Changing the world through crafting
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: The Marvelous Materials book encourages children and young people to experiment creatively using nothing more than nature’s resources and household biowaste.
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025 exhibition
Aalto University's yearly showcase, Designs for a Cooler Planet, presents a selection of the most visionary and exciting cross-disciplinary work from our students and researchers. The exhibition features prototypes, experiments and solutions from the intersection of science, arts, technology and business, each project representing the quest for a better future.
Picture: Kalle Kataila, Aalto University
When
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Where
The world doesn’t become better on its own—it’s made better. Aalto University’s biggest annual exhibition, Designs for a Cooler Planet, showcases dozens of bold solutions, ideas, and prototypes addressing the major challenges of our time. The exhibition features work by students and researchers offering new perspectives on construction, health, and the circular economy, among others.
Come see how clay is transformed into a carbon sink, what can be built from fungi, and how memory disorders can be detected early. Fall in love with children’s material experiments and learn how the price of a takeaway coffee can be invested in a more sustainable future.
Due to popular demand, this year’s Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition will be open for nearly two months. Doors open on 5 September, and the exhibition is on view through 28 October at Aalto campus, in the Marsio building. Free entry – you are warmly welcome!
Featured projects
Marsio, Otakaari 2
Mon–Thu 7.45–21.00 | Fri 7.45–20.00 | Sat–Sun Closed
Looking back to think ahead
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: The Nokia Design Archive reveals the time, thinking and human effort behind everyday technology—challenging us to reflect on the past and consider the acts that will lead to a future we want to live in.
A unique protein-based adhesive that works even underwater
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Inspired by mussels and barnacles, this adhesive challenges toxic, petroleum-based alternatives—and thanks to its biocompatibility, it could have medical applications too.
From waste clay to carbon sink: Building a greener future
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Biocarbon earth aggregates turning construction waste into climate solutions.
AI accelerates seamless knitwear design
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Technology brings new inspiration to creative textile design processes.
Canopy map reveals whether your neighborhood has enough trees
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Aalto University researchers’ canopy cover map highlights the striking differences in tree coverage across the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
Nature’s wonder materials are entering everyday life
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: What happens when material experiments move from the lab to stores and homes?
Tiny House Shadow: Living within planetary boundaries
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: The 34-square-metre Shadow incorporates carbon-free steel, old windows, and recycled car tires. And when the residents move, the home moves with them.
Waste-based eco-concrete saves energy and resources
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: A super-strong alternative to traditional concrete works in both ceramic art and construction.
A joint effort to bring sustainability and efficiency to Finnish construction
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: The Building 2030 consortium, led by Aalto University, brings together 20 partners from the construction sector.
Fungal fibers feed on paper waste – and build the future
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: A composite of mycelium and cardboard challenges not only traditional, unsustainable materials—but also our preconceptions.
Future wooden architecture will turn apartment buildings into carbon stores
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Students' visions show how beautiful, sustainable, and adaptable multi-story wooden construction can be.
The world's most common element is helping solve the climate crisis
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Aalto University’s Hydrogen Innovation Centre is accelerating the transition to a sustainable hydrogen economy.
A gem of a building made from demolition waste
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Closing Loops is top-tier architecture that respects nature - most of the materials are salvaged from demolished buildings.
Mobile imaging technology reveals dementia risk
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: A wearable EEG cap and body sensors monitor brain and physical activity in everyday life—researchers analyze extensive data using artificial intelligence.
Real stories reveal absurdities in construction and circular economy
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Demolition and new construction accelerate biodiversity loss and climate change. So why are recycling targets still so far out of reach?
A fusion of architecture, chemistry, and biotechnology gives rise to ultra-ecological yeast construction
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: Yeast biomass can be shaped using a 3D printer into desired forms — even directly at the construction site.
The Nordic Ownership Miracle
Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025: The financial literacy and ownership of Nordic citizens is among the best in the world.
Designs for a Cooler Planet
Aalto University’s biggest annual exhibition presents cross-disciplinary experiments. Come explore students’ and researchers’ acts of change.
