Jaakko Torvinen
Hi, I'm Jaakko Torvinen, an architect specialized in wood construction. I live in Helsinki, but I'm originally from Lapland. I graduated from Aalto University with top grades. My Master's thesis were Pikku-Finlandia, a temporary movable wooden building as a temporary conference building for Finlandia Hall, which I designed together with my fellow students. Its specialty is whole pine trees as load-bearing columns. When I waded through the snowy forest choosing those trees, I knew I had chosen the right profession.
Before I started studying architecture, I worked e.g. as a real estate agent, record label sales manager and computer installer. My diverse work history gives me a broad perspective on design. I wanted to study to be an architect because I wanted a creative profession that I could use to make a positive impact on the world.
I received an honorable mention in the Sara Hildén Art Museum's international architecture competition. A total of over 470 proposals participated in the competition, which is one of the largest in the history of Finnish architecture competitions.
In my free time, I paint and draw, enjoy winter swimming and practice Brazilian jujutsu.
HONORS AND AWARDS
2023 ARTS Artistic activity of the year – Pikku-Finlandia
Aalto University, School of Arts and Design
2023 Oskari Vilamo fund award
Pikku-Finland Master’s Thesis
2022 Winner of the public vote - Puupalkinto – Finnish Wood Award
Pikku-Finlandia won the public vote
2022 honorable mention - Puupalkinto – Finnish Wood Award
The jury awarded Pikku-Finlandia an honorable mention
2022 Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation grant study trip to Japan to study the use of natural wood in architecture
2022 Wallpaper* Magazine, Next Generation 2022
One of the rising stars of the year
2021 Stiftelsen Pro Helsingfors award for Little Finland Master’s Thesis.
2021 Sara Hildén Art Museum International Architecture Competition Honorable Mention - There were more than 470 participants in total
2019 Two-part architecture student competition for Finlandia Hall's temporary conference building
1st prize of the student competition 2019
2019 Architect Annikki Paasikivi scholarship 2019 for academic success
2018 Architect Annikki Paasikivi scholarship 2018 for academic success
ACADEMIC OUTPUT
2022 Visiting Scholar, Oregon State University
As an invited visiting researcher at OSU, I participated in teaching, research and workshops. During the two weeks, I got to know colleagues and gave several lectures.
2022 Building blocks of a better future - Exhibition
Exhibition in Helsinki Design Week: Designs for a Cooler Planet - Aalto Univeristy, Espoo, Finland Duration: 7 Sep 2022 – 12 Oct 2022, Heikkinen, Pekka, Zubillaga, Laura, Torvinen, Jaakko & Kuittinen, Matti.
2022 Natural form and industrial building:
Two case studies - Paper
Tidwell, Philip, Heikkinen, Pekka, & Torvinen, Jaakko. (2022). Natural form and industrial building: Two case studies. 311-318. Structures and Architecture (ICSA 2022). Paper presented at International Conference on Structures and Architecture, Aalborg, Denmark.
2022 – 2023 Activities related to Pikku-Finlandia
40 hosted academic or non-academic visitors at Pikku-Finlandia
12 lectures or public talks about Pikku-Finlandia