Arkki International Oy

General information

In Arkki we believe that architecture education gives children new possibilities, means and mediums to influence the creation of our future environment.

Arkki´s unique long term education program of architecture and design for children and youth is the largest in the world. It is a 15 year program with a total of 1500 teaching hours aimed for young people between 4 - 19 years of age.

ARKKI

Arkki educational program of architecture and design for children and youth is a unique program of developing architectural knowledge, design skills, and enhancing creativity.

Arkki curriculum for architecture education consists of programs that are designed for certain age groups. Programs follow each other and build upon the knowledge acquired in previous programs. Teaching is based on the perception of three-dimensional space and the formation of environment as the result of the cultural and social activities of human communities.

The individual exercises highlight and intertwine architecture, city planning, design, math, science, social studies, language, arts, technological literacy, technical skills and social skills. Arkki´s education program as a whole teaches youth also about civic involvement and cultivates a life-long interest in the built environment.
Teaching and learning methods

Over the past 20 years, Arkki has developed and tested different methods to teach architecture to children. Arkki has created its own pedagogical approach intertwining different learning approaches and methods. Arkki utilizes a unique combination of various methods such as storytelling, photography, hands-on working, playful learning, construction play, experiential learning, project based learning (PBL), creative problem solving (CPS), theater play, multisensory experimentation, computer planning, 3D experimentation etc.

“Play – create –Succeed!“ is Arkki´s pedagogical philosophy.
In Arkki, play and fantasy are used as means to discover the different phenomena of architecture. Learning happens through carefully conducted investigations, constructing and experimenting with different materials. We believe that enjoying the learning experience is important. The projects in Arkki educational program are designed so that everybody succeeds and learns through success, positive feedback and comparison to other children’s projects.

Arkki´s multisensory learning program supports different learning styles; visual learning, auditory learning, and kinesthetic learning/ tactile learning.

Arkki educational program of architecture education is fostering creativity through architecture and design education throughout the youth until adulthood. The program fosters pragmatics as well as enhances critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Architectural Education develops a pupil’s ability to perceive, consider, understand, conceptualize and value his/her environment. Architecture education aims at developing the understanding of built environment required by the modern society. The aim is to help young people to analyze and understand the surrounding environment, to support their general education and, to promote their abilities to face the challenges of society and to make sustainable choices in their lives. Architectural elements and concepts, as well as the rich architectural heritage and its development form the central themes of teaching.