Interior Design

Finnish Focus: Three Finns Talk Architecture, Design and Culture

March 12, 2020

Finnish architects Michael Nieminen of Kliment Halsband Architects and Raija Clar of HMC Architects chat with fellow Finn and Editor-at-Large Robert Nieminen about how their Scandinavian roots inform their approach to design, why Finns remove their shoes before entering a home or school and other fun facts about Finland.

Robert Nieminen

About our guests:

Michael A. Nieminen FAIA has over 35 years of experience as a designer, programmer, and manager of planning studies, renovations, adaptive reuses, and new buildings for educational and cultural clients. He became a Partner at KHA in 1997. His innovative analytical programming and planning techniques focus on intense utilization of existing space, shared space and flexible multi-use space strategies.

Michael has developed finely tuned methodologies for the evaluation of historic sites. His projects include Yale University Sterling Divinity Quadrangle, The Rockefeller University Welch Hall Library, and University of Chicago Neubauer Collegium for Culture & Society.

Michael is a member of the National AIA Committee on Architecture for Education and will serve as the 2021 Committee Chair.

Raija Clar, CID, LEED AP ID+C, an associate and a project manager with HMC Architects in Sacramento, California.

She is involved with K-12 and higher education school project managing architecture and interiors. This year she is celebrating her 20th year with HMC Architects.

About the Author

Robert Nieminen | Chief Content Director

Robert Nieminen is the Chief Content Director of Architectural Products, BUILDINGS and i+s, sister publications of Smart Buildings Technology. He is an award-winning writer with more than 20 years of experience reporting on the architecture and design industry.