Cook Book of Nordic Architecture | 2023

COOK BOOK OF NORDIC ARCHITECTURE
Type: Publication
Size: 72 pages, 210 x 210 mm
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Status: Concept 2022, published 2023
Author: Juhani Karanka

This publication is a collection of 28 design works by 32 students who participated in the Scandinavian Architecture Course held at the Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt THWS during the Winter Semester 2022-2023. The Course consisted of academic lectures on Nordic Architecture ranging from Nature and Culture to Modern Masters, like Alvar Aalto and Jørn Utzon, to the Next Generation of young architects. Particular focus was given to alternative Urbanism and the Future of Architecture in the current Climate Emergency. Several so-called jammin’ sessions supported the lectures. These collective events allowed the students to peer-review and develop their and colleagues’ design works with spontaneous feedback. The personal assignment was to select a Gap (Baulücke) in Würzburg and investigate what could be done with it. As architecture can be defined in the making (learning by doing), the final outcome of the project, i.e. a building, an artwork, an urban place, a greenspace, etc., was decided by the students themselves. Spice to the Cook Book came from these individual design interpretations and looking through Nordic Architecture's lens at the local nature and culture in Würzburg.

Scandinavian & Nordic Architecture | 2019-2024

SCANDINAVIAN & NORDIC ARCHITECTURE
Type: Lecture Series
Client: Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt / University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Status: Winter Semesters 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024

Lecture Series on Scandinavian and Nordic Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture. A set of two-hour lectures covering wide range of topics, such as Nordic Nature & Culture, Alvar Aalto, Raili & Reima Pietilä, Golden Age, Next Generation, Ultima Thule, FIN-GER, BIG, Urban Planning & Design, Import & Export, Making Theory and Back to Beginnings. The individual assignments are conducted in workshops and jammin' session, where students can interact and peer review each others works during the Course.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop | 2012

WORKSHOPPING | WAW 2012 | Würzburg | Germany | 2012

LUX
Type: International architecture workshop
Client: City of Würzburg, Church of St. Elisabeth
Size: 4 100 m2
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Status: Idea 2012
Team: Juhani Karanka, Maria Aparicio Álvarez, Davide Bossi, Nicole Ruspa & E.Sebastian Saavedra-Lux.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop 2012 studied the possibilities of developing the existing St. Elisabeth church in Zellerau. The team of international students decided, after extensive analysing, to demolish the church and build a new smaller one made out of massive wood in the shape of an eye, ship or praying hands. At the same time the team proposed to build new urban housing, a small kindergarden and service spaces with extensive high quality green outdoor areas to accommodate the present day wishes and needs of the users.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop | 2010

WORKSHOPPING | WAW 2010 | Würzburg | Germany | 2010

AKW
Type: International architecture workshop
Client: City of Würzburg
Size: 20 000 m2
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Status: Idea 2010
Team: Juhani Karanka, Ornella Cosentino, Peter Heinemann, Christian Kettenring, Carlos Lobo & Javier Pardo.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop 2010 worked on developing ideas for the former Bürgerbräu Old Brewery area in Zellerau. The team used different academical research and design methods to come up with a user simulated urban and architectural plan that included the reuse of existing old buildings, landscaping the natural environment and new human scale housing.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop | 2007

WORKSHOPPING | WAW 2007 | Würzburg | Germany | 2007

PARADISE
Type: International architecture workshop
Client: City of Würzburg
Size: 5 000 m2
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Status: Idea 2007
Team: Juhani Karanka, Rainer Gumpp, Nuno Castro Caldas, Pedro Goncalves, Sanna Greenberg, Fadi Hamouda, Frederico Reis & Maria Tiedemann.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop 2007 studied the conversion of the "Grönert" factory area in Heidingsfeld. The team experimented with different design approaches, film being one of them. As an end presentation, instead of using traditional presentation drawings and boards, the young people showed a revolutionary movie explaining their design to save the planet and make it a paradise for everyone.

Best Teacher Prize | 2004

Best Teacher Prize 2004. Designed by Antti Mentula, the students of architecture and landscape architecture awarded this delicious thanks for the Academic Year 2004 at the Aalto University. Unfortunately couldn’t keep it as the Prize is annually awarded to a new teacher who excels in working together with students.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop | 2003

WORKSHOPPING | WAW 2003 | Würzburg | Germany | 2003

MONOLITH
Type: International architecture workshop
Client: City of Würzburg
Size: 10 000 m2
Location: Würzburg, Germany
Status: Idea 2003
Team: Juhani Karanka, João Santa-Rita, Thorsten Fischenbeck, Marco Manzke, Kirsten Riebel, Yara Vaello, Andrea Ramos, Alassandro Solci, Daniela Kircher, Maciej Boetryk, Eduardo Rodrigues, Ricardo Silva Carvalho, Ines Carvalho, Artur Simones Dias, Michele Megna, Rudolfo Gamenivo & Israel Paez.

Würzburg Architecture Workshop 2007 studied the conversion of the "Mozart Gymnasium" in downtown Würzburg. The students idea was to demolish the existing 1950's buildings and cover the whole block with concrete and then carve out the pathways and spaces for housing, working and services as well as for the urban green.

Aalto University | 1999-2012

For twelve years (2000-2012) Juhani Karanka held the position of Full-time Lecturer for Urban Planning & Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture at the Aalto University in Finland. The academic period included PhD research work and teaching of basic and advanced Courses for students of architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, traffic planning, landsurveying, urban geography, industrial design, philosophy and psychology. The higher education teaching for interdisciplinary teamworking was based on PBL-methods (problem-based learning), and it was rewarded with several best practice prizes awards.

TEACHING | Aalto University | Department of Architecture | Finland | 1999-2012
Full-time Lecturer in Architecture & Urban Planning.
Award for Teacher of the Year 2004.

Master in Science of Architecture with Distinction

Academic and professional studies in Architecture took sixteen years (1983-1999) to complete. In reality the active study time was nine years, as in between life intervened in the form of parenthood, economic depression, and designing commissioned buildings or working in architectural offices. Finally managed to make my Master in Science of Architecture (and to graduate with Distinction) at the Department of Architecture at the Tampere University of Technology TUT. The Master Degree included two majors; one in urban planning and one in public building design.

As far as it is known, this is the only architect, who managed to graduate from a University by making a doll's house and coining the motto: "Form Follows Fun."