for Learners studio course
Building Design, Education, Teaching
Interactive Dance House Helsinki
Building Design, Education, Service Architecture, Teaching
Labs for Learners summer workshop
Education, Emergent Design Methodologies, Teaching
The Design of the Future

Outcomes

Art of Heat Exhibition Catalogue

Download here

Edited by: Andrea Esquivel Velázquez, Alejandro Campos Uribe, Antti Ahlava

Exhibition production: Andrea Esquivel Velázquez, Alejandro Campos Uribe

Professors: Antti Ahlava, Pirjo Hirvonen

Tutors: Laura Juslin, Lilli Maunula, Natalia Vladykina, Tiina Rytkönen. Visitors: Martti Kalliala, Anna-Mari Almila

Course organized by Group X with ARTS School Aalto University: Architecture + Interior Design + Fashion Design Departments, Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation SCF, Donghua University, Fashion brand Deepmoss


Challenging the City Scale: Journeys in People-Centred Design 2018

Human Cities final publication

Publisher: Birhäuser Verlag Basel

Editors: Cité du design Saint-Étienne, Clear Village London

Group X contributors: Antti Ahlava, Mia Hertsberg, Fernando Nieto, Saana Rossi, Jarmo Suominen, Natalia Vladykina

/// we contribute to the final publication of the Human Cities project with the Helsinki experimentation within the article “Sharing Spaces for Social Learning”

Exit School of Architecture at 13th Tallinn Design Festival 2018

Exhibition

Edited by Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi, Antti Ahlava, Fernando Nieto

Artistic and concept direction: Antti Ahlava, Fernando Nieto

Exhibition production: Saana Rossi, Natalia Vladykina

Exhibition and graphic design: Johanna Brummer

/// 13th Tallinn Design Festival showcases the Aalto Exit School of Architecture exhibition in the historic Baltic Station Departure Pavillion

Human Cities │ Tallinn 2018

Exhibition and participation in conference in Tallinn, Estonia

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we contribute to the annual Human Cities partners meeting in Tallinn (Estonia), including our participation in the exhibition and conference at the 13th Tallinn Design Festival

Human Cities_Challenging the City Scale 2014-2018 / Investigation 2018

State of the Art publication

Cité du design Saint-Étienne, 2018

Group X contributors: Antti Ahlava, Mia Hertsberg, Fernando Nieto, Jarmo Suominen, Pekka Tynkkynen

/// we contribute to the State of the Art publication with the article “Happy together vs. melancholy of loneliness. Disruptive practices on community and privacy”

Human Cities │ Graz 2018

Exhibition and workshop in Graz, Austria

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we contribute to the annual Human Cities partners meeting in Graz (Austria), including our participation in the exhibition and workshop

Human Cities │ Cieszyn 2018

Conference and workshop in Cieszyn, Poland

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we contribute to the annual Human Cities partners meeting in Cieszyn (Poland), including our participation in the conference and workshop

Human Cities │ Bilbao 2017

Exhibition and workshop participation in Bilbao, Spain

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we contribute to the annual Human Cities partners meeting in Bilbao (Spain), including our participation in the exhibition and workshops

Exit School of Architecture 2017

Exhibition catalogue

Edited by Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi, Antti Ahlava, Fernando NietoArtistic and concept direction: Antti Ahlava, Fernando Nieto

Exhibition production: Saana Rossi, Natalia Vladykina

Exhibition and graphic design: Johanna Brummer

/// we present 15 recently completed projects and 6 diploma works that abandon standardized ways of building to find more meaningful, individual solutions to design problems in contemporary cities and landscapes

Human Cities │ Helsinki 2017

Exhibition “Superimposed Verticality” at Department of Architecture, Otaniemi campus, Espoo

Content selection: Frances Hsu, Fernando Nieto

Exhibition design and organisation: HC Helsinki team (Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi)

Graphic design: Babi Brasileiro, Juho Heikkinen

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we investigate strategies for new housing typologies that would make possible user-based flexible design solutions

Human Cities │ Helsinki 2017

Exhibition “Exit School of Architecture” in Dipoli, Otaniemi campus, Espoo

Content selection and organisation: HC Helsinki team (Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi)

