Seela Pentikäinen is a Helsinki-based architect whose work weaves together more-than-human urbanism and the empowerment of residents in city-making. Her current projects include The Entangled City, which develops alternative zoning plans to protect urban forests through participatory methods and multispecies design, and River Assembly, which identifies, maps, and represents the non-human stakeholders of urban rivers. You can find her at Puistokatu 4.
Contact at seela.pentik@gmail.com
Education
Aalto University, Master Studies, Architecture, Helsinki, 2020–2023
École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville, Master Studies, Architecture, Paris, 2022
Aalto University, Bachelor of Science in Technology (architecture), Helsinki, 2016–2019
Publications
Kuka kuuluu ja ketä kuullaan? / Whose Voise is Heard?, ARK-magazine, Suburbia, 3/2025
Talking Trash With an Architect And a Designer – What is it like to design with materials someone else has discarded, ARK-magazine, 2/2024
Urban Forest – an Object of Conflict or Care?, ARK-magazine, Forest, 4/2023
Helsinki of Dreams -map and illustration, with Siiri Hänninen, Huuto kaupukiluonnon puolesta, 2022
”What does the world need most from the forest?” An event review of Hope for Wood -series curated by the architecture museum, ministry of the environment and You Tell Me collective, AU-magazine, 2021
Martikkalan vierasmaja – Suunnittelua pohjustava analyysi. Bachelor´s thesis, 2019, with distincti
Workshops and events
Caring Architecture ll, Fill This Space summer school, Museum of Finnish Architecture, 2.6.—6.6.2025
Entangled City, ArkMuoto 2025, Main Event, 2025
Narratives of conflict and attachment, Kaupunkitutkimuksen päivät, 2025
Entangled City, series of workshops in Helsinki, Kuopio and Lempäälä, 2025
Assembly of the River Müstjõe, Course at Estonian Academy of Art, Tallinn, Estonia 3.–8.6.2024
Caring Architecture, Fill This Space summer school, Museum of Finnish Architecture, 10.6.—14.6.2024
Assembly of the River sheaf, Workshop at European Architecture student assembly, Sheffield, UK 31.7.–13.8.2023
You Tell Me -Symposium, student-led seminar about climate crisis and architecture, Helsinki, Lapinlahden lähde, 2019
Exhibitions
Master’s thesis exhibition, Aalto university, 2023
The Assembly of the River Sheaf exhibition, Block project space, Sheffield, UK, August 2023
Buildings We Live In anti-advertisement campaign, Helsinki metro, You Tell Me Collective, 2020
Collaboration
Intento – a multi-usable exhibition structure, Somos S.U.R. x You Tell Me Collective, with Siiri Hänninen, Otso Jämsä and Maija Kovalainen, 2023
La métropolie de petits projects, participatory design studio course x OMJA at ENSA-PB, 2022
Grants, awards, residencies
The Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike), 2025
Residency at ZK/U Berlin, 2025
The Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike), 2024
The Finnish Foundation for Nature Conservation, 2024
Master’s thesis award, Pro Helsinki foundation, 2023
Master’s thesis award, The city of Helsinki, 2023
The Department of Architecture, 2023
The Finnish Cultural Foundation, 2023
Mustarinda Residency, 2023
Finnish Changemaker of the year (You Tell Me), Ashoka foundation 2022
Honorary mention for the most beautiful book of the year, Huuto kaupunkiluonnon puolesta, 2022
Victor Hoving Foundation, 2020
SAFA foundation, 2020
Featured
“Vaihtoehtokaava Kumpulanmäelle”, Kumposti, 2025
“Kaupunkisuunnittelun kaavat pantiin uusiksi Stansvikissa”, Voima, 2025
“Kaavoja lähiluonnon puolesta”, Ylioppilaslehti, 2024
”Architecture students hope that in the future, urban development stems from environmental wisdom.”, You Tell Me collective / YLE, 2021
Work experience
Skammi, 2023–
Collaboratorio, 2022
Arkitekturum, 2019–2022
MER Architects, 2018