Research · Writing · Editorial design · Digital experience
North Karelia
Architecture Guide
A book becoming a living map of regional architecture.
OriginalPrinted book
Published2018
Digital2026
ScopeNorth Karelia, Finland
Architecture outside the established canon deserves to be seen, understood and remembered.
The North Karelia Architecture Guide was the first book devoted to the architecture of the region. Written by Samu Aarnio, Suonna Kononen and Pekka Piiparinen, it brought together significant buildings across the province — from recognised modernism to industrial environments and less familiar local landmarks.
01 · The publication
Finding value
beyond fame
The work combined field research, local knowledge, architectural history and editorial judgement. The aim was not simply to catalogue famous architects, but to make the built history of an entire region accessible to a wider audience.
02 · The digital edition
A publication
without a final page
A book fixes knowledge at the moment of printing. The digital edition turns the same research into a service that can be explored by place, building, municipality and designer — and updated when the built environment changes.
The information structure
Places
Buildings are organised geographically and opened directly from regional and municipal maps.
Buildings
Each entry combines essential facts, images, architectural context and source information.
Designers
An index connects architects and designers to their works throughout North Karelia.
Change
New research can be added, facts corrected and demolished buildings documented rather than lost.
Print and digital
Not a replacement.
A continuation.
The physical book remains an authored object with a clear beginning and end. The digital guide extends that work: it makes architecture discoverable on location and gives the research room to keep growing.
My role
The project moves through every part of my practice: research, writing and editorial design — then information architecture, interface design and digital implementation.
Credits
Book by Samu Aarnio, Suonna Kononen and Pekka Piiparinen. Published by Karjalainen in 2018.
Digital concept, UX/UI and implementation by Samu Aarnio.