Portfolio


1. Master’s thesis
2. Cultural centre
3. European Architecture Student Assembly 
4. Transformation of built heritage
5. Wood pavilion
6. Strategic regional planning


The portfolio booklet can be found here (in Finnish)


1. Master’s thesis

Year_
2024–2025
Title_
Modern structures into earth structures: Rammed earth's potential as finnish low-carbon building material

Skills_
Fundamentals of Life-Cycle Assessment / OneClick LCA
Building Act
Sustainable Construction and Circular Economy
Rammed-Earth Construction
Profound understanding the Properties of Clay as a Construction Material
Concrete Construction


The complete thesis can be found here




About_In my master’s thesis, I examine the potential of unfired earth building — more specifically, unstabilized rammed earth — as a low-carbon Finnish construction material for use in hybrid structural solutions. Earth building is a rather niche practice of building in Finland and still barely known by construction industry. The core idea was to explore whether sustainability could be advanced in construction through existing practices, namely the most common structural solutions. A key motivator was the new finnish Building Act, which introduces carbon-footprint regulation for new construction. The hope was that this regulation would encourage the adoption of structures that reduce overall carbon emissions. Another motivation was to investigate circular economy opportunities, as enormous quantities of excavated earth, mostly clay, are generated as waste each year.

The thesis includes a literature review, a design section, and a carbon-footprint comparison. The design was based on an existing zoning plan to provide realistic parameters within the context of dense urban development.



2. Cultural centre


Year_
2023
Title_
Boxwithinabox

Skills_
Circular economy
Big scale design

ArchiCad
Photoshop



About_The aim of the course project was to design a cultural center in the heart of Northern Hervanta. Northern Hervanta is a district in Tampere built in the 1970s, with most of its building stock dating from the 1970s and 1980s. The design site is a large parking area, but the surroundings include numerous car-free, park-like pedestrian streets. The main objective of the proposal was to create a clear and accessible complex that can be approached from multiple directions and does not create barriers for pedestrians or cyclists. We wanted to reconnect and strengthen the green pedestrian network that was effectively interrupted by the parking lot.

The placement of the functions within the cultural center aimed at clarity, intuitive orientation, and a logical division based on the nature of each activity. Structurally, the guiding principle was recyclability – the wooden column-and-beam structures would be demountable and reassembled elsewhere.

The project was completed in collaboration with Juho Saloheimo.





3. European Architecture Student Assembly


Year_
2025
Title_
EASA Rhizome 2025

Skills_
Collaboration & communication skills
Time management
Logistics & organization
Budgeting
Concept development


Website




About_EASA Rhizome 2025 was the 45th international symposium for young architects and designers, held this year in Savonlinna, Finland. The event is significant in scale, with more than 500 participants from over 50 countries. The assembly addressed questions of sustainability in architecture and reflected on the identity of the architect as a practitioner in a rapidly changing world.

I was personally responsible for several tasks during the event, most notably food logistics as well as assisting, ideating, and supervising the earth-pit smoke sauna workshop. The smoke sauna was built using bags filled with soil excavated directly from the site. A unique feature of the project was a traditional stove constructed from stones found on location, guided by local smoke sauna building experts. The interior atmosphere is one of a kind, thanks to the clay floor and clay-plastered walls.




4. Transformation of the built heritage


Year_
2023
Title_
Koko kylän piha

Skills_
Concept design
Repair design
Adaptive reuse

ArchiCad
Photoshop
Illustrator
Twinmotion



About_Through this course project, we practiced identifying phenomena related to the aging of building structures and evaluating the need for changes in building use, particularly from the perspectives of functionality, societal impact, and cost-effectiveness. During the course, we produced a concept design that considered the building’s architecture, load-bearing structure, technical systems, and regulatory requirements.

In our work, we adopted a broader perspective than the brief suggested, as we believed the site should be considered as a whole. The grassroots activity “Koko kylän piha” (The Whole Village Yard), which operates in existing buildings in the southern part of the site, is set to be demolished to make way for new residential buildings. We examined the objectives of the City of Tampere as well as its cultural strategy goals and aimed to find a solution that could serve as many objectives as possible without destroying the existing low-threshold urban culture that has naturally developed on the site.

The project was completed in collaboration with Veera Hurttia.





5. Wood pavilion 


Year_
2022
Title_
Fii

Skills_
Structural design
Wood structures

Rhinoceros 3D
Photoshop
Illustrator



About_The task was to design a multifunctional pavilion for break-time use, such as eating snacks. The goal was to create a playful and innovative design in the spirit of Heureka, while also making it visually striking. The pavilion consists of three plywood canopies that can be moved along rails according to need. The canopies can be repositioned based on factors such as the sun’s direction, combined into a larger shelter for a bigger group, or divided into smaller units.

The structure is based on plywood honeycomb elements that could be prefabricated and transported to the site in parts. This would make transportation efficient and assembly simple.

The competition entry was completed in collaboration with Olli Järveläinen.



6. Strategic regional planning


Year_
2023
Title_
Creating connections

Skills_
Software QGIS
Strategic regional concept





About_In this course, we completed an extensive strategic and regional planning project that strengthened our abilities in practical planning as well as research and development work. Suorama is located between Tampere and Kangasala, an area experiencing significant development pressure. In Suorama, urban structures, agricultural landscapes, and natural green environments coexist and intermingle.

In our strategy, we focused on enhancing and emphasizing these existing characteristics, seeing them as valuable foundations for future development.

The project was carried out in a group together with Annaliina Kuhmonen, Elsa Typpö, Ilona Joutila, and Jenna Ylhäinen.


Oona Ryhänen


Portfolio

CV
Info
Contact