Research and Practise, 2023-24
The main themes of the Research and Practise course reflect current trends in research and housing design, such as housing design quality, minimum living standards, shared spaces, adaptable apartments, and housing preferences. The lectures and related articles form the backbone of the course. Each session includes time for questions and discussion.
The main goal is to learn what types of knowledge are available to apply in design tasks, as well as to help develop your own approach to housing design and/or housing studies. Coursework, based on a chosen theme, is loosely defined to support each student’s individual goals. It can take the form of a small design project, an analysis of dwellings, or an essay that assists in organizing a future diploma thesis or simply provides time to deepen one’s knowledge on a topic of interest.
Example: From a Course Project to Doctoral Research
In 2023, Nhung Pham created a game to study residents’ housing preferences. This game was further developed in her , which was awarded the Wuorio Prize for Young Architects in 2025. In autumn 2025, Nhung Pham began her doctoral research at Aalto University, continuing to explore the themes introduced in this course.