Exhibition design: Johanna Brummer

Exhibition photography: Alisa Javits, Johanna Brummer

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we propose a selection of new Finnish architecture rising from a shared local identity and analysing the role of collaboration in Nordic Noir architecture

Human Cities │ Helsinki 2017

Exhibition “Human Cities projects” in Dipoli, Otaniemi campus, Espoo

Content selection and organisation: HC Helsinki team (Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi)

Exhibition design: Johanna Brummer

Graphic design: Babi Brasileiro, Juho Heikkinen

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we showcase the Human Cities projects throughout Europe made by the participating Human Cities network members

Human Cities │ Helsinki 2017

Workshop “School as a Service. Shared freetime activities” in Dipoli, Otaniemi campus, Espoo

Content selection and organisation: HC Helsinki team (Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi)

Service design: Leyla Nasib

Graphic design: Babi Brasileiro, Juho Heikkinen

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we prototype school activities based on SaaS concept that could create and catalyse community discourse, togetherness and collaboration

CityScope Aalto 2017

Workshop within “City Science Lab @ Aalto” project with MIT Media Lab on Otaniemi campus, Espoo

Participants from Group X: Jarmo Suominen, Antti Ahlava, Anssi Joutsiniemi

Participants from MIT Media Lab: Ariel Noyman, Luis Alonso, Ryu Akatsuki

Partners: Aalto University, MIT Media Lab, City of Espoo, Aalto University Campus & Real Estate (ACRE)

Photo by Ariel Noyman

/// we contribute to the development and production of a model of Otaniemi campus based on the ideas and technology by MIT Media Lab’s CityScope tool

Human Cities │ Ljubljana 2017

Exhibition and workshop participation in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Natalia Vladykina, Saana Rossi

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we contribute to the annual Human Cities partners meeting in Ljubljana (Slovenia), including our participation in the exhibition and workshops

Human Cities │ Kragujevac 2017

Exhibition and seminar participation within Belgrade Design Week in Kragujevac, Serbia

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Pekka Tynkkynen, Saana Rossi

Aalto University, Helsinki

/// we contribute to the annual Human Cities partners meeting in Kragujevac (Serbia), including our participation in the exhibition and seminar

Service-Dominant Logic in the Spatial Design of a School 2016

Master’s Thesis

Author: Natalia Vladykina

Supervisor: Jarmo Suominen

Department of Design

School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Aalto University

master's thesis_natalia vladykina

/// Natalia completes the first Master’s Thesis on Service Architecture

New Learning Environments 2016

Environmental Design Studio 1

Teachers: Lou Yongqi, Jarmo Suominen

Supporting teachers: Kristiina Erkkilä, Antti Ahlava, Fernando Nieto

Organizer: Tongji University, College of Design & Innovation, City of Shanghai

Supporting partners: Group X, Aalto University, Helsinki; Royal College of Arts, London (Service Design); Human Cities (EU program); City of Espoo

saas shanghai

/// we inquire into the shift from teaching driven to learning oriented in a studio course on Service Architecture and Design in Shanghai

Human Cities │ Milan 2016

Workshop and exhibition in Politecnico di Milano

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Pekka Tynkkynen

Exhibition content: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Mia Hertsberg

Students works: Joshua Page, Iulia-Elena Radion, Sophia Holl | Exhibition preparation: Pekka Tynkkynen, Fernando Nieto, Saana Rossi |

Exhibition catalogue

hc milan exhibition

/// we contribute to the annual Human Cities partners meeting including our participation in the exhibition and seminar, where we present our projects School as a Service and Exit School of Architecture

JOT project 2015

Flexible Learning Places

Partners: Group X, Department of Architecture, Aalto University; City of Espoo

Project leaders: Jarmo Suominen, Kristiina Erkkilä

SaaS

/// we develop the parameters defining new learning environments for School as a Service (SaaS) concept

Human Cities │ Helsinki 2015

Co-creation briefings in Helsinki

Participants: Alice Holmberg, Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto, Pekka Tynkkynen, Mia Hertsberg

sailing

/// a two-day journey based on co-creation at Design Factory and sailing alongside the Gulf of Finland

Human Cities │ London 2015

Workshop in London

Participants: Antti Ahlava, Pekka Tynkkynen

london

/// recoding the city of London by transforming the urban realm and empowering people

Labs for Learners 2015

Master’s level workshop + studio course

Supervisors: Antti Ahlava, Jarmo Suominen, Fernando Nieto

l4l-diagram-2-2

/// workshops + studio course based on School as a Service (SaaS) concept

Human Cities │ Saint-Étienne 2015

Workshop in Saint-Étienne

Participant: Antti Ahlava

saint-étienne

/// workshop Crossroads 2015, Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Étienne

Human Cities │ Saint-Étienne 2014

Workshop in Saint-Étienne

Participant: Pekka Tynkkynen

HC_logo

/// project launch event in Saint-Étienne




Team

ANTTI AHLAVA

Professor of Emergent Design Methodologies

More about Antti
Antti Ahlava’s task is to develop architectural design and planning methods, including interdisciplinary activities. He is the director of Group X. Ahlava has been teaching urban design at Aalto University and has been a Visiting Professor in Architectural Design at Århus School of Architecture, Royal Art Academy in Copenhagen and TU Vienna, and collaborated also with the architecture schools of UCLA, MIT, Columbia, Yale, Keio and Tokio. He was recently a Visiting Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Design. His work has been featured in several architectural exhibitions. Ahlava has been a jury member in several international architectural competitions in Estonia and Finland and has been a member of specialist boards in Tallinn, Estonia and Eskilstuna, Sweden. Ahlava is also an architect and partner at the prizewinning Helsinki Zürich Office Ltd (helsinkizurich), located in Helsinki, Finland and Zürich, Switzerland. Profile at Aalto University helsinkizurich

JARMO SUOMINEN

Adjunct Professor of Service Architecture

More about Jarmo
Jarmo Suominen scrutinizes service-based logic in architecture in relation to users, value creation, experiences and urban ecosystems. Profile at Aalto University Profile at MIT

TEEMU KURKELA

Adjunct Professor of Wellbeing Architecture (on break)

More about Teemu
Teemu Kurkela contributes to SOTERA research group at the Department of Architecture. His work scrutinizes architecture in relation to the business models for services, hospitality, logistics and acquisitions, interior design, industrial design and landscaping within the field of wellbeing architecture, especially related to the development of hospitals. On a leave JKMM Architects

ANSSI JOUTSINIEMI

Professor of Urban Development and Modelling

More about Anssi
Anssi Joutsiniemi is Adjunct Professor at the Aalto University. His research interests are centered on issues of complex system approaches in urban planning and his work include topics of urban modelling, morphological analyses and rule-based planning. His expertise is in GIS and computational methods in urban planning and design and his more recent research interests are in distributed urban modelling and simulation and algorithmic problem solving in a design process. Joutsiniemi also works as Associate Professor in Tampere University of Technology and holds Adjunct Associate Professorship in Curtin University, Australia. He is the head of the Urban Studies and Planning Master’s Programme at Aalto University. Profile at Aalto University

JULLE OKSANEN

Light & Space Academy and Visiting Researcher

More about Julle
Julle Oksanen is a lighting and luminaire designer in his company Julle Oksanen Lighting Design Ltd. He has a PhD. in Architecture, D.Sc.(Arch.) by Aalto University, Department of Architecture with a dissertation on “Design concepts in architectural outdoor lighting design based on metaphors as a heuristic tool”. He has a Master of Science in Landscape Architecture from the University of Tennessee, College of Architecture and Design, and PE (Electrical Engineering) from Helsinki Technical College. Julle is a Researcher on Architecture & Light in Group X. He has been Professor & Lecturer in China, Norway, UK & USA at the University of Oregon, Cornell University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Julle Oksanen’s and Hannu Tikka’s ‘Light & Space Academy’ arranges travelling educational activities in the USA, Asia and Europe. Contact information: +358 – 50 – 5644724 & julle.oksanen@jold.net Julle Oksanen Lighting Ltd.

