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.
Acts of Change!
Aalto University’s biggest annual exhibition, Designs for a Cooler Planet, takes over the campus 5 Sept – 28 Oct 2025.
Acts of Change!
Aalto University’s biggest annual exhibition, Designs for a Cooler Planet, takes over the campus 5 Sept – 28 Oct 2025.
Aalto University’s Biggest Annual Exhibition Showcases Acts of Change
The world doesn’t become better on its own—it’s made better. The future is built on multidisciplinary collaboration where science, art, technology, and business intersect. At Aalto University, this means new kinds of research and experimentation where small insights grow into larger change. Designs for a Cooler Planet presents dozens of new solutions, experiments, and ideas shaping the future, all developed by students and researchers.
Sights, sounds and experiences
Designs for a Cooler Planet will be held for the seventh time at Aalto Campus. The 2024 event reached over 10,000 visitors, showcasing nearly 20 exhibitions and over 30 events. Due to popular demand, this year’s exhibition will be open longer than before. Come see how clay is harnessed as a carbon sink, what a memory disorder detector can do, and how you can invest for the price of a takeaway coffee. In addition to the main exhibition, there will be lectures, workshops, and films open to all.
Get a taste of what will be featured in 2025
Browse the exhibition content below and get inspired by the bold ideas driving change. To truly appreciate the depth and detail, we warmly invite you to visit us in Marsio, Otakaari 2, between September 5 and October 28, 2025.
Free entry | 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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Satellite exhibitions
Aalto ARTS Grad Show 2025
Explore the inspiring work of our graduating students in architecture, design, film, art and media!
The exhibition reimagines our shared future with the Baltic Sea through poetic, practical, and regenerative design.
Reimagining materials with nature
Living Panels: Reimagining Materials with Nature  exhibition highlights the potential to design with living organisms – Designs for a Cooler Planet 2025.
Designs for a Cooler Planet throughout the times
Contact Cooler Planet team
Enni Äijälä
Artistic lead and project management
Communications senior specialist, Outreach
+358 50 359 4810
enni.aijala@aalto.fi
Katja Rönkkö
Communications lead
katja.ronkko@aalto.fi
Minna Hölttä
Lead text editor
minna.holtta@aalto.fi
Project team:
Emilia Lonka, Exhibition designer​
Diana Lisitsa, Graphic designer​
Mari Ojala, Communications coordinator
The main responsibility for the festival lies with the communications services. Designs for a Cooler Planet is one of the annual flagship events organised by the Partnership and Corporate Relations team (ADCO) and the Aalto Networking Platform. Additionally, the event involves the Leadership Support Services, Innovation Ecosystem Services and Aalto Takeout.
Partners
Designs for a Cooler Planet is also part of Helsinki Design Week and the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus initiative.
is the largest design festival in the Nordic countries. Held annually in September, the festival presents new designers and multidisciplinary phenomena, promotes design internationally in collaboration with various organisations, and provides a platform for citizens to participate in the development and discussion of the city through design. Collaboration with Aalto University brings the academic voice and multidisciplinary way of doing to that discussion.
is an initiative launched by the European Commission to develop new policies that reduce the carbon and material footprint of housing and construction and promote human and natural well-being. The aim is to create a new European way of life and attractive societies that work in harmony with nature, and to bring the European Green Deal into our living environments. Aalto University is a partner in the New European Bauhaus initiative.
More about New European Bauhaus in aalto.fi:
New European Bauhaus at Aalto University
Vibrant living environments are created through more inclusive, sustainable and aesthetic design
Could a donation be your act of change?
External funding plays an increasingly vital role in supporting the work of the Aalto community. The projects featured in the Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition are one example of what both small and large donations can achieve. See how you can support the change.
A! Sign of Change
University's government funding has decreased. We need your support. Make a donation for a sustainable future!
Interested in shaping the future as an Aalto student?
Designs for a Cooler Planet offers a window into how interdisciplinary education and research at Aalto University generate solutions to society’s biggest challenges. See how you can apply to study at Aalto.
Study at Aalto
Study in Finland at Aalto University, where science and art meet technology and business. Join a top-ranked, multidisciplinary community!