Eeva Astala appointed as Archinfo Finland’s social advocacy expert

With extensive experience as an architectural specialist and educator, Eeva Astala’s responsibilities at Archinfo Finland will include, in particular, architectural policy and promotion of architecture education.

Eeva Astala is an expert in architectural advocacy work and she will add to the Archinfo Finland team by focusing on one of our strategic priorities, reinforcing the status and visibility of architecture in society.

Having previously worked as Arts Promotion Centre Finland’s regional artist for architecture and as an architectural educator and cultural producer, Astala’s experience strongly supports Archinfo’s efforts to develop its social advocacy work. Archinfo’s aim is to be active at creating initiatives and starting discussions as well as expanding cultural, political and economic decision makers and influencers understanding of the cultural and social importance of architecture.

Astala has been involved in social advocacy work and communication also through urban activism, especially at events related to environmentally friendly solutions and the promotion of sustainable development. She has, for example, coordinated the Urban Housing Fair, an event focusing on ecological urban living, and taken part in organising an alternative travel fair focusing on travelling without flying. Both of these events received wide media coverage.

“Astala’s wide-ranging expertise, inclusive and network-oriented approach as well as her experience of creating and launching various projects form a solid foundation for highlighting the social importance of architecture. I am very happy that she is joining us to develop collaboration and advocacy work in the field of architecture,” says Archinfo Finland’s director Hanna Harris.

Astala earned a Master of Arts degree from the art education programme at Aalto University and she also studied architecture for three years. At Archinfo she will, among other things, take part in preparing the new national architectural policy for Finland. The programme work began in May when the Ministry of Education and Culture together with the Ministry of the Environment set up a working group in which Archinfo Finland acts as the expert secretariat body.

Promoting architecture education is also part of Archinfo Finland’s social advocacy work. Astala has solid experience of architecture education, not only from the perspective of expert positions but also as a producer of teaching material and as an educator. As regional artist for architecture, she took part in creating the new national curriculum for basic education in the arts as well as in developing interdisciplinary learning modules. She has worked as an architecture and visual arts educator at, among others, Arkki School of Architecture for Children and Youth.

“I am very much looking forward to starting my work at Archinfo Finland and feel privileged to get to work with architecture and social advocacy. My view of architecture is social and human-centred. I believe that architecture plays a key role in terms of a sustainable future. My aim is to stimulate discussions about architecture and increase people’s understanding of architecture and interest in the built environment in various, even surprising contexts,” Eeva Astala says.

Astala will succeed Jaana Räsänen, special advisor in architecture education, who became the director of Arkki School of Architecture for Children and Youth in May. Astala will begin at Archinfo on 19 August 2019.