HANNU TIKKA

Light & Space Academy and PhD Candidate

More about Hannu
Hannu Tikka is the co-director of Group X’s ‘Light and Space Academy’, together with Julle Oksanen. Hannu is a successful building and urban designer and have taught architecture at the Departments of Architecture in Aalto University and Tampere University of Technology. Hannu has been a Visiting Professor at Cornell University. ‘Light & Space Academy’ arranges travelling educational activities in the USA, Asia and Europe. APRT Architects

CLAUDIA AUER

Lecturer and Doctoral Student

More about Claudia
Claudia Auer studied architecture at Graz University of Technology (Ba arc) and at Helsinki University of Technology. (M. Sc.). She is teacher and coordinator of the Public Building Studio at Aalto University School of Architecture, Art and Design. Since 2014 she is a PhD Candidate and holds a research position at the chair of Building Design at Aalto University. Her work focus is on practice related and artistic research in architecture, on creative practices in public building processes and on learning environments. As practicing architect she has been working on pilot projects for sustainable and energy efficient architecture in Finland and has planned buildings and interiors for the schools of architecture at Oulu University and Aalto University. She is architect and partner in the Helsinki based office Auer & Sandås architects Ltd. Her work as architect has won several awards and has been exhibited internationally. She has also been jury member in several architectural competitions. Auer & Sandås architects

NATALIA VLADYKINA

Project Manager and PhD Candidate

More about Natalia
Natalia’s interests are service-oriented architecture and user experience in the space. She is a teacher in Art of Heat studio for architecture and interior design students.

ZHUOYING REN

Student Assistant

More about Zhuoying
Zhuoying Ren studies interior architecture in Aalto university. She has been focusing on the health and well-being spatial design during her study along with interests towards service design. She has 3 years professional experience in architecture design and 1 year experience in retail design. 

OTHER MEMBERS

Former Group X's contributors

More about past members
Saana Rossi, Student Assistant. Sanna Iltanen, PhD Candidate. Álvaro de Oliveira, Visiting Professor of Service Architecture Kivi Sotamaa, Founder and Artistic Director of ADD Aalto University Digital Design Laboratory. Daishi Sakaguchi, Visiting Researcher. Pekka Tynkkynen, PhD Candidate. Janne Saario, Course Tutor. Kristian Forsberg, Course Tutor. Ossi Konttinen, Course Tutor. Lilli Maunula, Course Tutor. Andrea Esquivel, Student Assistant. Mia Hertsberg, Student Assistant. Fernando Nieto, Associate Professor of Architectural Design, Tampere University School of Architecture. Alejandro Campos, Former Postdoctoral Researcher. MengWei Wang, Student Assistant. Chenyi Wang, Student Assistant.

Network

Yongqi Lou

louyongqi

Tongji University College of Design and Innovation
Shanghai CHINA

Kent Larson

kentlarson

MIT Media Lab
Cambridge USA

Estudio Herreros

estudioHerreros

ETSAM
Madrid SPAIN
Columbia University
GSAPP
New York USA

Stephen Heppell

stephenheppell

Anglia Ruskin University ENGLAND
Bournemouth University ENGLAND
UCJC Madrid SPAIN

Dan Phillips

danphillips

Royal College of Art London ENGLAND

Kirsti Lonka

kirstilonka

University of Helsinki
Helsinki FINLAND

Kristiina Erkkilä

kristiinaerkkilä

City of Espoo
Espoo FINLAND

Tuula Antola

tuulaantola

Espoo Innovation Garden
Espoo FINLAND

Weijen Wang

weijenwang

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Hong Kong

Wang Lu

wanglu

Tsinghua University Beijing CHINA

Kiwa Matsushita

Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT)
Tokyo JAPAN

Nicolás Rebolledo

Royal College of Art
London UNITED KINGDOM

Aalto University

Research partners

Business partners

Contact

Where & how to find us


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Group X

Postal address:
Department of Architecture
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
PO Box 31000
FI-00076 Aalto

Visiting address:
Otaniementie 14
02150 Espoo
Finland

info@groupxaalto.fi