A glimse of sunshine

Many things happen and many stories can be told about one's long life in strange places. This is a short story about practicing architect's profession in different cultures.

I studied in Art School Ateneum of Helsinki evening classes for Industrial Design after finishing my college in a small town called Loviisa, about 100 km East from Helsinki. During my evening studies I worked daily for one year as an assistant draftsman in an Architects Office to get my daily bread.

After militatry service of 11 months in a place called Koria, I went North to Oulu to study Architecture and Urban planning in the University. During and between my studies I worked part time in different Architect and planning offices to learn about design of School, Health Centres, Hospitals, Housing facilities and Urban Planning.

I was active member in Student Union, a writer of Student Paper and film critics of local newspaper Kaleva, as well. After 5 years of studies I took part in Architectural Competiton with two friends, Seppo Autio and Ilkka Paasonen, and we won the competition of the Student Dormitory called also Kaleva, named after president Urho Kaleva Kekkonen who was the protector of the project.

During my studies I worked also as an assistant designer in the Royal Palace Architect's Office of Sweden. I was given a short introduction of beheviour because I went to private rooms of Royal Family for my work: `Never talk first`, etc. Normally Royal family members were informed that we were coming, and servants opened the door. Once when I went with the Palace Architect (Intendent Ragnar Jonsson) to see Princess Christina´s bathroom for modifications, she suddendly came to open the back door. We took a step backwards, bowed down, as advised, the Architect said: `Prinsessan`. She asked us, what we wanted, after response she closed the door and an assistant came to open the door, again.

Before getting the job in Palace I was interviewed and asked about my knowledge of the Palace. I told that during the construction of Palace, it was also our Royal Palace because Finland was a part of Sweden, Eastern Province. No further questions, I got the job.

Earlier I had worked for some months in a Metal Factory Otto Berner in Wuppertal-Schwelm, Germany to learn language and German work culture. During my studies in Oulu University I studied Urban Planning for about a month in a Seminar called "American Studies" in  Leopoldskron Schloss, Salzburg, Austria.

After Studies of 6 years in Oulu I moved back to Helsinki, got married and got an Architect´s job in Muinaistieteellinen toimikunta, "Office of Historical Sites" as a substitute of Architect Maija Kairamo. I learned how the bureaucrats work and keep their power. Later I worked for a short time also in the Building Board (Rakennushallitus) and in the National Board of Education (Opetushallitus) for the same reasons.

But soon I started a new job in the office of Architect Risto Kaarlehto, as a Town Planner.

The world was getting global and the development of other nations was widely discussed among decision makers and public. And then, because of situation, Finland decided to recruit Architects and Engineers to work in countries of Eastern Africa. I considered Ethiopia to be my favorite and I went there with my wife, Riitta and our one year old son, Niko.

Royal Palace of Sweden