Could you tell us what's your research subject and why it is important for the built environment and well-being?
I study the circular economy and related business models in the real estate and construction sector. I am particularly interested in the so-called strong circular economy, which means preserving the value of existing products and materials. In the built environment, this can mean, for example, extending the life cycle of buildings through maintenance and renovation or making the use of facilities more efficient through sharing and digital solutions, for example. At the same time, the aim is to improve rental revenue, usability and habitability.
What would you like everyone to understand about Civil Engineering? How would you describe it in a couple of sentences to someone who knows nothing about the subject?
I don't think there is a person who doesn't know anything about the subject. Civil engineering affects everyone. The built environment has a huge impact on both our everyday lives and the environment. Globally, its responsible of about 40 per cent of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, about half of the use of natural resources, and a third of waste and biodiversity loss. On the other hand, a large part of the household and national wealth is tied up in real estate. We spend most of our lives in built spaces – at home, at work, at school and in our free time. Despite this, the sector isn’t often visible in the public debate on sustainability, where attention is focused on, for example, transport, food or clothing.
What do you think is especially interesting in LUT University's new degree programme and research in Civil Engineering?
The fact that it is a completely new entity. It is rare to get to build (pun intended!) something from the very beginning. Although professors always influence the direction of research and, to some extent, teaching, the work is usually based on existing structures. The construction industry is often considered to be quite conservative and slowly changing, but LUT's new unit is hardly that.
Of particular interest is LUT's goal to break down traditional boundaries between roles and dismantle the silos in the field. In the future, when artificial intelligence, for example, takes care of increasingly more details, we’ll need broad expertise – generalists with a comprehensive understanding of the field.
What kind of challenges do you see in construction and how do you tackle them in your work?
Climate change and environmental crises are by far the biggest challenge. It’s necessary to find new ways to create business and growth within the planetary boundaries. In practice, this means that instead of new construction, we need to make more efficient use of the existing building stock. My work focuses on solutions related to the optimal use of existing buildings, extending their life cycle and increasing their resource efficiency.
Another challenge is that the industry is homogenous and a bit stuck in old operating models. I try to influence these by being myself, bringing new perspectives to research and paying attention to diversity in recruitment, for example.
What's the best thing about your job?
The best thing is always finding new research topics or perspectives and brainstorming them with others. It's especially nice to work with different people from all over the world, attend international conferences to share my own and others' research results, and then share what I have learnt with my students on campus.
Tell us something other people don't necessarily know about you.
In Sweden, we lived in the countryside and had chickens and Muscovy ducks as pets. Chickens, in particular, are the best pets: smart, sociable, funny, each of them with their own personalities. I still dream of chickens but keeping them would be a little more challenging in urban Helsinki.
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