Laura Arpiainen

Laura is the inaugural professor of Health and Wellbeing Architecture at Aalto. An architect by training, she is a long term healthcare specialist with an international track record in all areas of healthcare including strategic planning and operationalizing of systems, service design, clinical planning and of course architecture and facility planning.

Laura holds dual Finnish / Canadian citizenship and is particularly interested in diversity and inclusion, wellbeing and how it is defined, integrated and holistic solutions for healthcare, inclusive design, patient and family centered care, and the relationship of built environments to health. As an experienced yoga instructor and therapist, Laura also has interface in holistic practices of health.

Health and Wellbeing Architecture studio courses are demanding and fulfilling – students are generally given a problem to solve with a lot of focus on the actual process of generating an individual (or group) response to the issue. The studio is open to master’s students only and is offered in English. Group work and multi-disciplinary approaches are encouraged with students e.g. from Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, and other majors in the Arts and Engineering. The studios foster a distinctly student-centered approach with a non-competitive atmosphere and emphasis on the individual and collective learning process rather than merely evaluating the design outcomes. Collective participation is expected in all weekly mentoring sessions, and at the end of the term after final reviews, the students grade themselves in a one-on-one feedforward session with the professor. Past studio topics have included environments for End of Life Care (new hospice design) and Community and Urban Health (neighbourhood house / community building scenario). Studio participants who wish to build a portfolio with a specialty in healthcare are encouraged to continue their thesis work in the field as well.

In summer 2020 Laura offered a highly successful one week summer intensive called ‘Learnings from the Pandemic’ with both lecturers and participants from around the globe.

In addition to teaching, Laura is the director of SOTERA, the research group for health and wellbeing at the School of Architecture. SOTERA was founded in the 1980’s and is an established name in the research of the built environment and social services in Finland and internationally. Recent projects include ‘Täydentäen toimivaa’ (infilling to respond to urban needs) and ‘Elinvoimainen taajama’ (viable communities). SOTERA also advises and hosts doctoral students at Aalto.

Laura is an engaging and positive speaker and lecturer. She is a popular and sought after guest critic, commentator and host at conferences, events and seminars both nationally and internationally.