For Professor Satu Huuhka, renovating is a cherished career and a much-loved hobby

In June 2024, Satu Huuhka was appointed as a Professor of Sustainable Renovation at Tampere University. She has long advocated for the adoption of circular economy practices in the construction industry and is now focused on discovering how to promote this shift and identify the new business opportunities it could create for construction companies. 

“The transition to a circular economy represents a paradigm shift – a radical reimagining of how the construction sector operates – and involves a broad range of factors, including societal changes, new technologies, environmental considerations, legislation, and changes in the industry, market and the overall work,” she points out.

Huuhka is committed to advancing this transition, but as a self-proclaimed realist, she admits that her goal is extremely challenging to accomplish. 

“But as difficult as it is, it is still within the realm of possibility.”

The latest profound transformation in the construction sector in Finland occurred between the 1950s and the 1970s, when the tradition of self-building gave way to industrially produced mass housing following the post-war period of reconstruction and rural-urban migration. Today, changes are necessitated by climate change and the global environmental crisis.

In 2023, Satu Huuhka received the prestigious annual sustainability award called TunnustusPAANU from the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA) in recognition of her pioneering efforts to advance circularity in construction. In 2024, her work was recognised with the Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland medal, awarded by the President of the Republic of Finland.

Fascination with built heritage sparked an interest in the study of architecture 

Satu Huuhka initially pursued her interest in fashion by enrolling to study clothing design at the University of Lapland. However, in 2004, she decided to change direction and joined the architecture degree programme at the then Tampere University of Technology.

“My childhood home was surrounded by traditional railway workers’ houses and the distinctive homes built in Finland after the Second World War for the families of front-line soldiers. I have been fascinated with buildings and their details from a young age,” Huuhka says.

Huuhka graduated with a master’s degree in architecture in 2010. Her master’s thesis examined recycling in architecture, or more specifically the reuse of precast concrete elements to regenerate large industrially produced housing estates. 

At the time, the concept of a circular economy had yet to enter mainstream consciousness. Although her research topic was initially met with scepticism, Huuhka did not let this discourage her. She went on to earn a doctorate in 2016, writing her dissertation on the building stock as a deposit of raw material and a reserve of space. In her research, she emphasised the role of existing buildings in facilitating sustainable development.   

Her budding career had blossomed.

A professorship provides a stable environment for research

According to Huuhka, her appointment to a professorship last summer has not significantly changed her day-to-day work. She continues to hold multiple roles as a researcher, instructor and teacher. The most noticeable change is the reduced uncertainty.

“This is my first permanent appointment since a brief stint working at an architecture firm. The resulting stability makes it easier to develop and maintain my research group,” she says. 

For Huuhka, the best part of her job is the opportunity to collaborate with doctoral students and the researchers in her group, each with a unique combination of talents. Huuhka leads the Renovation and Circular Economy Transition (ReCET) research group, a 10-member team dedicated to resetting how the construction sector operates with the introduction of circular economy principles. The multidisciplinary group works well together, comprising not only architects and civil engineering specialists but also a mathematician and a social scientist. 

“Collaboration makes us better scientists, because we can pool our expertise to address complex problems”, Huuhka says. 

Renovation reduces carbon emissions and improves energy-efficiency

Satu Huuhka has earned a distinguished reputation for her ability to lead seminal projects, with two notable examples highlighting her expertise.  

A project titled To Demolish or to Repair, commissioned by Finland’s Ministry of the Environment, was initiated in 2021 when the environmental arguments in favour of demolition were called into question. Huuhka and her colleagues performed carbon footprint calculations, demonstrating that renovation is a lower-carbon alternative to new construction. Their final report concluded that renovation is a more effective way to reduce emissions compared to demolition and new construction, particularly in the next few decades that are critical for addressing climate change. 

“The results were a revelation for the construction sector, as the full impact of the so-called carbon spike – the peak in carbon emissions during the early stages of a building project due to the production and transportation of construction materials – had previously been overlooked. However, to achieve the desired positive climate impacts, energy efficiency must also be considered when buildings undergo major renovations.”

Huuhka is currently leading the international ReCreate project, where researchers are developing techniques and processes for deconstructing precast concrete elements from buildings slated for demolition. They are exploring how the reuse of these elements in new constructions could become a commercially viable business. Huuhka points out that refurbished concrete elements have a significantly lower carbon footprint than new ones. 

Photo: Eetu Lehmusvaara

One of the pilot sites of the ReCreate project was an office building in Tampere city centre, from which the concrete elements were harvested. A similar operation on this scale had never been attempted in Finland before. 

“The operation exceeded all our expectations! Despite some scheduling challenges, the deconstruction of the elements went very well from both technical and practical perspectives. The members of the project consortium have complementary strengths and the ability to think outside the box. For me, the main takeaway was that even an unprecedented undertaking can succeed when the partners are committed and collaborate effectively,” Huuhka says.

Successful collaborations have reinforced Huuhka’s belief in the possibility of change. For example, the multinational project development and construction company Skanska has already joined the Green Deal commitment, pledging to consistently evaluate the feasibility of deconstructing precast concrete elements from its demolition sites in advance.

Restoration is a passion that extends into all areas of life

For Huuhka, repairing what is broken is a value in itself, both on and off duty.

“Restoration has become a hobby of mine. For the past 15 years, my husband and I have been renovating our 1920s log home in my hometown. I also enjoy mending textiles and repairing porcelain objects.”

Lately, Huuhka has become fascinated by kintsugi, a traditional Japanese method for repairing broken ceramics by not hiding but highlighting the cracks. 

“I have a bad habit of accidentally breaking coffee cups. With this technique, I can create new cups that are unique and even more exquisite than the originals,” she says.