Tuomas Siitonen Office

30/06/2026

Back in Finland! This past academic year has been one of the most inspiring and rewarding periods of my professional life. Serving as a Virginia Fellow and Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in a vibrant academic community, combining research and teaching in ways that challenged, inspired, and enriched my thinking.

Working alongside exceptional colleagues and curious, engaged students reminded me why I value academia so deeply. The conversations, collaborations, and everyday encounters at UVA broadened my perspectives and reinforced the importance of openness, generosity, and international exchange in both research and education. Throughout the year, I was able to advance my work on sustainability and architectural education while exploring new ideas that I look forward to developing further.

Returning to my position at Aalto University on July 1st feels both familiar and exciting. I come back with new friendships, strengthened international collaborations, fresh ideas, and a renewed sense of purpose. The experiences of the past year have left me full of energy and enthusiasm for the work ahead, and I am eager to bring what I have learned into my research, teaching, and collaborations at Aalto.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who made this remarkable year possible. It has been a privilege to be part of the UVA community, and I look forward to carrying its spirit of curiosity, generosity, and excellence into the next chapter back home.

Thank you to Iris Andersson .and.ama for substituting me in Aalto!

Besides teaching I am also back to running my office and collaborating with Kombo.

08/04/2026

As a father of a 13-year old boy who moved from Finland to the US I have begun to take an interest in how another 13-year old kiddo from Finland moved to the US in 1923 with his architect dad and managed to become one of the most well-known American architects. As the name of Eero Saarinen is mentioned here constantly and I just read the well-known study American Architects and the Mechanics of Fame (R. Williamson, 1991, University of Texas Press) I think it is time to do a Siitonen chasing Saarinen roadtripping sidequest before heading home for the summer. Stay tuned, Photo: MFA / Pinterest (somebody in the know: there are versions with only Eliel in this pose and of Eero alone, is this a digital collage 🤔)

08/04/2026

06/04/2026

This pedagogic kit introduces sustainable
architecture through a hands-on, exploratory
approach. This tactile process
slows down the act of learning, encouraging
users to closely examine how parts fit together
and function as a whole.
Rather than presenting sustainability as an
abstract concept, the kit frames it as something
embedded within each element of a building.
As builders handle and construct these
components, they are prompted to consider
the origins, materials, and production methods.
See the kit as part of Virginia Fellows Showcase tonight.

13/01/2026

Hehee! Looking forward to the Spring term in Charlottesville. I will be teaching a design studio titled Breathe In / Breathe Out, focusing on building metabolism and thermodynamics and co-teaching Research Methods, where expect to learn a lot too. In April we are having the Fellows exhibition and talk with Ozan as part of the great Public Program of - happy to meet all the new students and colleagues too.

02/01/2026

Welcome 2026 ⭐️ In 2025 3 building projects (pictured summerhouse extension in Hauho) were completed and 2 new projects are in progress. Regarding museums and exhibitions with we completed museum of Hanko, Juminkeko permanent exhibition renewal and Kuopio art museum permanent exhibition renewal as well as the Beyond Zero -travelling exhibition. In 2026 the new Oulu Museum will open. I have resided in the US since August, working on my research and teaching indpiring students. Looking forward to what the year will bring ⭐️

23/12/2025

Happy Holidays! Even if this is not a house I have designed it is a house I have inhabited for the past months. I am very fond of this sweet little building from around 1820s. Here is a study on ithttps://officearchitect.virginia.edu/sites/officearchitect/files/2024-02/UVA%20MewsHSRFinal.pdf

22/12/2025

Happy Holidays! Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta!