Arkki promotes the participation of children and youth by implementing participatory design projects (participation projects). Design projects can include anything from an entire neighborhood to a new school, mural, or elevator.

Arkki as a Facilitator of Participation Projects

Arkki carries out participation projects as part of its weekly teaching for Arkki pupils, in workshops targeted at school groups, or as open public workshops. Often, participation opportunities are crafterd in collaboration between Arkki and cities. Occasionally, various communities also commission Arkki to conduct workshops to gather the perspectives of children and youth on design.

Arkki’s participation projects encompass urban design, building design, and interior design. By 2024, Arkki has conducted approximately fifty different participation projects, usually in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Workshops typically begin with an analysis of the design site, such as sketching or photographing it. The workshops continue with design activities, which may include drawing, building with LEGO® bricks, constructing models, or using other expressive methods. Arkki ensures that the participants’ proposals are presented to the designers.

In recent years, Arkki has carried out its participation projects primarily within its own “Keys to Participation” project series. The project series, launched in 2020, involves conducting participatory design processes and producing materials to inspire other actors to highlight the opinions, wishes, and development ideas of children and youth.

Architecture as the Basis for Interdisciplinary Learning

Architecture is inherently cross-disciplinary and encourages participation—making it particularly well-suited for educational content in schools and kindergartens. Arkki has been involved in various pedagogical development projects that have introduced multifaceted architecture as a central theme in education. Architecture addresses many issues and involves making decisions throughout the design process that all impact the final outcome. This work supports the development of thinking skills and naturally fosters collaborative practice.

Experiences from completed projects, and the teaching materials produced alongside them, support teachers planning architecture-related educational units independently. Schools and kindergartens can also order pre-tailored workshops from Arkki or deepen their knowledge through pedagogical training designed for teachers.