Saija Hollmén

Saija Hollmén is a Professor of Practice in Humanitarian Architecture and Vice Dean for Art and Creative Practices at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. She holds a doctoral degree in architecture, her research interest covering topics of cross-cultural design practices and interdisciplinary pedagogies in higher education. She is a co-founder of the interdisciplinary Aalto WiTLAB (Aalto World in Transition Research LAB), which focuses on global sustainability and humanitarian challenges. She is responsible of the Interplay of Cultures program, based at the Department of Architecture, dealing with architectural design and planning in cultures outside Europe. Hollmén is a co-founder of Hollmén Reuter Sandman Architects and Ukumbi NGO, which aims at providing architectural services for communities in need. Ukumbi has projects in several African countries, seeking to improve the lives of the less privileged. Their work has been widely exhibited, e.g, in the Venice Biennale in 2002, 2004 and 2016. Ukumbi was also awarded the Finnish State Award for Art in 2009 for its work for culturally sensitive and respectful architecture.