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At the beginning of the 2025 academic term, students once again had the opportunity to propose ideas to improve campus comfort from a student perspective. This ideation process is part of the annual “one euro for each student” participatory budgeting project, which was launched for the first time in 2021. The aim of the project is to develop the campus and promote its use by involving students in decision-making. A total of €14,000 has been allocated from the university budget for its implementation.

A large number of ideas were submitted. The project organizers reviewed all proposals and selected four of them for voting. The proposals that advanced best met the key criteria of the ideation process, namely promoting student wellbeing, inclusivity, accessibility, sustainability, budget considerations, and feasibility within the implementation schedule. Among the shortlisted proposals, students voted to establish a sensory-friendly relaxation room on campus. Nearly 300 votes were cast in total, with the sensory-friendly relaxation room receiving 42 percent of the votes.

What happens next?

“Reducing mental load and providing opportunities for refreshment or rest during the day have become increasingly important over the years. A sensory-friendly relaxation room primarily intended for students is a natural continuation of earlier project outcomes such as massage chairs and nap capsules,” says Minna Mäkitalo, Specialist, Policy and Foresight. As a result of the project, one relaxation room that reflects students’ wishes as comprehensively as possible can be implemented during spring 2026.

Aalto University already has existing recovery rooms that can be used, for example, to recover briefly after sudden illness or for breastfeeding. These recovery rooms are located in different parts of the campus. A key can be obtained from the lobby services.

For more information about the participatory budgeting project, please contact ACRE’s Sustainability Coordinator, Manti Kangas, manti.kangas@aalto.fi.